These people offer to help build, claiming they worship the same God and have been sacrificing to Him since Assyrian times. But their seemingly cooperative words hide a cunning intention: to undermine the project by infiltrating and finding reasons to accuse the builders.
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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, their neighbors, the Samaritans, approach with an offer to help. They claim to worship the same God and have been doing so since their ancestors were brought to the land by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. This offer, however, is not born of genuine piety but a manipulative desire to interfere with and potentially sabotage the sacred work.
It sounds like a great idea, right? People who say they worship the same God want to help rebuild His house. But is every offer of partnership genuine?
The people who approached Zerubbabel claimed to worship the God of Israel and offered to help build the Temple. They said, "we seek your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria." This offer, however, was not sincere.
A Dangerous Game
These individuals were actually the Samaritans, a mixed population brought in by the Assyrian kings. They worshipped their own gods alongside a syncretistic version of Israel's God, as indicated in 2 Kings 17. Their true motive wasn't to honor God but to undermine the rebuilding project. They sought to "pry into their counsels, and thereby find some matter or pretences of accusation against them," as one commentator put it.
Recognizing Deception
This tactic highlights a common strategy of opposition: feigning unity to gain influence and eventually sabotage. Their offer to help build was a way to get inside the project and find ways to stop it. It's a reminder that outward appearances and smooth words can hide a heart that is not aligned with God's purposes.
They claimed to sacrifice to the God of Israel. But what does it truly mean to seek and worship God?
The Samaritans based their claim for inclusion on their practice of sacrifice. They said, "we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here." However, their understanding and practice of worship were fundamentally flawed.
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The "Mongrel Way"
While they might have offered sacrifices that were, in part, directed toward the God of Israel, their worship was not pure. They served their own gods alongside Him, a "mongrel way" as one commentator described it. True worship, as understood by the returning exiles, required exclusive devotion to Yahweh and sacrifices offered only at the divinely appointed place – Jerusalem.
The Essence of Seeking God
'Seeking God' in the context of Ezra and Nehemiah isn't just about performing religious rituals. It's about exclusive loyalty, obedience to His commands, and pursuing His righteousness. The Samaritans' mixed worship demonstrated they didn't truly seek the God of Israel in the way He commanded, rendering their offer to build the Temple disingenuous from the start.
Understand the original words
darash · Hebrew Verb
The act of expressing reverence, homage, and adoration toward God, which is exclusive to Him and requires obedience and proper ritual observance in accordance with His revealed will.
zabach · Hebrew Verb
The act of presenting an offering to God, often involving the slaying of an animal, which symbolically recognizes sin and demonstrates obedience to the covenantal requirements for atonement or thanksgiving.
The Samaritans' claim to worship the God of Israel and sacrifice to Him dates back to the Assyrian resettlement under Esarhaddon. Their offer to help rebuild the Temple was disingenuous, aimed at hindering the work rather than genuine cooperation, as they continued to blend their worship with pagan practices.
c. 705-681 BC
Sennacherib's Reign and Deportations
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, campaigned against the Levant, including Judah. After a siege of Jerusalem, he deported many inhabitants, which included ancestors of the later Samaritans.
c. 681-668 BC— this verse
Esarhaddon's Reign and Resettlement
Esarhaddon, Sennacherib's son, continued Assyrian rule and resettled conquered territories, including Samaria, with people from other parts of his empire. This event is cited by the Samaritans as the origin of their presence in the land.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus, overthrew the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This marked a new era for exiled peoples, as Cyrus issued a decree allowing them to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
520 BC
Temple Reconstruction Begins Anew
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, the returned Jewish exiles recommenced the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, which had been halted for many years.
This passage explains the origin of the Samaritans' worship, showing they incorporated the worship of the God of Israel alongside their own gods after being deported by the Assyrians, mirroring the situation in Ezra 4:2 where they claim to worship the same God.
Ezra 6:21This verse describes Israelites celebrating Passover with those who had 'separated themselves from the pollutions of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD, the God of Israel,' highlighting the strictness required for true fellowship in worship, in contrast to the Samaritans' mixed devotion.
Nehemiah 4:1-3This passage shows a similar pattern of opposition and mockery from surrounding peoples when the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt, demonstrating a recurring theme of external enemies trying to hinder God's work through intimidation and deceptive offers.
John 4:9Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman reveals the deep-seated historical animosity and theological differences between Jews and Samaritans, underscoring why the offer in Ezra 4:2 was likely insincere and problematic for the returning exiles.
clarkeEzra 4:2: "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."
Let 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.
henryEzra 4:1-5: "Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;"
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 th…
These people offer to help build, claiming they worship the same God and have been sacrificing to Him since Assyrian times. But their seemingly cooperative words hide a cunning intention: to undermine the project by infiltrating and finding reasons to accuse the builders.
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, their neighbors, the Samaritans, approach with an offer to help. They claim to worship the same God and have been doing so since their ancestors were brought to the land by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. This offer, however, is not born of genuine piety but a manipulative desire to interfere with and potentially sabotage the sacred work.
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, their neighbors, the Samaritans, approach with an offer to help. They claim to worship the same God and have been doing so since their ancestors were brought to the land by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. This offer, however, is not born of genuine piety but a manipulative desire to interfere with and potentially sabotage the sacred work.
"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 h…" — These people offer to help build, claiming they worship the same God and have been sacrificing to Him since Assyrian times. But their seemingly cooperative words hide a cunning intention: to undermin…
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Last reviewed October 2026
