Ezra 4:3

_BUT ZERUBBABEL, AND JESHUA, AND THE REST OF THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF ISRAEL, SAID UNTO THEM, YE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US TO BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO OUR GOD; BUT WE OURSELVES TOGETHER WILL BUILD UNTO THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, AS KING CYRUS THE KING OF PERSIA HATH COMMANDED US._ But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua ... said ... Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God. This refusal to cooperate with the Samaritans, from whatever motives it sprang, was overruled by Providence to ultimate good; for had the two peoples worked together, familiar acquaintanceship and intermarriages would have ensued, and the result might have been a relapse of the Jews into idolatry, and most certainly confusion and obscurity in the genealogical evidence that proved the descent of the Messiah, whereas in their hostile and separate condition they were jealous observers of each other's proceedings, wat...

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....

Verse 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....

YE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US - Because the Samaritans had united idolatrous rites with the worship of Yahweh 2 Kings 17:29. 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....

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 admitting strangers among us, will build a temple to the God of Israel: AS KING CYRUS, THE KING OF PERSIA, HATH COMMANDED US; thereby letting them know that they acted by his authority, and the commission they had from him only concerned themselves, and not others....

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._...

JESHUA. See note on Ezra 3:2. ISRAEL. See note on Ezra 2:2 and 1 Kings 12:17. AS. according as....

_But Zerubbabel_&c.… _the chief of the fathers_ R.V. … HEADS OF FATHERS" HOUSES. Zerubbabel's name stands first, as in Ezra 3:8, in connexion with the work, with which he had been commissioned by Cyrus. _You have nothing to do with us_ literally -It is not for you and for us". A common Hebrew idiom, cf. Judges 11:12, -What hast thou to do with me?" literally -What is there for thee and for me &c.?" 2 Kings 3:13; for its occurrence in the N. T., cf. Mark 1:24; John 2:4. The A.V. of 1Es 5:70 gives -It is not for us and you to build together". unto

_VER._ 3. _YE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US,_ &C.— The Jews esteemed these people no better than idolaters; for, although from the time that they had been infested with lions, in the days of Ezar-haddon, they had worshipped the God of Israel, yet it was only in conjunction with their other gods whom they worshipped before; and therefore, notwithstanding their worship of the true God, since they worshipped false gods also at the same time, they were in this respect idolaters; which was reason enough for the true worshippers of God to have no communion with them....