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.
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel said to them, 'You have no part in helping us build a house for our God. We will build it ourselves for the LORD God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.'
The Jewish leaders firmly told foreign neighbors that they would rebuild God's temple by themselves, following only the Persian king's original instructions.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people were allowed to return to Jerusalem by King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild the temple as part of his policy to restore worship in conquered lands. When they started this project, the local inhabitants, who were descendants of people resettled by previous empires and practiced a mix of religions, offered to join in the effort. However, leaders like Zerubbabel refused their help to prevent any dilution of their pure devotion to the God of Israel, adhering strictly to Cyrus's specific command for the exiles to rebuild.
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