“Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.”
The statement that "As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read before Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop." The immediate enforcement of the royal order indicates that the accusations had been successful and that Persian authorities in the region possessed sufficient power to compel cessation of restoration work. The use of force to stop the construction work establishes that the opponents' victory was not merely rhetorical but resulted in coercive obstruction of the Jewish project. The identification of regional authorities—Rehum and Shimshai—who enforced the order indicates that Persian administrative apparatus possessed local agents capable of enforcing imperial directives. The forced cessation of work represents a devastating blow to the restoration project, interrupting construction and demoralizing the community that had enthusiastically commenced rebuilding.
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