Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel&c.… the chief of the fathers R.V. … heads of fathers" houses. Zerubbabel's name stands first, as in Ezra 3:8, in connexion with the work, with which he had been commissioned by Cyrus.

You have nothing to do with us literally -It is not for you and for us". A common Hebrew idiom, cf. Judges 11:12, -What hast thou to do with me?" literally -What is there for thee and for me &c.?" 2 Kings 3:13; for its occurrence in the N. T., cf. Mark 1:24; John 2:4. The A.V. of 1Es 5:70 gives -It is not for us and you to build together".

unto our God Almost as if they had said -our God and not yours".

ourselves together The union of the new community and the exclusion of all strangers. The word rendered -together" is not to be understood as if the phrase were an exclusive one, -ourselves alone". It emphasizes the combinedaction of the true Israelites. Cf. Psalms 2:2 -take counsel together".

unto the Lord God of Israel R.V. - unto the Lord, the God of Israel ", cf. Ezra 4:4; Ezra 1:3. This implies, though it does not assert in so many words, that the applicants were not members of Israel.

as king Cyrus&c. referring to the words in Ezra 1:3 -Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him &c."

The refusal of the application is thus technically based upon the wording of Cyrus" decree; the applicants failed to come under the permission which Cyrus had granted, and could not therefore take part in the work. Zerubbabel and his companions evaded the dilemma of having to meet the religious plea either by counter-argument or by direct contradiction. At the same time they made it quite evident that they declined to recognize the identity of worship which was pleaded, or the claim to relationship and political union which underlay the plea.

On the two points (a) who made the overtures? (b) how we are to regard their rejection by the Jewish leaders, see Introduction, § 6. Outline of History.