Berean Standard Bible
Ezra 4:2
2they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
Ezra 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar–haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
- New International Version (NIV)they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here."
- New King James Version (NKJV)they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
Context of Ezra 4:2
1When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.” 4Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
Read all of Ezra 4Ezra 4:2 word by word
וַיִּגְּשׁ֨וּ אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל וְאֶל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הָֽאָב֗וֹת וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נִבְנֶ֣ה עִמָּכֶ֔ם כִּ֣י כָכֶ֔ם נִדְר֖וֹשׁ לֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְל֣וֹ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ זֹבְחִ֗ים מִימֵי֙ אֵסַ֤ר חַדֹּן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה אֹתָ֖נוּ פֹּֽה׃Read the interlinear
- they approachedנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- they approachedאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֫לzerûbbâbel · ZerubbabelH2216
- and the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- of the familiesאָב'âb · fatherH1
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let us buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- with youעִם‛im · withH5973
- becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- we seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- your Godאֲנַ֫חְנוּ'ănachnû · weH587
- and have been sacrificingזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- to Him sinceלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- the timeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of Kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- ·אֵסַר־חַדּוֹן'êsar-chaddôn · EsarhaddonH634
- of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- who broughtעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- usאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- hereפֹּהpôh pô' pô · hereH6311
Cross-references for Ezra 4:2
- Ezra 1:5So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
- Ezra 2:2accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:
- Ezra 3:2Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
- Proverbs 26:23Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- Galatians 2:4This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
- 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
- 2 Peter 2:1Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
- 2 Kings 17:24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
- Ezra 4:10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
- 2 Kings 19:37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
- Genesis 10:11From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
- Psalms 73:8They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
- Isaiah 37:37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
- Hosea 14:3Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”
Commentaries on Ezra 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Let 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 the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Compare 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who ruled from 680 to 669 BC, deported the people of Israel to foreign lands. He relocated other conquered peoples to Israel during King Manasseh's reign in Judah. These foreigners learned about the Lord when they arrived in Israel, but they also continued to worship their old gods (2 Kings 17:27–34, 40–41).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezra 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezra 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries