Ezra 3

King James Version

Full text for Ezra Chapter 3

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.

2Then 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.

3And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear [was] upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, [even] burnt offerings morning and evening.

4They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as [it is] written, and [offered] the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;

5And afterward [offered] the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.

6From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not [yet] laid.

7They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

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 remnant 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 set forward the work of the house of the LORD.

9Then stood Jeshua [with] his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, [with] their sons and their brethren the Levites.

10And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.

11And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because [he is] good, for his mercy [endureth] for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, [who were] ancient 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:

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 afar off.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Upon their return to Jerusalem in the seventh month, the children of Israel, led by Jeshua and Zerubbabel, first rebuilt the altar and resumed burnt offerings according to the Law of Moses. Despite fear of surrounding peoples, they diligently observed the Feast of Tabernacles and other sacrifices. In the second year, the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, marked by a great celebration with music and praise, though some elders who remembered the first temple wept.

Medium Summary

When the seventh month arrived, the Israelites gathered in Jerusalem, and under the leadership of Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel the governor, they immediately set about building the altar. They began offering burnt offerings daily, including morning and evening sacrifices, and observed the Feast of Tabernacles, fulfilling the requirements of the Law. Materials for the temple were procured from Tyre and Sidon, funded by a grant from King Cyrus. In the second year, the foundation of the temple was laid, with Levites appointed to oversee the work. This momentous occasion was celebrated with priests sounding trumpets and Levites playing cymbals, singing praises to the Lord for His enduring mercy. However, the joyous shouts of the people were mingled with the loud weeping of older priests and Levites who had seen the glory of the first temple.

Long Summary

In the seventh month, the returned exiles of Israel assembled in Jerusalem, uniting as one people. Under the guidance of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, they prioritized the reconstruction of the altar of God. They established the altar upon its bases, offering burnt offerings daily, both morning and evening, in accordance with the Law of Moses, despite a prevailing fear of the surrounding peoples. They faithfully observed the Feast of Tabernacles and continued to offer continual burnt offerings, new moon sacrifices, and offerings for all consecrated feasts and freewill offerings. Although sacrifices began from the first day of the seventh month, the temple's foundation was not yet laid at this point. Subsequently, they provided funds to masons and carpenters, and supplied provisions to those from Zidon and Tyre to import cedar trees from Lebanon, transported by sea to Joppa, as authorized by King Cyrus of Persia. In the second month of their second year in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the Levites began the work of laying the temple's foundation, appointing Levites aged twenty and upward to supervise the construction. When the foundation was finally laid, priests in their vestments, accompanied by trumpets, and Levites of Asaph's lineage with cymbals, praised the Lord according to the ordinance of King David. They sang antiphonally, giving thanks to the Lord, affirming His goodness and enduring mercy toward Israel. The people responded with a great shout of joy, yet this jubilation was profoundly contrasted by the loud weeping of many ancient priests, Levites, and heads of families who had witnessed the glory of the first temple. The combined sounds of joyful shouting and sorrowful weeping were so intermingled that it was impossible to distinguish them, echoing far off.

Core Concepts

  • Altar ReconstructionUpon their return, the first act of the Israelites was to rebuild the altar of God in Jerusalem, demonstrating their immediate commitment to restoring proper worship and sacrifice according to the Law of Moses.
  • Resumption of SacrificesFollowing the altar's construction, the people diligently resumed offering daily burnt offerings, observing the Feast of Tabernacles, and presenting other prescribed sacrifices and freewill offerings, re-establishing the sacrificial system.
  • Fear and FaithThe text notes that the altar was set upon its bases 'for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries,' yet despite this apprehension, they proceeded with their religious duties, indicating a blend of human fear and divine trust.
  • Temple Foundation LayingA significant milestone was reached in the second year when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, marking the tangible beginning of the reconstruction of the central place of worship.
  • Levitical OversightLevites, particularly those aged twenty and above, were appointed to oversee and set forward the work of the house of the Lord, highlighting their crucial role in managing the temple's reconstruction.
  • Mixed EmotionsThe laying of the foundation evoked a powerful, dual emotional response: great shouts of joy and praise from the general populace, contrasted sharply with the loud weeping of older individuals who remembered the splendor of the first temple.