Bible Strands
Ezra 4:3
But 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.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of Israel’s families respond to foreign groups who offered to help rebuild the temple. This exchange occurs immediately after the outsiders proposed a joint construction project and before the local opposition intensifies.
The words — לֹא (lōʾ) translates literally as “not,” forming the negative declaration “you have no part” in the Hebrew text. וְשְׁאָר (wəšʾār) means “and the rest of,” identifying the additional leaders who join Zerubbabel and Jeshua in the refusal.
The thread — The phrase “no part with us” echoes Nehemiah 2:20’s assertion of divine ownership in rebuilding Jerusalem and Acts 8:21’s warning against sharing in ministry with unrighteous hearts. The exclusive mandate to build for Yahweh alone parallels the command in Matthew 10:16 to navigate hostile environments with discernment.
Why it lands — The verse demands a clear boundary between sacred obedience and compromised alliances. It requires the reader to recognize that divine commands override social offers of assistance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Nehemiah 2:20 So 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.”
- Matthew 10:16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
- Acts 8:21 You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- 2 Chronicles 36:22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:
- Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,
- Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”
- Isaiah 45:4 For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.
- John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
- Romans 9:4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
- 3 John 1:9 I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.