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The Histories · Old Testament

Ezra 3

Ezra 3: the altar rebuilt and the temple foundation laid

General context

In the seventh month, with the people settled in their cities, they gather as one man to Jerusalem. Jeshua the son of Jozadak with his brother priests and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his brethren build the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings as written in the law of Moses. The narrator says they set the altar on its bases because fear was upon them from the people of those countries, and they offer morning and evening burnt offerings. They keep the feast of tabernacles with the daily offerings by number, then the continual offering, new moons, set feasts and freewill offerings. Offerings begin on the first day of the seventh month, though the temple foundation is not yet laid. They pay masons and carpenters and send food, drink and oil to Zidon and Tyre for cedar from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, under the grant of Cyrus. In the second month of the second year Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest appoint Levites of twenty years and upward to oversee the work, with Jeshua, Kadmiel and the sons of Henadad leading. When the builders lay the foundation, priests with trumpets and Levites with cymbals praise the Lord after the ordinance of David, singing that his mercy endures for ever. The people shout, but many old priests, Levites and chief of the fathers who had seen the first house weep aloud, so that the shout of joy cannot be told from the weeping, and the noise is heard far off.

Cited passages: Ezra 3:1, Ezra 3:2, Ezra 3:3, Ezra 3:4, Ezra 3:5, Ezra 3:6, Ezra 3:7, Ezra 3:8, Ezra 3:9, Ezra 3:10, Ezra 3:11, Ezra 3:12, Ezra 3:13

Ezra 3 (KJV)

1And 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.

8Now 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.

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Historical context

The chapter gives two time markers, the seventh month of an unnumbered year and the second month of the second year of their coming, but it does not tie these to a regnal year. Jeshua is identified as the son of Jozadak and Zerubbabel as the son of Shealtiel; the narrator names Jeshua first at the altar and Zerubbabel first at the foundation. The altar is said to be built as it is written in the law of Moses, and the music is arranged after the ordinance of David, so the text grounds both actions in earlier written or royal instruction without quoting the passages. The narrator gives the people's fear of the people of those countries as the reason for setting the altar on its bases, but does not say who those people were or what they had done; chapter 4 introduces adversaries only afterward. The cedar arrangement rests on a grant of Cyrus that the chapter does not reproduce. The first house is mentioned only through the memory of the ancient men who had seen it; nothing is said about how the new foundation compared with it. The phrase Jeshua with his sons and his brethren in the Levite list may refer to a Levite Jeshua rather than the priest, since chapter 2 lists Levites of Jeshua and Kadmiel; the text does not settle this.

Cited passages: Ezra 3:1, Ezra 3:8, Ezra 3:2, Ezra 3:10, Ezra 3:3, Ezra 4:1, Ezra 3:7, Ezra 3:12, Ezra 3:9, Ezra 2:40

Literary context

The chapter is built in two movements, altar then foundation, each introduced by a date and each led by the same pair of names. The narrator twice states that things were done as it is written, tying the new worship to the older law. A quiet tension runs through the first half: offerings begin, yet the foundation is not yet laid, and the altar is set up while fear is upon them. The second half answers that delay with organized labour, then with music and a shout. The closing scene sets two sounds against each other, the shout of joy and the weeping of those who had seen the first house, and the narrator refuses to separate them, saying the people could not discern one from the other. That mixed noise, heard afar off, is the last word before the adversaries hear in chapter 4, so the chapter's loud ending becomes the trigger for opposition.

Cited passages: Ezra 3:1, Ezra 3:8, Ezra 3:2, Ezra 3:4, Ezra 3:6, Ezra 3:3, Ezra 3:11, Ezra 3:12, Ezra 3:13, Ezra 4:1

Key moments

  1. Gathered as one man (Ezra 3:1). In the seventh month the people come together from their cities to Jerusalem.
  2. The altar built in fear (Ezra 3:3). Jeshua and Zerubbabel set the altar on its bases while fear of the surrounding peoples is on them.
  3. Offerings before a foundation (Ezra 3:6). Burnt offerings begin on the first day of the seventh month though the temple foundation is not laid.
  4. Cedar from Lebanon (Ezra 3:7). Workers are paid and Zidon and Tyre supplied to bring cedar to Joppa under Cyrus's grant.
  5. The foundation laid with song (Ezra 3:10). Priests with trumpets and Levites with cymbals praise the Lord after David's ordinance.
  6. Joy and weeping together (Ezra 3:13). The shout and the weeping mingle so that the sounds cannot be told apart.

For reflection

The old men who had seen the first house weep while others shout for joy, and the narrator says no one could tell the sounds apart. What might the older generation be weeping for at the moment the foundation is laid?

People in this chapter

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