Ezra 4:2 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."

Ezra 4:2

<< Ezra 4:2 >>

New International Version (©1984)
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."

New Living Translation (©2007)
So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here."

English Standard Version (©2001)
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 American Standard Bible (©1995)
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families. They told them, "We want to help you build because we worship the same God you worship. We have been sacrificing to him since the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here."

King James Bible
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.

American King James Version
Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as you do; and we do sacrifice to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up 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.

Bible in Basic English
Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of families, and said to them, Let us take part in the building with you; for we are servants of your God, even as you are; and we have been making offerings to him from the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who put us here.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.

Darby Bible Translation
and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.

English Revised 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 do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, who brought us up hither.

World English Bible
then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' [houses], and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

Young's Literal Translation
and they draw nigh unto Zerubbabel, and unto heads of the fathers, and say to them, 'Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up hither.'

Geneva Study Bible

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.

4:2 With you - This they spake not sincerely, but that by this conjunction with them, they might pry into their counsels, and thereby find some matter of accusation against them. We seek - For so they did, though in a mongrel way, 2Kings 17:26, and c. Esarhaddon - Son of Sennacherib, and after him king of Assyria, who brought or sent these persons hither, either, in the day's of Salmanasar, who reigned in Assyria but eight years before Esarhaddon; and so Esarhaddon might be one of his commanders, and the man by whom that colony was sent. Or, in the reign of Esarhaddon, who sent this second colony to strengthen the first.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] for we seek

The people of the land sought to hinder the work in three ways:

(1) by seeking to draw the Jews into an unreal union, Ezra 4:3. (cf) 2Ki 17:32.

(2) by "weakening the hands of the people of Judah," Ezra 4:4 i.e, by withholding supplies, etc.; and

(3) by accusations lodged with Ahasuerus and Darius. The first was by far the most subtle and dangerous. The lives of Ezra and Nehemiah afford many illustrations of true separation. 2Cor 6:14-18 2Tim 2:19-21.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. 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 settlement of Babylonian colonists in their place. It is a striking confirmation of the statement made in this passage. Those Assyrian settlers intermarried with the remnant of Israelite women, and their descendants, a mongrel race, went under the name of Samaritans. Though originally idolaters, they were instructed in the knowledge of God, so that they could say, "We seek your God"; but they served Him in a superstitious way of their own (see on [486]2Ki 17:26-34, 41).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-5 Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the land of Israel, 2Ki 17. It was plain that they did not mean to unite in the worship of the Lord, according to his word. Let those who discourage a good work, and weaken them that are employed in it, see whose pattern they follow.

2 Kings 17:32 They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places.

2 Kings 19:37 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 into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place. (NASB ©1995)

Approached Asshur Assur Assyria Build Building Chief Draw Drew Esar Esarhaddon Esar-haddon E'sar-had'don Families Fathers Haddon Heads Hither Households Houses Making Nigh Offerings Sacrifice Sacrificed Sacrificing Seek Servants Worship Zerubbabel Zerub'babel

Approached Assur Assyria Build Chief Drew Esar Esarhaddon Esar-Haddon Fathers Haddon Heads Hither Households Houses Sacrifice Sacrificing Seek Zerubbabel

Approached Assur Assyria Build Chief Drew Esar Esarhaddon Esar-Haddon Fathers Haddon Heads Hither Households Houses Sacrifice Sacrificing Seek Zerubbabel

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.

Zerubbabel 1:5 2:2 3:2,12

Let us Pr 26:23-26 2Co 11:13-15 Ga 2:4 2Ti 3:8 2Pe 2:1,2

we do 2Ki 17:24,27-33,41

Esarhaddon 10

Asnappar 2Ki 19:37

Assur Ge 10:11 Ps 73:8 Isa 37:37

Assyria Ho 14:3

Asshur

Bible Gateway: Ezra Chapter 4 Verse 2 NIV ESV NKJV NLT KJV Message Amplified

Alphabetical: and approached Assyria because been brought build came days Esarhaddon families fathers for God have heads help here him households king Let like of sacrificing said seek since the them they time to up us we who with you your Zerubbabel

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