Ezra 4:3

Ezra 4:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

Context of Ezra 4:3

1The Israelites who had returned to Jerusalem from exile were building the temple for the Lord, Israel's God. The enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that the Israelites had begun to build. 2They went to speak to Zerubbabel and to the leaders of the Israelite families. They said, ‘Let us help you to build the temple. We also want to worship your God. We have lived in this country since Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us here. All this time we have made sacrifices to your God.’ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the other leaders of Israel's people said, ‘No. You cannot help us to build the temple for our God. We must build it by ourselves for the Lord, Israel's God. That is what Cyrus, king of Persia, has commanded us to do.’ 4Then the people who lived near them tried to make Judah's people afraid. They tried to stop them building. 5They paid bribes to government officers to work against the Israelite builders. Then they could not do the work. They continued to do this all the time that King Cyrus ruled Persia, until Darius became king.

Ezra 4:3 word by word

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לָהֶ֨ם זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל וְיֵשׁ֗וּעַ וּשְׁאָ֨ר רָאשֵׁ֤י הָֽאָבוֹת֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־לָ֣כֶם וָלָ֔נוּ לִבְנ֥וֹת בַּ֖יִת לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ כִּי֩ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ יַ֜חַד נִבְנֶ֗ה לַֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֔נוּ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ כּ֥וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֫לzerûbbâbel · ZerubbabelH2216
• and Jeshuaיֵשׁוּעַyêshûa‛ · JeshuaH3442
• and the restשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
• of the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of the fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• an houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• unto our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• but we ourselves togetherיַ֫חַדyachad · unitednessH3162
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• as kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Cyrusכּ֫וֹרֶשׁkôresh kôresh · CyrusH3566
• of Persiaפָּרַסpâras · PersiaH6539
• hath commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680

Cross-references for Ezra 4:3

• Nehemiah 2:20I replied to them, ‘Our God who rules from heaven will help us. We are his servants and we will start to build. But you have never been true citizens of Jerusalem.’
• John 4:22You people from Samaria do not know the one that you worship. But we Jews do know him, because God's salvation comes from among the Jewish people.
• Acts 8:21You cannot do the work which we are doing. God knows that you are not thinking the right things.
• Romans 9:4They are Israelite people. God chose them to belong to him as his own children. He showed them that he is very great. He made many agreements with them and he gave his Law to them. He showed them how they should worship him. He promised many good things to them.
• 3 John 1:9I have already written something to the group of believers. But Diotrephes refuses to accept our authority. He really wants to be the only leader among them.
• Ezra 1:1In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:
• Ezra 6:3King Cyrus gave a command about God's temple in Jerusalem, in the first year that he ruled in Babylon. He said: “The Jews must build their temple as a place where they can offer sacrifices to their God. They must build it on its foundations. They must make it 30 metres wide and 30 metres high.
• 2 Chronicles 36:22In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:
• Isaiah 44:28I say about King Cyrus, “He is my shepherd. He will do what I want him to do.” He will give a command about Jerusalem. He will say, “Build the city again!” He will say about the temple, “Build its foundation.” ’
• Isaiah 45:1The Lord says this to Cyrus, the king that he has chosen to serve him: ‘I hold your right hand. I give you power over other nations, to take away the weapons of their kings. I will open the gates of cities in front of you, and they will stay open.
• Matthew 10:16Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Listen well. I am sending you to people who will want to kill you. You will be like sheep among wild animals. You must watch carefully, like snakes do. But you must also be good and kind like doves.

Commentaries on Ezra 4:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Ye 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 the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Ye 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 the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The main political, religious, and tribal leaders united against the foreigners' proposal. They believed it would introduce idolatrous beliefs. The Jews wanted to avoid repeating their ancestors' mistake of worshiping Canaanite false gods, which led to exile. as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us: See Ezra 1:2–4.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua ... said ... Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God--This refusal to co-operate with the Samaritans, from whatever motives it sprang, was overruled by Providence for ultimate good; for, had the two peoples worked together, familiar acquaintanceship and intermarriage would have ensued, and the result might have been a relapse of the Jews into idolatry. Most certainly, confusion and obscurity in the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 4:3

• Cyrus
• Jeshua
• Joshua
• Persia
• Zerubbabel

In the dictionaries

• Cyrus
• God
• Israel
• Persia
• Zerubbabel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Persia, Persians
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Certify

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