Ezra 4:24-5:13

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:1-24

Opposition stops the work (4:1-24)As a result of Assyria’s resettlement program of two centuries earlier, a race of people grew up in the area around Samaria and Jerusalem who were of mixed blood and mixed religion. They were known as Samaritans (see notes on 2 Kings 17:24-33). The Jewish leaders refused their offered help in building the temple of God, no doubt to prevent wrong ideas from corrupting Israel’s religion. The Samaritan group reacted bitterly. They opposed the Jewish builders so... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezra 4:24

GOD. Chaldee. 'elaha' (ha, emphatic), singular, same as Hebrew Eloah. App-4 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ezra 4:24

"Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of Darius I the king of Persia."Chronologically, this verse comes exactly after Ezra 4:5, above, where it was stated that, "The people of the land hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose ... all the days of Cyrus king of Persia." In fact, this lobbying against the rebuilding of the temple went on throughout the remainder of the reign of Cyrus, through all the days of Cambyses,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:24

24. Then ceased the work of the house of God—It was this occurrence that first gave rise to the strong religious antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans, which was afterwards greatly aggravated by the erection of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:1-24

Feud Between the Jews and SamaritansThis chapter describes the desire of the Samaritans to take part in the rebuilding of the Temple, and their successful opposition to the Jews on their request being refused.1. The adversaries] The term is here anticipatory of the opposition subsequently displayed. The people thus designated were the Samaritans, who, in the main, were the descendants of the immigrants who, to replace the Israelite population that had been deported after the fall of Samaria,... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Ezra 4:24

(24) The second year.—The record here returns to Ezra 4:5, with more specific indication of time. The suspension of the general enterprise—called “the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem”—lasted nearly two years. But it must be remembered that the altar was still the centre of a certain amount of worship. read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:24

5THE LIMITS OF COMPREHENSIONEzra 4:1-5; Ezra 4:24THE fourth chapter of the Book of Ezra introduces the vexed question of the limits of comprehension in religion by affording a concrete illustration of it in a very acute form. Communities, like individual organisms, can only live by means of a certain adjustment to their environment, in the settlement of which there necessarily arises a serious struggle to determine what shall be absorbed and what rejected, how far it is desirable to admit alien... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Ezra 4:1-24

CHAPTER 4 1. The offer of the Samaritans refused (Ezra 4:1-6 ) 2. The letter to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7-16 ) 3. The king’s reply (Ezra 4:17-22 ) 4. The work is stopped (Ezra 4:23-24 ) Ezra 4:1-6 . The adversaries were the Samaritans. (There is an interesting correspondence with the book of Acts. After the Spirit of God had begun His blessed work, the enemy from without and then within started his hindering work.) They had watched silently the work of restoration and then appeared... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Ezra 4:24

4:24 Then {n} ceased the work of the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.(n) Not altogether for the prophets exhorted them to continue but they used less diligence because of the troubles. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:1-24

PRETENDED FRIENDSHIP AND OPPOSITION (vv. 1-5) Satan is subtle in the way he attacks a work of God. He appears to be friendly, as is seen in the way the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin came to Zerubbabel and other leaders of Judah, offering to help them to build the temple. They say they have been brought there by the King of Assyria (which was true), and that they had sacrificed to the Lord since that time (v. 2).This may have some semblance of truth in it, but they were Gentiles who had... read more

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