In the scriptural narrative of the return from the Babylonian captivity, the name Mithredath appears in two starkly contrasting roles. It is a striking reminder that the very same worldly system, operating under the same names and offices, can be used by God as an instrument of blessing in one generation, and by the adversary as an instrument of bitter opposition in the next.
Mithredath the Treasurer
The first Mithredath we encounter is a high-ranking Persian official serving under Cyrus the Great. He was the royal keeper of the treasury, a man of immense trust within the empire. When God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to issue the decree of liberation, He also commanded that the sacred temple vessels—stolen decades earlier by Nebuchadnezzar—be returned. Mithredath was the man tasked with executing this massive physical transfer of holy property.
The scripture records: “Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.” (Ezra 1:8, KJV).
Mithredath’s role required absolute precision. He stood in the royal vaults of Persia, meticulously counting out thousands of vessels of gold and silver—chargers, knives, and basins—ensuring that every single item dedicated to the service of the LORD was accounted for and delivered safely into the hands of the prince of Judah. Though he was a Gentile official serving a pagan court, his hand was used by the Almighty to fund and equip the restoration of the altar at Jerusalem. He demonstrates how God can command the wealth and the administrative accuracy of the nations to serve His uncompromised mission.
Mithredath the Adversary
Years later, during the troubled days of Artaxerxes, a second individual named Mithredath appears in the biblical record. This man was not a promoter of the work, but a treacherous adversary. He was a Persian official stationed in the region of Samaria, and he joined a conspiracy of local governors determined to halt the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The text exposes his hostility: “And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.” (Ezra 4:7, KJV).
This Mithredath and his companions used political pressure, slander, and legal maneuvers to poison the mind of the Persian king against the remnant. They wrote a letter filled with accusations, calling Jerusalem a “rebellious and bad city” (Ezra 4:12, KJV), warning that if the walls were completed, the Jews would cease paying toll, tribute, and custom. Their deceptive campaign succeeded for a time, causing the work on the house of God to cease by force and power.
The name Mithredath itself means “given by Mithra” (a pagan deity of light and covenants), showing that both men were rooted in the same worldly culture. Yet one was a servant of the decree of restoration, while the other became a weapon of the great falling away in Samaria. It is a powerful lesson in how the tools of the world can be flipped in an instant—one day counting out gold for the temple, and the next day trying to tear down its foundations.