Ezra 4:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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 Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

Complete Jewish Bible:

they approached Z'rubavel and the heads of fathers' clans and said to them, "Let us build along with you; for we seek your God, just as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esar-Hadon king of Ashur, who brought us here."

Berean Standard Bible:

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.”

American Standard Version:

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ houses, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Then they came^{H5066} to Zerubbabel^{H2216}, and to the chief^{H7218} of the fathers^{H1}, and said^{H559} unto them, Let us build^{H1129} with you: for we seek^{H1875} your God^{H430}, as ye do; and we do sacrifice^{H2076} unto him since the days^{H3117} of Esarhaddon^{H634} king^{H4428} of Assur^{H804}, which brought us up hither^{H5927}.

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Commentary for Ezra 4:2

Ezra 4:2 is set during a pivotal period in Jewish history, specifically the late 6th century BCE, after the fall of the Babylonian Empire and during the time when the Persian Empire was ascendant. The verse is part of a larger narrative concerning the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

In this verse, the speakers are the people who had been brought to the land of Samaria by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (reigned 681-669 BCE). These individuals were part of a policy of population transfer practiced by the Assyrians, where conquered peoples were resettled in other parts of the empire. The Samaritans, as they came to be known, are offering to assist Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and the elders of the Jewish community in the reconstruction of the Temple. They claim a shared interest in seeking the God of Israel and assert that they have been making sacrifices to Him since the time of Esarhaddon.

The themes present in this verse include the complexities of religious and ethnic identity, the challenges of post-exilic reconstruction, and the tensions between different groups within the former Northern Kingdom of Israel. The offer of the Samaritans to help build the Temple is significant because it highlights the intermingling of religious practices and the desire for inclusion among the returning exiles. However, this offer is also fraught with historical and theological tension, as the Samaritans were seen by the Jews as having a compromised religious heritage due to their foreign origins and syncretistic religious practices.

The historical context of Ezra 4:2 is crucial for understanding the dynamics at play. The Jewish community, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, was tasked with the monumental challenge of reestablishing their religious and cultural identity in the land of their ancestors. The interaction with the Samaritans reflects the broader issues of acceptance, collaboration, and the definition of religious purity that were central to the post-exilic community's efforts to rebuild and maintain their unique identity within a diverse and often hostile imperial landscape.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5066
   There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָגַשׁ
   Transliteration: nâgash
   Pronunciation: naw-gash'
   Description: a primitive root; to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causatively, to present; figuratively, to adduce an argument; by reversal, to stand back; (make to) approach (nigh), bring (forth, hither, near), (cause to) come (hither, near, nigh), give place, go hard (up), (be, draw, go) near (nigh), offer, overtake, present, put, stand.
   
2. Strong's Number: H2216
   There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: זְרֻבָּבֶל
   Transliteration: Zᵉrubbâbel
   Pronunciation: zer-oob-baw-bel'
   Description: from זָרַב and בָּבֶל; descended of (i.e. from) Babylon, i.e. born there; Zerubbabel, an Israelite; Zerubbabel.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7218
   There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רֹאשׁ
   Transliteration: rôʼsh
   Pronunciation: roshe
   Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
   
4. Strong's Number: H1
   There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָב
   Transliteration: ʼâb
   Pronunciation: awb
   Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
   
5. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
6. Strong's Number: H1129
   There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּנָה
   Transliteration: bânâh
   Pronunciation: baw-naw'
   Description: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1875
   There are 152 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּרַשׁ
   Transliteration: dârash
   Pronunciation: daw-rash'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship; ask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely.
   
8. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
9. Strong's Number: H2076
   There are 127 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: זָבַח
   Transliteration: zâbach
   Pronunciation: zaw-bakh'
   Description: a primitive root; to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice); kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.
   
10. Strong's Number: H3117
    There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יוֹם
    Transliteration: yôwm
    Pronunciation: yome
    Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.
    
11. Strong's Number: H634
    There are 141 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֵסַר־חַדּוֹן
    Transliteration: ʼÊçar-Chaddôwn
    Pronunciation: ay-sar' Chad-dohn'
    Description: of foreign derivation; Esar-chaddon, an Assyrian king; Esar-haddon.
    
12. Strong's Number: H4428
    There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
    Transliteration: melek
    Pronunciation: meh'-lek
    Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
    
13. Strong's Number: H804
    There are 340 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אַשּׁוּר
    Transliteration: ʼAshshûwr
    Pronunciation: ash-shoor'
    Description: or אַשֻּׁר; apparently from אָשַׁר (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire; Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians. See אָשֻׁר.
    
14. Strong's Number: H5927
    There are 817 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָלָה
    Transliteration: ʻâlâh
    Pronunciation: aw-law'
    Description: a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative; arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.