Ezra 4:1

“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, etc.] The Samaritans, as appears from (<150402>Ezra 4:2,10), heard that the children of the captivity; the Jews, who had been in captivity seventy years, and were just come out of it, and still were not quite free, but under the jurisdiction and control of the king of Persia: builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; that they were going about it, and had laid the foundation of it, which might soon come to their ears, the distance not being very great. Josephus f38 says they heard the sound of the trumpets, and came to know the meaning of it.”

“THE BUILDING HINDERED. (Ezr 4:1-6) the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin--that is, strangers settled in the land of Israel.”

“Adversaries - i. e., the Samaritans, a mixed race, partly Israelite but chiefly foreign, which had replaced to some extent the ancient inhabitants after they were carried into captivity by Sargon (see 2 Kings 17:6 note). return to 'Top of Page'”

“The adversaries - The Samaritans. The relicks of the ten tribes, and the foreigners who had joined with them. Ezra 4:2”

“4:1 Judah and Benjamin: Most of the exiles who had returned were from these two tribes of Israel (1:5).”

“the adversaries: These were the Samaritans, the descendants of the various nations with which the kings of Assyria had peopled Israel, when they had carried the original inhabitants captive. Ezr 7:9; Kg1 5:4, Kg1 5:5; Ch1 22:9, Ch1 22:10; Neh 4:1-11; Dan 9:25; Co1 16:9 children of the captivity: Heb. sons of the transportation, Ezr 1:11 \*marg. Ezr 6:16, Ezr 6:19, Ezr 6:20, Ezr 10:7, Ezr 10:16; Dan 5:13 Ezra 4:2”

“The adversaries of the Jews prevent the building of the temple till the reign of Darius ( Ezr 4:1, Ezr 4:2). When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the community which had returned from captivity were beginning to rebuild the temple, they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefs of the people, and desired to take part in this work, because they also sacrificed to the God of Israel. These adversaries were, according to Ezr 4:2, the people whom Esarhaddon king of Assyria had settled in the neighbourhood of Benjamin and Judah. If we compare with this verse the information ( Kg2 17:24) that the kings of Assyria brought men from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from…”