Ezra 4:2-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 4:1-5

We have here an instance of the old enmity that was put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. God's temple cannot be built, but Satan will rage, and the gates of hell will fight against it. The gospel kingdom was, in like manner, to be set up with much struggling and contention. In this respect the glory of the latter house was greater than the glory of the former, and it was more a figure of the temple of Christ's church, in that Solomon built his temple when there was no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:2

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and the chief of the fathers ,.... These they addressed, as knowing that if they could not prevail with them, they could never succeed in their design; and these were no doubt the principal of the Samaritans that applied: and said unto them, let us build with you ; that is, the temple, they proposed to join with them, and assist them in it; which proposal at first sight might seem very agreeable and welcome, and would have been so had they been sincere, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers, said unto them ,.... The prince and high priest, and chief of the people: you have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God ; being neither of the same nation, nor of the same religion: but we ourselves together will build to the Lord God of Israel ; we and we only, who are together as one man, united in one body of people, and in the same religious sentiments, being Israelites; we separately, without... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:2

Let us build with you - We acknowledge the same God, are solicitous for his glory, and will gladly assist you in this work. But that they came with no friendly intention, the context proves. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:3

Ye have nothing to do with us - We cannot acknowledge you as worshippers of the true God, and cannot participate with you in anything that relates to his worship. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:2

Compare 2 Kings 17:24-28 notes.Since the days - Esar-haddon reigned from 681-668 B.C. Thus, the Samaritans speak of what had taken place at least 130 years previously. There appear to have been at least three colonizations of Samaria by the Assyrian kings. The first is mentioned in 2 Kings 17:24. Later in his reign Sargon added to these first settlers an Arabian element. Some 30 or 40 years afterward, Esarhaddon, his grandson, largely augmented the population by colonists drawn especially from... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:3

Ye have nothing to do with us - Because the Samaritans had united idolatrous rites with the worship of Yahweh 2 Kings 17:29-41. To have allowed them a share in restoring the temple would have been destructive of all purity of religion.As king Cyrus ... commanded us - The exact words of the edict gave the right of building exclusively to those who should “go up” from Babylonia to Judaea Ezra 1:3. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezra 4:2

Ezra 4:2. They came to Zerubbabel, &c., and said, Let us build with you Hearing that the temple was in building, they were presently aware that it would be a fatal blow to their superstition, and therefore set themselves to oppose it. But as they had not power to do it openly and by force, they endeavoured to do it secretly and by wiles. They offer their service to build with them, but only that by this conjunction with them they might pry into their counsels, find some matter of... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezra 4:3

Ezra 4:3. Ye have nothing to do with us The chief of the fathers were soon aware that they meant them no kindness, whatever they might pretend, but really designed to do them an injury; and therefore, (though they had need enough of help, if it had been such as they could confide in,) they told them plainly they could not accept it, nor unite with them, as being of another nation and religion, and therefore not concerned in Cyrus’s grant, which was confined to the Israelites. But we... read more

Donald C. Fleming

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

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