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Ezra 3

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The Altar Rebuilt and Worship Restored 1–7

1
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. ​
2
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. ​
3
And they set the altar upon its base; for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries: and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah, even burnt-offerings morning and evening. ​
4
And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required; ​
5
and afterward the continual burnt-offering, and the offerings of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill-offering unto Jehovah.
6
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid.
7
They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. ​

Laying the Temple Foundation 8–11

8
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Jehovah. ​
9
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, after the order of David king of Israel. ​
11
And they sang one to another in praising and giving thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid. ​

Joy and Sorrow Mixed 12–13

12
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, the old men that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: ​
13
so 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 afar off.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Ezra 3

Verse 1

the seventh month — This month held the 'memorial of blowing of trumpets' on its first day (Lev 23:24), the day of atonement on the tenth (23:27) and Tabernacles on the fifteenth (23:34). 'As one man' is the phrase of Judg 20:1 and Neh 8:1, where the people gather again in this month to hear the law. Here no temple stands yet; the foundation is not yet laid (v.6) and is laid in v.10.

Verse 2

the law of Moses the man of God — Jeshua is the high priest 'Joshua the son of Josedech' of Hag 1:1, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel stands in the line of Christ (Matt 1:12). They build the altar before anything else, to offer burnt offerings 'as it is written'. 'Moses the man of God' is the title of Deut 33:1.

Verse 3

morning and evening — The altar is set 'upon his bases' (mekonah, a pedestal) while the temple's foundation is still unlaid (v.6), and the daily offering resumes as the law fixed it: a lamb 'in the morning' and another 'at even' (Ex 29:38–39). The 'fear' comes from 'the people of those countries'; in 4:4 'the people of the land' weaken the builders' hands.

Verse 4

the feast of tabernacles — Kept 'as it is written': the fifteenth day of the seventh month, seven days in booths (Lev 23:34, 42). The offerings 'by number' follow Num 29:12–32, where the bullocks fall from thirteen on the first day to seven on the seventh. 'As the duty of every day required' is also the phrase of 2 Chr 8:14.

Verse 7

cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa — The route is Solomon's: Lebanon timber brought 'in floats by sea to Joppa' for Jerusalem (2 Chr 2:16), paid for in food and oil (1 Kgs 5:11), and the Sidonians were the skilled timber-hewers (1 Kgs 5:6). The 'grant' (rishyon, a permit) is Cyrus's, whose decree gave the expenses 'out of the king's house' (Ezra 6:4).

Verse 8

twenty years old and upward — The second month is the month Solomon began to build (1 Kgs 6:1). David had lowered the Levites' age of service to twenty (1 Chr 23:24–27). 'To set forward' is natsach, to oversee, the word of 1 Chr 23:4, where twenty-four thousand Levites 'were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD'.

Verse 10

with trumpets… with cymbals — The priests blow the trumpets as Num 10:8 commands, 'an ordinance for ever', and the sons of Asaph take cymbals as Asaph did under David (1 Chr 16:5). 'After the ordinance of David' is literally 'by the hands of David', his arrangement of the musicians (1 Chr 25:1). The verb for laying the foundation is yasad, to found.

Verse 11

for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel — The refrain of Ps 136:1, sung when Solomon's house was dedicated (2 Chr 5:13). 'Mercy' is chesed, covenant love. 'By course' translates anah, to answer, so the companies responded to one another. 'Shouted' and 'shout' come from one root, the great shout of the whole people at the laid foundation.

Verse 12

ancient men, that had seen the first house — Haggai asks the same generation, 'Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?' (Hag 2:3). Weeping and joy rise together: 'the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people' (v.13), 'heard afar off'.