Ezra 4:21

Give ye now commandment. The commission is indeed a strange one. The emperor writes to a distant province and orders its officials to issue a decree. Why did not the king act in his own name and effect his will through agents who were responsible to him, and who customarily acted on his behalf? It seems that this royal letter fits only into the time when the king’s authority in the satrapy “Beyond the River” was tenuous at best, and was dependent on any officials who might choose to be loyal to him. It should be noted, furthermore, that the royal concession to the Samaritans was limited in scope and time. The letter permitted them to order the work of rebuilding Jerusalem to halt, but did not give them permission to destroy what had already been built. The king also reserved the right to countermand his present decision by another to be made later.

Until another commandment. Apparently the king intended to invite the Jews to present their case, to affirm their loyalty to him, as the Samaritans had apparently done, and thereupon to be in a position to receive new royal favors. The letter thus constituted a temporary royal injunction, or restraining order.