Ezra 4:2 NIV

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

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

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

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

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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezra 4:2

Zerubbabel. See note on Ezra 3:2 . chief = heads. we seek your God. A priest had been sent to these Samaritans (2 Kings 17:28-33 ). we do sacrifice unto Him. Hebrew text = "although we have not been sacrificing". Some codices, and two early printed editions, with Septuagint and Syriac, add "unto Him". Esar-haddon. The son and successor of Sennacherib (see notes on 2 Kings 19:37 , and 2 Chronicles 33:11 ). Assur = Assyria. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:2

2. we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon . . . which brought us up hither—A very interesting explanation of this passage has been recently obtained from the Assyrian sculptures. On a large cylinder, deposited in the British Museum, there is inscribed a long and perfect copy of the annals of Esar-haddon, in which the details are given of a large deportation of Israelites from Palestine, and a consequent settlement of Babylonian colonists in their... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ezra 4:1-5

Opposition during Cyrus’ reign 4:1-5The Assyrian government encouraged its residents to move to Israel and to settle there after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. This was official government policy during the reigns of the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680-669 B.C.; 2 Kings 17:24) and Ashurbanipal (668-ca. 630 B.C.; Ezra 4:10). These immigrant people worshipped pagan idols (2 Kings 17:30-31), but also started worshipping Yahweh, whom they regarded as the god of the land in which they... 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