Ezra 4:3
in Ezra 4But 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
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.
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This verse in Ezra 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Ye have nothing to do with us - Because the Samaritans had united idolatrous rites with the worship of Yahweh 2Ki 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 Ezr 1:3.
This site's exposition
You have no part with us
Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the family heads refuse: "You have no part with us in building a house for our God". They rest the refusal on the decree itself, since Cyrus king of Persia commanded their company to build. The breach later hardens into the Samaritan division that John 4:9 records.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
It is not for you or us to build a house for our God. Heretics are not to build the house of the Lord, which is the Church, from which they themselves are proved to be strangers; but only those who, adhering to Christ the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers, said unto them,....
We should carefully consider with whom we are associated and on whose hand we lean. While we trust God with a pious confidence we must trust men with a prudent jealousy and caution.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
Ye 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.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֨ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל | zerubavel | Zerubbabel | H2216 → | 21 times |
| וְיֵשׁ֗וּעַ | veyeshua' | and Jeshua | H3442 → | 29 times |
| וּשְׁאָ֨ר | ushear | and [the] rest of | H7605 → | 26 times |
| רָאשֵׁ֤י | rashei | [the] heads of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָֽאָבוֹת֙ | haavot | the fathers | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | leyisrael | of Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לָ֣כֶם | lakhem | for you | ||
| וָלָ֔נוּ | valanu | and for us | ||
| לִבְנ֥וֹת | livnot | to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| בַּ֖יִת | bayit | a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ | leloheinu | for God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲנַ֨חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| יַ֜חַד | yachad | together | H3162 → | |
| נִבְנֶ֗ה | nivneh | we will build [it] | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לַֽיהוָה֙ | layahweh | for Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֔נוּ | tzivanu | he commanded us | H6680 → | 494 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| כּ֥וֹרֶשׁ | koresh | Cyrus | H3566 → | 15 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| פָּרָֽס׃ | paras | Persia | H6539 → | 28 times |
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֨םto <the> them
lahem
זְרֻבָּבֶ֜לZerubbabel
zerubavelH2216 →21 times
וְיֵשׁ֗וּעַand Jeshua
veyeshua'H3442 →29 times
וּשְׁאָ֨רand [the] rest of
ushearH7605 →26 times
רָאשֵׁ֤י[the] heads of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
הָֽאָבוֹת֙the fathers
haavotH1 →1212 times
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לof Israel
leyisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
לָ֣כֶםfor you
lakhem
וָלָ֔נוּand for us
valanu
לִבְנ֥וֹתto build
livnotH1129 →376 times
בַּ֖יִתa house
bayitH1004 →2046 times
לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּfor God our
leloheinuH430 →2601 times
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֲנַ֨חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
יַ֜חַדtogether
yachadH3162 →
נִבְנֶ֗הwe will build [it]
nivnehH1129 →376 times
לַֽיהוָה֙for Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֔נוּhe commanded us
tzivanuH6680 →494 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
כּ֥וֹרֶשׁCyrus
koreshH3566 →15 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
פָּרָֽס׃Persia
parasH6539 →28 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 10:16Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:15
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- Luke 10:3
Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
- 1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- Colossians 4:5
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- Ephesians 5:15–17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- Philippians 2:15
Through
Nehemiah 2:20So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
it leads to
- Acts 8:21
You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- Nehemiah 2:4
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
- Acts 10:31
and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
- Acts 8:21
Where this verse is studied
About Ezra
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).