Original Word: קִרְיָא
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: qirya'
Pronunciation: keer-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (keer-yaw')
KJV: city
NASB: city
Word Origin: [corresponding to H7151 (קִריָה - city)]

1. a city

city

(Aramaic) or qiryah (Aramaic) {keer-yaw'}; corresponding to qiryah -- city.

see HEBREW qiryah

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to qiryah
Definition
a city
NASB Translation
city (9).

קִרְיָה, אָ֯, noun feminine city (ᵑ7 Syriac; S-C^{A 9} + קריה; see Biblical Hebrew, √ קרה; also Nö^{Beitr. 62}); — absolute הָ֯ Ezra 4:10, אָ֯ Ezra 4:15; emphatic קִרְיְתָא Ezra 4:12; Ezra 4:13; Ezra 4:15; Ezra 4:15; Ezra 4:16; Ezra 4:19; Ezra 4:21

Definition and Scope of Usage

קִרְיָא (qiryā) appears nine times, all in the Aramaic section of Ezra 4. Each instance designates Jerusalem as “the city” under discussion in a hostile letter to King Artaxerxes. The term therefore functions not merely as a generic label but as a focal point of political, theological, and redemptive tension.

Scriptural Context

1. Ezra 4:12 – The adversaries report: “they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city.”
2. Ezra 4:13 – They warn that if “this city is rebuilt,” revenue will cease.
3. Ezra 4:15 – Three times the city is named while citing past rebellions recorded “in the chronicles.”
4. Ezra 4:16 – “If this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will have no dominion…”
5. Ezra 4:19 – Artaxerxes notes that “this city has risen against kings.”
6. Ezra 4:21 – The king commands, “Give an order to halt these men so that this city will not be rebuilt until I issue a decree.”

Historical Background

The Persian king Cyrus had authorized the return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1). By the reign of Artaxerxes (likely Longimanus, 464–423 BC), regional officials—Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe—sought to halt the project. Their official correspondence (Ezra 4:8-22), written in Imperial Aramaic, brands Jerusalem as a chronic source of rebellion. The repeated use of קִרְיָא heightens the legal tone of the accusation, signaling that what is at stake is not merely a construction project but the very character of the city.

Theological Themes

• The city as a symbol of covenant identity

Jerusalem embodies the LORD’s choice of dwelling (Psalm 132:13-14). Opposition to the city’s restoration is therefore resistance to God’s redemptive plan.

• The city contested by the nations

“Why do the nations rage…?” (Psalm 2:1). Ezra 4 illustrates this universal pattern: earthly powers attempt to thwart the purposes of God, yet divine sovereignty prevails (Ezra 6:14).

• Record of rebellion vs. record of grace

Rehum cites “the chronicles” (Ezra 4:15) to condemn Jerusalem, but heaven’s record anticipates a “new Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2). The earthly city’s checkered past cannot nullify God’s covenant commitment.

Spiritual Application for Ministry

1. Opposition is inevitable when God’s people pursue His agenda.

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). The repeated קִרְיָא reminds believers that the place where God’s name dwells draws fire from the enemy.

2. Prayer and perseverance overcome bureaucratic resistance.

Although Artaxerxes initially halts the work, later royal decrees support it (Ezra 6:6-12; 7:11-26). Ministry leaders should trust God to turn the hearts of authorities (Proverbs 21:1).

3. The city motif points to the Church as God’s present dwelling.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). The local congregation, like Jerusalem of old, must guard its testimony against charges of worldliness or rebellion.

Related Concepts in Scripture

• Hebrew קִרְיָה (7151) – the common Hebrew equivalent, appearing in narratives such as Joshua 6:26.
• Zion theology – Psalms 46; 48; 87 contrast the security of God’s city with the insecurity of the nations.
• New Jerusalem – Revelation 21-22 completes the trajectory from contested earthly city to perfected heavenly dwelling.

Summary

קִרְיָא in Ezra 4 encapsulates the clash between divine purpose and human opposition centered on Jerusalem. Its ninefold repetition underscores both the strategic importance of the city in redemptive history and the certainty that God’s plans for His dwelling place will ultimately prevail.

בְּקִרְיָ֖ה בקריה וְקִרְיְתָ֥א וקריתא קִרְיְתָ֣א קִרְיְתָ֥א קִרְיְתָ֨א קִרְיָ֣א קריא קריתא bə·qir·yāh bekirYah bəqiryāh kirYa kiryeTa qir·yā qir·yə·ṯā qiryā qiryəṯā vekiryeTa wə·qir·yə·ṯā wəqiryəṯāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts