1
Ezra 4:1
英文原文
Adversaries - i. e., the Samaritans, a mixed race, partly Israelite but chiefly foreign, which had replaced to some extent the ancient inhabitants after they were carried into captivity by Sargon (see 2 Kings 17:6 note).
2
Ezra 4:2
参 2 Kings 17:24-28 注释。
“自从……”——以撒哈顿作王于主前681-668年。因此，撒玛利亚人所说的，乃是至少130年前发生的事。亚述诸王对撒玛利亚的移民，看来至少有三次。第一次记于 2 Kings 17:24。撒珥根在他作王的后期，为这些首批移民增添了阿拉伯成分。约三四十年后，他的孙子以撒哈顿又以移民大幅充实当地人口，这些移民尤其来自帝国的东南部(Ezra 4:10)。这样，后来的撒玛利亚人便成了一个极度混杂的民族。
英文原文
Compare 2 Kings 17:24-28 notes.
Since the days - Esar-haddon reigned from 681-668 B.C. Thus, the Samaritans speak of what had taken place at least 130 years previously. There appear to have been at least three colonizations of Samaria by the Assyrian kings. The first is mentioned in 2 Kings 17:24. Later in his reign Sargon added to these first settlers an Arabian element. Some 30 or 40 years afterward, Esarhaddon, his grandson, largely augmented the population by colonists drawn especially from the southeast parts of the Empire Ezra 4:10. Thus, the later Samaritans were an exceedingly mixed race.
3
Ezra 4:3
“与你们无干”——因为撒玛利亚人曾将偶像崇拜的仪式与对雅威的敬拜混在一起(2 Kings 17:29-41)。若容许他们在重建圣殿的事上有份，宗教的一切纯洁性便都要被败坏了。
“古列王……吩咐我们”——谕旨的准确措辞，将建造的权利专属地赋予那些从巴比伦“上”到犹大去的人(Ezra 1:3)。
英文原文
Ye have nothing to do with us - Because the Samaritans had united idolatrous rites with the worship of Yahweh 2 Kings 17:29-41. To have allowed them a share in restoring the temple would have been destructive of all purity of religion.
As king Cyrus ... commanded us - The exact words of the edict gave the right of building exclusively to those who should "go up" from Babylonia to Judaea Ezra 1:3.
5
Ezra 4:5
“贿买谋士”——更确切地说，是“贿买”波斯宫廷的官员，使他们制造延误、设置障碍，以阻挠工程。
“大利乌”——即希斯塔斯皮斯之子大利乌。
英文原文
Hired counselors - Rather, "bribed" officials at the Persian court to interpose delays and create difficulties, in order to hinder the work.
Darius - i. e., Darius, the son of Hystaspes
6
Ezra 4:6
“亚哈随鲁”——或即古列之子、其继位者冈比西斯。波斯诸王往往有两个名字。
英文原文
Ahasuerus - Or, Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus. Persian kings had often two names.
7
Ezra 4:7
“亚达薛西”——即戈马特斯（Gomates），亦即伪斯梅尔迪斯（Pseudo-Smerdis）。他继冈比西斯之后登基（主前521年），在位七个月，便被希斯塔斯皮斯之子大利乌废黜并处死。
“用亚兰文字……”——或作“以叙利亚文字写成、并译成叙利亚语”。关于这种语言如何用作犹太人与其东方邻邦之间的沟通媒介，参 2 Kings 18:26 注释。
英文原文
Artaxerxes - Gomates, the Pseudo-Smerdis. He succeeded Cambyses (521 B.C.), and reigned for seven months, when he was deposed and executed by Darius Hystaspis.
Written in the Syrian tongue ... - Or, "written in Syriac characters and translated into Syriac." On the use of this tongue as a medium of communication between the Jews and their Eastern neighbors, see 2 Kings 18:26 note.
8
Ezra 4:8
“省长”一词（the chancellor）——字面意思是“审判之主”，显然是撒玛利亚行省波斯总督的称号。每一位波斯总督前往其行省赴任时，都有一位“王的书记”或“秘书”随行，这人拥有独立而不受统属的职权。
英文原文
The chancellor - literally, "Lord of judgment;" the title, apparently, of the Persian governor of the Samaritan province. Every Persian governor was accompanied to his province by a "royal scribe" or "secretary," who had a separate and independent authority.
9
Ezra 4:9
这几节构成致亚达薛西之信的题署或称呼部分(Ezra 4:11 等)。
“底拿人”（Dinaites）大概是从大扬（Dayan）迁来的移民；这国在亚述铭文中常被提及，与基利家和加帕多家接壤。“亚法萨提人”（Apharsathchites）这一名称，目前尚无法给出令人满意的解释(参 Ezra 5:6 注释)。“他毗拉人”（Tarpelites）是来自一民族的移民，亚述人称之为 Tuplai，希腊人称之为“提巴雷尼人”（Tibareni），希伯来人通称“土巴”。（后期希伯来语的一个特点，是在唇音前插入字母“r”（resh）；可比照 2 Chronicles 28:23 边注中以 Darmesek 代替 Dammesek 的情形。）“亚法撒人”（Apharsites）大概就是“波斯人”；“亚基卫人”（Archevites）是以力（Erech，即瓦尔卡 Warka）的本地人(Genesis 10:10)；“书珊人”（Susanchites）是从书珊（Shushan）或苏萨（Susa）迁来的移民；“底亥人”（Dehavites）来自波斯部族达伊（Dai）；“以拦人”（Elamites）则来自以拦（Elam）或伊利买斯（Elymais），该国以苏萨为首都。
英文原文
These verses form the superscription or address of the letter (Ezra 4:11, etc.) sent to Artaxerxes.
The Dinaites were probably colonists from Dayan, a country often mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions as bordering on Cilicia and Cappadocia. No satisfactory explanation can be given of the name Apharsathchites (see Ezra 5:6 note). The Tarpelites were colonists from the nation which the Assyrians called Tuplai, the Greeks "Tibareni," and the Hebrews generally "Tubal." (It is characteristic of the later Hebrew language to insert the letter "r" (resh) before labials. Compare Darmesek for Dammesek, 2 Chronicles 28:23 margin). The Apharsites were probably "the Persians;" the Archevites, natives of Erech (Warka) Genesis 10:10; the Susanchites, colonists from Shushan or Susa; the Dehavites, colonists from the Persian tribe of the Dai; and the Elamites, colonists from Elam or Elymais, the country of which Susa was the capital.
10
Ezra 4:10
“亚斯那巴”——大概是以撒哈顿(Ezra 4:2)所任用、负责把移民安置在新国土上的官员。
“大河西边”——按字面直译是“河那边”；这是以斯拉、尼希米以及列王纪用以指称巴勒斯坦的短语，表示幼发拉底河以西的地区。
“在此时”——更恰当的读法是“等等”。这短语含义含糊，几乎相当于现代人对“等等”（et cetera）的用法，在边注的参照中亦再次出现。
英文原文
A snapper was perhaps the official employed by Esar-haddon Ezra 4:2 to settle the colonists in their new country.
On this side the river - literally, "beyond the river," a phrase used of Palestine by Ezra, Nehemiah, and in the Book of Kings, as designating the region west of the Euphrates.
And at such a time - Rather, "and so forth." The phrase is vague, nearly equivalent to the modern use of et cetaera. It recurs in marginal references.
13
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:13
Toll, tribute, and custom - Rather, "tribute, provision, and toll" (so Ezra 4:20). The "tribute" is the money-tax imposed on each province, and apportioned to the inhabitants by the local authorities; the "provision" is the payment in kind, which was an integral part of the Persian system; the "tolI" is probably a payment required from those who used the Persian highways.
The revenue - The word thus translated is not found elsewhere, and can only be conjecturally interpreted. Modern commentators regard it as an adverb, meaning "at last," or "in the end," and translate, "And so at last shall damage be done to the kings."
14
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:14
We have maintenance - See the margin. The phrase "to eat a man's salt" is common in the East to this day; and is applied not only to those who receive salaries, but to all who obtain their subsistence by means of another. The Persian satraps had no salaries, but taxed their provinces for the support of themselves and their courts.
15
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:15
The book of the records - Compare Esther 2:23; Esther 6:1; Esther 10:2. The existence of such a "book" at the Persian court is attested also by Ctesias.
Of thy fathers - i. e., thy predecessors ripen the throne, Cambyses, Cyrus, etc. If Artaxerxes was the Pseudo-Smerdis (Ezra 4:7 note), these persons were not really his "fathers" or ancestors; but the writers of the letter could not venture to call the king an impostor.
18
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:18
Hath been ... read - It is doubtful if the Persian monarchs could ordinarily read. At any rate, it was their habit to have documents read to them (compare Esther 6:1). This is still the ordinary practice in Eastern courts.
19
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:19
The archives of the Babylonian kingdom would contain accounts of the insurrections raised, or threatened, by Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah 2 Kings 24:1, 2 Kings 24:10, 2 Kings 24:20. It does not appear that there had ever been any rebellion against Persia.
20
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:20
Mighty kings ... - If this reference can scarcely have been to David or Solomon (see marginal reference), of whom neither the Babylonian nor the Assyrian archives would be likely to have had any account - it would probably be to Menahem 2 Kings 15:16 and Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:6-7; 2 Chronicles 35:18).
24
翻译准备中 · 英文原文Ezra 4:24
It ceased - The stoppage of the building by the Pseudo-Smerdis is in complete harmony with his character. He was a Magus, devoted to the Magian elemental worship, and opposed to belief in a personal god. His religion did not approve of temples; and as he persecuted the Zoroastrian so would he naturally be hostile to the Jewish faith. The building was resumed in the second year of Darius (520 B.C.), and was only interrupted for about two years; since the Pseudo-Smerdis reigned less than one year.
“仇敌”——即撒玛利亚人。这是一个混合的民族，部分为以色列血统，但主要为外族血统。在撒珥根将当地古时的居民掳去之后，他们便在一定程度上取代了那些居民(参 2 Kings 17:6 注释)。