Tree of Life Version
Ezra 4:2
2they approached Zerubbabel and the leading patriarchs and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon, king 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 returned exiles were building a temple for Adonai the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the leading patriarchs and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the prominent patriarchs of Israel said to them, “It is not for you and us to build a House for our God—but we alone will build it for Adonai the God of Israel, just as Cyrus—king of Persia—has commanded us.” 4Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Judah and making 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then they cameנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- to Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֫לzerûbbâbel · ZerubbabelH2216
- and to the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- of the fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Let us buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- with you: for we seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and we do sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- unto him since the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of Esar–haddonאֵסַר־חַדּוֹן'êsar-chaddôn · EsarhaddonH634
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Assurאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- which brought us up hitherעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
Cross-references for Ezra 4:2
- Ezra 1:5So the patriarchal leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the kohanim and the Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred up—arose to go up to build the House of Adonai in Jerusalem.
- Ezra 2:2They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordechai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel:
- Ezra 3:2Then Jeshua son of Jozadak, his fellow kohanim, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel, in order to offer burnt offerings on it as written in the Torah of Moses, the man of God.
- Proverbs 26:23Like silver glaze overlaying earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries.
- Galatians 2:4Now this issue came up because of false brothers secretly brought in (who slipped in to spy out our freedom in Messiah, in order to bring us into bondage).
- 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these people oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and worthless concerning the faith.
- 2 Peter 2:1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies. They will even deny 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 placed them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the men of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and settled in its cities.
- Ezra 4:10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of Trans-Euphrates. (Now
- 2 Kings 19:37One day, as he was worshipping in the house of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sarezer struck him down with the sword, and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.
- Genesis 10:11From that land he went out to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rechovot-ir, Calah
- Psalms 73:8They scoff and wickedly plan evil. From on high they threaten.
- Isaiah 37:37So King Sennacherib of Assyria withdrew, and returned home, and stayed in Nineveh.
- Hosea 14:3Take words with you and return to Adonai. Say to Him: “Take away all iniquity, and accept what is good, so we may repay with offerings of our lips:
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
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