Ezra 4:11 (KJV)

What does Ezra 4:11 mean?

Ezra 4:11 introduces a copy of a letter sent to King Artaxerxes by officials and other people from the region west of the Euphrates River. The verse gives the letter’s address and opening; the complaint itself follows.

The writers call themselves the king’s “servants,” a formal way of presenting themselves as subject to his authority. The phrase “on this side the river” identifies their region from the perspective of the Persian administration, whose center lay east of the Euphrates.

The Aramaic behind Ezra 4:11

• “copy” — פַּרְשֶׁגֶן (parshegen): This means a copy or a written version of a document. The word signals that the passage presents the letter’s text rather than merely reporting that a letter was sent.
• “and at such a time” — כְּעֶנֶת (keʿenet): This expression is often understood as a formula meaning something like “and so forth.” It appears at the end of the formal address rather than giving a specific date.

Why Ezra 4:11 matters

• The letter claims to speak for people in a whole region, not just for one person. Its opening identifies the writers collectively as “the men on this side the river.”
• The address prepares the reader to hear the complaint as an appeal to royal authority. The writers address Artaxerxes as “the king,” and the following verses ask him to examine Jerusalem’s history.
• The surrounding passage identifies the letter’s purpose: those opposing the rebuilding wanted the king to intervene. The address in verse 11 shows whom they sought to persuade.