Ezra 4:3

3 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 in building a 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."

Ezra 4:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the
fathers, said unto them
The prince and high priest, and chief of the people:

you have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God;
being neither of the same nation, nor of the same religion:

but we ourselves together will build to the Lord God of Israel;
we and we only, who are together as one man, united in one body of people, and in the same religious sentiments, being Israelites; we separately, without admitting strangers among us, will build a temple to the God of Israel:

as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, hath commanded us;
thereby letting them know that they acted by his authority, and the commission they had from him only concerned themselves, and not others.

Ezra 4:3 In-Context

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple unto the LORD God of Israel,

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 have done sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither."

3 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 in building a 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."

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.