TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Commentary on Ezra 3 verses 1–7
Here is, I. A general assembly of the returned Israelites at Jerusalem, in the seventh month, Ezr 3:1. We may suppose that they came from Babylon in the spring, and must allow at least four months for the journey, for so long Ezra and his company were in coming, Ezr 7:9. The seventh month therefore soon came, in which many of the feasts of the Lord were to be solemnized; and then they gathered themselves together by agreement among themselves, rather than by the command of authority, to Jerusalem. Though they had newly come to their cities, and had their hands full of business there, to provide necessaries for themselves and their families, which might have excused them from attending on God's altar till the hurry was a little over, as many foolishly put off their coming to the communion till they are settled in the world, yet such was their zeal for religion, now that they had newly come from under correction for their irreligion, that they left all their business in the country, to attend God's altar; and (which is strange) in this pious zeal they were all of a mind, they came as one man. Let worldly business be postponed to the business of religion and it will prosper the better.
II. The care which their leading men took to have an altar ready for them to attend upon.
1.Joshua and his brethren the priests, Zerubbabel and his brethren the princes, built the altar of the God of Israel (Ezr 3:2), in the same place (it is likely) where it had stood, upon the same bases, Ezr 3:3. Bishop Patrick, observing that before the temple was built there seems to have been a tabernacle pitched for the divine service, as was in David's time, not on Mount Moriah, but Mount Sion (Ch1 9:23), supposes that this altar was erected there, to be sued while the temple was in building. Let us learn hence, (1.) To begin with God. The more difficult and necessitous our case is the more concerned we are to take him along with us in all our ways. If we expect to be directed by his oracles, let him be honoured by our offerings. (2.) To do what we can in the worship of God when we cannot do what we would. They could not immediately have a temple, but they would not be without an altar. Abraham, wherever he came, built an altar; and wherever we come, though we may perhaps want the benefit of the candlestick of preaching, and the showbread of the eucharist, yet, if we bring not the sacrifices of prayer and praise, we are wanting in our duty, for we have an altar that sanctifies the gift ever ready.
2.Observe the reason here given why they hastened to set up the altar: Fear was upon them, because of the people of the land. They were in the midst of enemies that bore ill will to them and their religion, for whom they were an unequal match. And, (1.) Though they were so, yet they built the altar (so some read it); they would not be frightened from their religion by the opposition they were likely to meet with in it. Never let the fear of man bring us into this snare. (2.) Because they were so, therefore they set up the altar. Apprehension of danger should stir us up to our duty. Have we many enemies? Then it is good to have God our friend and to keep up our correspondence with him. This good use we should make of our fears, we should be driven by them to our knees. Even Saul would think himself undone if the enemy should come upon him before he had made his supplication to God, Sa1 13:12.
III. The sacrifices they offered upon the altar. The altar was reared to be used, and they used it accordingly. Let not those that have an altar starve it.
1.They began on the first day of the seventh month, Ezr 3:6. It does not appear that they had any fire from heaven to begin with, as Moses and Solomon had, but common fire served them, as it did the patriarchs.
2.Having begun, they kept up the continual burnt-offering (Ezr 3:5), morning and evening, Ezr 3:3. They had known by sad experience what it was to want the comfort of the daily sacrifice to plead in their daily prayers, and now that it was revived they resolved not to let it fall again. The daily lamb typified the Lamb of God, whose righteousness must be our confidence in all our prayers.
3.They observed all the set feasts of the Lord, and offered the sacrifices appointed for each, and particularly the feast of tabernacles, Ezr 3:4, Ezr 3:5. Now that they had received such great mercy from God that joyful feast was in a special manner seasonable. And now that they were beginning to settle in their cities it might serve well to remind them of their fathers dwelling in tents in the wilderness. That feast also which had a peculiar reference to gospel times (as appears, Zac 14:18) was brought, in a special manner, into reputation, now that those times drew on. Of the services of this feast, which continued seven days and had peculiar sacrifices appointed, it is said that they did as the duty of every day required (see Num 29:13, Num 29:17, etc.), Verbum die in die suo - the word, or matter, of the day in its day (so it is in the original) - a phrase that has become proverbial with those that have used themselves to scripture-language. If the feast of tabernacles was a figure of a gospel conversation, in respect of continual weanedness from the world and joy in God, we may infer that it concerns us all to do the work of the day in its day, according as the duty of the day requires, that is, (1.) We must improve time, by finding some business to do every day that will turn to a good account. (2.) We must improve opportunity, by accommodating ourselves to that which is the proper business of the present day. Every thing is beautiful in its season. The tenth day of this month was the day of atonement, a solemn day, and very seasonable now: it is very probable that they observed it, yet it is not mentioned, nor indeed in all the Old Testament do I remember the least mention of the observance of that day; as if it were enough that we have the law of it in Lev. 16, and the gospel of it, which was the chief intention of it, in the New Testament.
4.They offered every man's free-will offering, Ezr 3:5. The law required much, but they brought more; for, though they had little wealth to support the expense of their sacrifices, they had much zeal, and, we may suppose, spared at their own tables that they might plentifully supply God's altar. Happy are those that bring with them out of the furnace of affliction such a holy heat as this.
IV. The preparation they made for the building of the temple, Ezr 3:7. This they applied themselves immediately to; for, while we do what we can, we must still be aiming to do more and better. Tyre and Sidon must now, as of old, furnish them with workmen, and Lebanon with timber, orders for both which they had from Cyrus. What God calls us to we may depend upon his providence to furnish us for.
Or rather let them learn of you, who are so well instructed in such histories, how that Jeshua the son of Josedek the priest, and his brother, and Zerubbabel the wise, the son of Salathiel, and Ezra the priest and scribe of the law, as the temple was being built after the captivity, the feast of tabernacles being at hand (which was a great feast and time of assembly and prayer in Israel), gathered the people together with one accord in the great court within the first gate, which is toward the east, and prepared the altar to God, and there offered their gifts and kept the feast. And so afterwards they brought hither their sacrifices, on the sabbaths and the new moons, and the people offered up their prayers. And yet the Scripture says expressly that when these things were done, the temple of God was not yet built; but rather while they thus prayed, the building of the house was advancing. So neither were their prayers deferred in expectation of the dedication, nor was the dedication prevented by the assemblies held for the sake of prayer. But the people thus continued to pray; and when the house was entirely finished, they celebrated the dedication, and brought their gifts for that purpose and all kept the feast for the completion of the work.
And Joshua, the son of Jozadak, arose, etc. For Joshua and Zerubbabel, both of whom, as we mentioned above, fulfill one and the same figure of our Lord and Savior, were engaged in the work of divine worship. Joshua conspicuously for the priesthood, Zerubbabel for the kingdom; because the former descended from a priestly lineage, the latter from a royal lineage. Our Lord, however, is the true king of Israel, that is, of all who see the Lord; and also the true high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He is a priest, evidently, because He cleanses us from our sins through the sacrifice of His body, and even after His passion and ascension, He intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father (Rom. VIII). He is a king because He equips us in the present for spiritual warfare, and helps us to conquer, and grants an eternal kingdom to the victorious in the future. Not only Joshua and Zerubbabel, but also their brothers were set over the people in the building; these brothers concerning whom our King and Priest, after the glory of His resurrection, appearing to the women who sought Him, said: Go and tell My brothers (Matt. XXVIII). These brothers, namely the more eminent ones in the Church who adhere more intimately to their Redeemer, build His house with Him, as they strengthen the hearts of the faithful with their words and examples, with His help. And it is fitting that he calls them brothers of Joshua priests. For the apostle Peter says to all the churches: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood (1 Pet. II). Likewise, concerning the whole Church, John says in Revelation: Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection: over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and Christ (Rev. XX). For when the elect are members of the supreme priest, and offer their members as a living sacrifice, and render their contrite spirit as a sacrifice to God, they rightly deserve both the name of brotherhood and priesthood. Moreover, with great religious providence, the sons of the exile first built the altar of God, so that even though the temple of God was not yet founded, they would have a place where, by offering holocausts and sacrifices, they could show their devotion. We also do this spiritually today in the Church, when above all, we place in our hearts the faith of the Lord’s incarnation and passion, when we teach our listeners to receive this above all else and to root it deeply in their hearts, according to what the Apostle says, speaking to the still-infant Corinthians in Christ, For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. II). On this altar, we ought to offer our holocausts, that is our perfect thoughts and actions; for truly it is only in this way that the vows of our deeds can be pleasing to God the Father, if we partake in the sacraments of our Redeemer, if we are kindled with the fire of His Spirit as if on a sacred altar; for a holocaust means entirely burnt, by which name they called those sacrifices from which nothing was to be used for human purposes, but everything was to be given to God and consumed by sacred fire. These mystically expressed the life of those faithful who seek nothing of their own, but expend all their living in the service of the inner arbiter. Who not only trample underfoot the pleasures of their soul or body for the Lord’s sake, but also rejoice to lay down their own soul for Him, who can say with the apostles, Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us? (Matt. XIX). To whom He responds: And everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. This holocaust of a more continent and sacred life is to be offered on the altar of the God of Israel, for it is only through the faith of our Redeemer, as we have said, that our good works can be acceptable to God the Father. For Diogenes and his followers who adhered to foolish philosophy, even though they relinquished their own things and led a bare and poor life in the world, did not follow the Lord. They seemed indeed to make a holocaust, but they did not do it on the altar of the God of Israel; for while they made themselves strangers to their own pleasures, they did not know how to have Jesus Christ as an advocate with the Father. Concerning this altar, it is fittingly added:
Josue: or Jesus (Jeshua) the son of Josedec; he was the high priest, at that time.
Continue studying Ezra 3:2 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Ezra 3:2 meticulously records the immediate and faithful actions of the returned Jewish exiles, led by Jeshua the High Priest and Zerubbabel the civil governor, to re-establish proper worship in Jerusalem. Prioritizing the command of God over all other concerns, they constructed the altar for burnt offerings precisely as prescribed in the Law of Moses, thereby laying the spiritual foundation for the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of their covenant relationship with God after the Babylonian exile.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Ezra 3:2 is situated at a pivotal moment in the post-exilic narrative, immediately following the initial return of the exiles under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, as detailed in Ezra 2. Ezra 3:1 sets the stage by describing the unified gathering of the people in Jerusalem "as one man," signifying their collective purpose and resolve. This verse then promptly highlights their inaugural collective act: the construction of the altar. The subsequent verses in Ezra 3 elaborate on the offering of sacrifices, the celebration of the Feast of Booths, and the laying of the temple foundation. This sequence underscores a profound theological understanding that spiritual restoration, marked by proper worship and obedience, precedes and empowers any large-scale physical reconstruction of the temple and the city.
Historical & Cultural Context: After seventy years of Babylonian exile, a period prophesied by Jeremiah 29:10, the Jewish people were granted permission to return to Judah by the decree of Cyrus the Great in 538 BC. They returned to a desolate land, with Jerusalem and the Temple in ruins. In this context, the construction of the altar was far more than a practical step; it was a profound act of spiritual and national recommitment. In ancient Israelite culture, the altar served as the central point of communion with God, where atonement was made and fellowship restored through prescribed sacrifices. Rebuilding it first, even before the temple walls, signified their immediate and urgent desire to re-establish their covenant relationship with Yahweh and seek His favor, particularly in the face of potential opposition from surrounding peoples, as hinted at in Ezra 3:3.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully illustrates several key themes central to the book of Ezra and the broader post-exilic narrative. The theme of Restoration is paramount, encompassing not merely the rebuilding of a physical structure but, more significantly, the renewal of a spiritual relationship through proper worship. The explicit emphasis on "as it is written in the law of Moses" highlights the theme of obedience to divine revelation as the indispensable foundation for all true spiritual renewal and national identity. The collaboration between Jeshua, representing the priestly authority, and Zerubbabel, representing the civil authority, underscores the theme of unified leadership, which was essential for God's people to accomplish His will effectively. Furthermore, the deliberate act of building the altar before any other construction establishes the priority of worship and atonement as the bedrock of their national and spiritual identity, echoing the enduring importance of the sacrificial system throughout the Pentateuch, particularly in Leviticus 1.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. Parallelism is evident in the symmetrical listing of the two key leaders, Jeshua and Zerubbabel, each followed by "and his brethren," emphasizing their joint leadership and the unity of the community in this sacred endeavor. The phrase "stood up" serves as a form of emphasis, highlighting the decisive, immediate, and authoritative action taken by the leaders. The explicit mention of "as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God" functions as a validation and affirmation of their obedience, rooting their actions firmly in divine authority rather than human initiative or tradition. Furthermore, the building of the altar itself is deeply symbolic, representing the re-establishment of the covenant, the paramount priority of worship, and the enduring necessity of atonement for a people returning from generations of exile.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezra 3:2 is a powerful testament to the priority of worship and obedience in the life of God's people. The immediate construction of the altar, even before the temple foundation was laid, reveals a profound theological truth: spiritual restoration must precede and inform physical rebuilding. It demonstrates that the proper relationship with God, established through prescribed worship and atonement, is the absolute foundation for any true societal or individual renewal. This act of faith, rooted in the Law, was a declaration that despite their past failures and present vulnerabilities, their ultimate hope and security lay in God's covenant faithfulness and their adherence to His revealed will. It underscores that God's ways, not human strategies, are the path to lasting blessing and restoration.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The example of Jeshua and Zerubbabel in Ezra 3:2 provides a timeless blueprint for spiritual renewal, both individually and corporately. Their immediate priority was to re-establish the means of worship and atonement according to God's Law, even amidst the daunting task of rebuilding a ruined city and temple. This teaches us that true restoration begins not with grand plans or physical structures, but with a renewed commitment to God's established ways of worship and obedience. In our own lives, when faced with overwhelming challenges or a sense of spiritual desolation, the first step is always to prioritize our relationship with God—to "build the altar" of prayer, worship, and obedience to His Word. This foundational act of faith provides the strength, direction, and divine favor necessary for all subsequent endeavors, reminding us that God honors those who honor Him by seeking His face first, trusting that He will then direct their paths.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was building the altar the first priority, even before the temple walls?
Answer: The immediate construction of the altar before the temple walls highlights the profound theological priority of worship and atonement. In ancient Israelite worship, the altar was the central place where sacrifices were offered, symbolizing communion with God and the expiation of sins. The temple itself was the dwelling place of God's presence, but the altar was the means by which the people could approach Him and make atonement. By building the altar first, Jeshua and Zerubbabel demonstrated that restoring their covenant relationship with God through prescribed worship was paramount. It was an act of faith, seeking God's favor and acknowledging His sovereignty, even in the midst of fear from surrounding peoples (Ezra 3:3), before embarking on the larger, more visible task of rebuilding the temple structure. This sequence underscored that spiritual reconciliation was the necessary foundation for any lasting physical or national restoration.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezra 3:2, with its emphasis on the altar, burnt offerings, and meticulous obedience to the Law, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The altar and its sacrifices in the Old Testament were but shadows pointing to the one, perfect, and final sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! on the cross. Just as the burnt offering symbolized complete dedication and atonement, Christ's death was a once-for-all sacrifice that perfectly atoned for sin and fully reconciled humanity to God. Jeshua and Zerubbabel, representing the priestly and royal lines, powerfully foreshadowed Jesus, who is both our Great High Priest (after the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron, as seen in Hebrews 7) and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the true descendant of David who establishes an eternal kingdom. The obedience to the "law of Moses the man of God" in Ezra points to Christ, who did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it perfectly, embodying its righteousness and bearing its curse on our behalf. Thus, the spiritual restoration initiated by the altar in Ezra 3:2 is fully realized in the new covenant, where believers draw near to God not through animal sacrifices, but through the precious blood of Jesus, our ultimate Altar and perfect Sacrifice.