Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city. Cambyses, it is known, was inimical to the Jews, and it may be presumed that the usurper Smerdis would not be more favourable: so that as neither of these kings supported the policy of Cyrus, it was an artful trick of the adversaries at Jerusalem to foment the indisposition of the court by adverting to the numerous attempts of the Jews in former times to threw off the yoke of their foreign masters, and on account of which attempts they called it "the rebellious and the bad city."
Have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations, х wª'ushayaa' (H787) yachiyTuw (H2338)] - and sewed together; i:e., joined the turrets [Septuagint, themelious autees anupsoosan]. The name "Jews" was generally used after the return from the captivity, because the returning exiles belonged chiefly to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; and although the edict of Cyrus permitted all who chose to return-a permission of which some of the Israelites availed themselves-the great body who went to settle in Judea were the men of Judah.