Ezra — Chapter 4

The enemies of Juda and Benjamin — the Samaritans, perpetual enemies of the Jews, as Lapide explains from 4 Kings 17:24. These were the mixed peoples settled in Samaria by the Assyrians.

Zorobabel, Joshua, and the heads of families refuse the Samaritans any part in building the Temple: \"It is not for you and us to build a house to our God.\" Lapide gives four reasons: (1) the Samaritans were heretics and idolaters; hence we must avoid the communion of heretics in sacred things; (2) they might commit fraud in the building; (3) lest they claim the Temple as partly their own work; (4) lest they secretly mix sand for lime and earth for stone and so ruin the fabric.