Ezra 4:1

_NOW WHEN THE ADVERSARIES OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN HEARD THAT THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY BUILDED THE TEMPLE UNTO THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL;_ The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin - i:e., strangers settled in the land of Israel....

1-5 Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the land of Israel, Ezra 4:2. It was plain that they did not mean to unite in the worship of the Lord, according to his word. Let those who discourage a good work, and weaken them that are employed in it, see whose pattern they follow....

CHAPTER IV _The Samaritans endeavour to prevent the rebuilding of the_ _temple_, 1-5. _They send letters to Artaxerxes, against the Jews_, 6-9. _A copy of the letter_, 10-16. _He commands the Jews to cease from building the temple, which_ _they do; nor was any thing farther done in the work till the_ _second year of Darius_, 17-24. NOTES ON CHAP. IV Verse Ezra 4:1. _NOW WHEN THE ADVERSARIES_] These were the Samaritans, and the different nations with which the kings of Assyria had peopled Israel, when they had carried the o

ADVERSARIES - i. e., the Samaritans, a mixed race, partly Israelite but chiefly foreign, which had replaced to some extent the ancient inhabitants after they were carried into captivity by Sargon (see 2 Kings 17:6 note)....

NOW WHEN THE ADVERSARIES OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN,.... The Samaritans, as appears from Ezra 4:2, HEARD THAT THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY; the Jews, who had been in captivity seventy years, and were just come out of it, and still were not quite free, but under the jurisdiction and control of the king of Persia: BUILDED THE TEMPLE UNTO THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL; that they were going about it, and had laid the foundation of it, which might soon come to their ears, the distance not being very great. Josephus c says they heard the sound of the trumpets, and came to know the meaning of it. c Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 3....

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The offer of the Samaritans refused (Ezra 4:1)_ 2. The letter to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7) 3. The king's reply (Ezra 4:17) 4. The work is stopped (Ezra 4:23) Ezra 4:1. 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 before Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers and said unto them, “Let us build

THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OPPOSED. Ezra 4:1. the adversaries: _i.e._ the northern Israelites of mixed race, Samaritans; they are called adversaries by anticipation, as they did not oppose the building of the Temple until their co-operation had been refused. BUILDED A TEMPLE: better were building, note that while here the building of the Temple is in question the next section deals with the building of the walls. Ezra 4:2. we seek your God: the words show that these people were not true worshippers of Yahweh, whatever their intention for the future might be. AND WE DO SACRIFICE UNTO HIM: but the Massoretic text reads (_cf. mg.),_ we have not offered sacrifice. THE DAYS OF ESARHADDON: _cf._...

ADVERSARIES. The Samaritans (Ezra 4:10). See note on 2 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 17:26. CHILDREN. sons. THE TEMPLE. The walls and gates already built by Nehemiah. See Structures (pp. 616, 617), and notes on Neh 1:21, Jeremiah 25:11. See special note at end of 2 Chronicles 36:21. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4....

The Record of Opposition. (1) Ezra 4:1-5, from the reign of Cyrus to the reign of Darius. (2) Ezra 4:6, during the reign of Xerxes. (3) Ezra 4:7-23, during the reign of Artaxerxes 1. _Now_when _the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin_ Here called -adversaries" by anticipation. From the Compiler's point of view, the Samaritans were never anything but foes of the Jews. The word -adversaries" is applied to them again Nehemiah 4:11. _Judah and Benjamin_ as in chap. Ezra 1:5. The great majority of those who returned, exclusive of priests and Levites,

_VER._ 1. _THE ADVERSARIES OF JUDAH_— That is, the _Samaritans,_ who were planted in the several cities of Israel in the room of the Israelites, whom Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had long before carried away captive....