עזרא, פרק ד׳, פסוק ב׳

The foreign residents of the land approach Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah appointed by the Persian king [ביאור שטיינזלץ], along with the local leaders, offering a partnership. They ask to join in rebuilding the Temple, declaring a shared faith and an ancient tradition of worshiping the God of Israel ever since they were brought to the region. Despite the friendly appearance of this request, the primary approach among commentators is that it is a cunning trap. Their true goal is to blend in with the builders, learn their secrets and plans, and ultimately find an excuse to sabotage and completely stop the construction work [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רב סעדיה גאון].

To convince the Jewish leaders, the foreigners insist that their worship is identical to that of the Jews. Commentators offer different perspectives on the exact nature of this religious claim. Some explain that the foreigners are asserting absolute devotion, claiming they sacrifice only to God and to no other deity [אבן עזרא]. Conversely, others point out that these nations actually worshiped God alongside their own idols. In their minds, they viewed God as the supreme deity above all their other gods, and they mistakenly assumed the Jews held the same blended belief system [מלבי״ם]. A third approach looks at the inner motives behind their worship. While they did offer sacrifices to God, it was not out of genuine love. Instead, their rituals were driven entirely by a fear of local lion attacks [רב סעדיה גאון, מצודת דוד].

To further justify their request, the foreigners highlight their deep historical roots in the area. They trace their presence back to the reign of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. Following the exile of the Israelites by Sennacherib, Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons. Esarhaddon then took the throne and relocated these foreign nations from regions like Babylon and Cuthah, settling them permanently in the land of Israel [רש״י, מצודת דוד].