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, and Jeshua ... said ... Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God. This refusal to cooperate with the Samaritans, from whatever motives it sprang, was overruled by Providence to ultimate good; for had the two peoples worked together, familiar acquaintanceship and intermarriages would have ensued, and the result might have been a relapse of the Jews into idolatry, and most certainly confusion and obscurity in the genealogical evidence that proved the descent of the Messiah, whereas in their hostile and separate condition they were jealous observers of each other's proceedings, watching with mutual care over the preservation and integrity of the sacred books, guarding the purity and honour of the Mosaic worship, and thus contributing to the maintenance of religious knowledge and truth.