Ezra 4:2

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

1Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you, we seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.” 4Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,

Ezra 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
• Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֫לzerûbbâbel · ZerubbabelH2216
• and the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of fathers’אָב'âb · fatherH1
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to them, “Let us buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• with you, for like you, we seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and we have been sacrificingזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• to Him sinceמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• Esarhaddonאֵסַר־חַדּוֹן'êsar-chaddôn · EsarhaddonH634
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• who broughtעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• hereפֹּהpôh pô' pô · hereH6311

Cross-references for Ezra 4:2

• Ezra 1:5Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites rose up, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
• Ezra 2:2These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of the people of Israel:
• Ezra 3:2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.
• Proverbs 26:23Like an earthenware vessel overlaid with silver impurities Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
• 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
• Galatians 2:4Yet it was a concern because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
• 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.
• 2 Peter 2:1But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
• 2 Kings 17:24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
• Ezra 4:10and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. And now
• 2 Kings 19:37Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.
• Genesis 10:11From that land he went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
• Psalms 73:8They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.
• Isaiah 37:37So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived in Nineveh.
• Hosea 14:3Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again, ‘Our god’ To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.”

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

• Esar-Haddon (Esarhaddon)
• Jeshua
• Joshua
• Zerubbabel

In the dictionaries

• God
• Zerubbabel
• Certify
• Chancellor
• Endamage
• Esarhaddon
• Grow
• Hurt
• Insurrection
• Israel, Kingdom of

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