Ezra3
World English Bible · Public Domain
1When the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his relatives, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
3In spite of their fear because of the peoples of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its base; and they offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
4They kept the feast of booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required;
5and afterward the continual burnt offering, the offerings of the new moons, of all the set feasts of Yahweh that were consecrated, and of everyone who willingly offered a free will offering to Yahweh.
6From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh; but the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was not yet laid.
7They also gave money to the masons and to the carpenters. They also gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus King of Persia.
8Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of Yahweh’s house.
9Then Jeshua stood with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together to have the oversight of the workmen in God’s house: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.
10When the builders laid the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, they set the priests in their vestments with trumpets, with the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, according to the directions of David king of Israel.
11They sang to one another in praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of Yahweh’s house had been laid.
12But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. Many also shouted aloud for joy,
13so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard far away.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezra 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The altar and festivals. (1–7). The foundations of the temple laid. (8–13).
vv1-7
From the proceedings of the Jews on their arrival, let us learn to begin with God, and to do what we can in the worship of God, when we cannot do what we would. They could not at once have a temple, but they would not be without an altar. Fear of danger should stir us to our duty. Have we many enemies? Then it is good to have God our Friend, and to keep up communion with him. Our fears should drive us to our knees. The sacrifices for all these solemnities were a heavy expense for so poor a company; yet besides those expressly appointed, many brought free-will offerings to the Lord. And they made preparation for the building of the temple without delay: whatever God calls us to do, we may depend upon his providence to furnish us with the needful means.
vv8-13
There was a remarkable mixture of affections upon laying the foundation of the temple. Those that only knew the misery of having no temple at all, praised the Lord with shouts of joy. To them, even this foundation seemed great. We ought to be thankful for the beginnings of mercy, though it be not yet perfect. But those who remembered the glory of the first temple, and considered how far inferior this was likely to be, wept with a loud voice. There was reason for it, and if they bewailed the sin that was the cause of this melancholy change, they did well. Yet it was wrong to cast a damp upon the common joys. They despised the day of small things, and were unthankful for the good they enjoyed. Let not the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of present mercies.
Key Words
שְׁבִיעִי: seventh
חֹדֶשׁ: the new moon; by implication, a month
נָגַע: properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אָסַף: to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
Cross References
Ezra 3Direct historical parallel describing ancient men weeping over the lesser glory of the second temple foundation.
Supported by JFB, Matthew Henry
Parallels Solomon's hiring of Sidonians and Tyrians for cedar trees from Lebanon to build the temple.
Supported by JFB
Specifies transporting Lebanon cedars by sea to Joppa, mirroring the logistical pattern of Solomon's temple.
Supported by JFB
Warns against despising the day of small things when the foundation of the house is laid.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies the contemporaries Haggai the prophet, Jeshua (Joshua) the high priest, and Zerubbabel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Genealogical link identifying Zerubbabel as the son/descendant of Shealtiel (Salathiel) in the messianic line.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Davidic ordinance setting Levites from twenty years old and upward to oversee the house of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribes the continual morning and evening burnt offerings of lambs upon the altar.
Supported by JFB
The Mosaic law commanding the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh month.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies Jeshua (the Levite, not the high priest) and Kadmiel as heads of Levite families.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Davidic choral ordinance using the specific praise phrase: 'because his mercy endureth for ever.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic fulfillment of the voice of joy and praise returning to the desolated house of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Specifies the offerings for the numerous seventh-month feasts, including Trumpets and Tabernacles.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophesies that the glory of this latter house will surpass the former due to Christ's presence.
Supported by JFB