Discovery BoxEzra 4:2 
Context4:2 they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders 1 and said to them, “Let us help you build, 2 for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him 3 from the time 4 of King Esarhaddon 5 of Assyria, who brought us here.” 6
Ezra 5:8
Context5:8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, 7 and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.
Ezra 6:12
Context6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation 8 who reaches out 9 to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”
1 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.” So also in v. 3.
2 tn Heb “Let us build with you.”
3 tc The translation reads with the Qere, a Qumran
4 tn Heb “days.”
5 sn Esarhaddon was king of Assyria ca. 681-669
6 sn The Assyrian policy had been to resettle Samaria with peoples from other areas (cf. 2 Kgs 17:24-34). These immigrants acknowledged Yahweh as well as other deities in some cases. The Jews who returned from the Exile regarded them with suspicion and were not hospitable to their offer of help in rebuilding the temple.
7 tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.
8 tn Aram “people.”
9 tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”
