Ezra 3:5-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 3:1-7

Here is, I. A general assembly of the returned Israelites at Jerusalem, in the seventh month, Ezra 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, Ezra 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... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 3:8-13

There was no dispute among the returned Jews whether they should build the temple or no; that was immediately resolved on, and that it should be done with all speed; what comfort could they take in their own land if they had not that token of God's presence with them and the record of his name among them? We have here therefore an account of the beginning of that good work. Observe, I. When it was begun-in the second month of the second year, as soon as ever the season of the year would permit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:5

And afterwards offered the continual burnt offering ,.... Not after the feast of tabernacles, as if they then began to offer the daily sacrifice; for that they did as soon as the altar was set up, and on the first day of the month, Ezra 3:3 , rather the sense is, that after the daily burnt offering of the morning, they offered the other sacrifices peculiar to the several days of the feast of tabernacles; they never neglected that, yea, always began with it; all the rest were after it, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:6

From the first of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord ,.... And which day was not only a new moon, but a grand festival, the feast of blowing of trumpets, Leviticus 23:24 , and no doubt but they observed the tenth day of this month, with all the rites of it, which was the day of atonement, Leviticus 23:27 , but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid ; they began first with sacrifices, that having thereby given thanks to God for their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:7

They gave money also to the masons, and to the carpenters ,.... To buy stone and timber with for the building of the temple: and meat and drink and oil unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre ; which were more agreeable to them than money, because there was not plenty of such things in their country, as in the land of Israel: to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa ; as they did at the first building of the temple by Solomon; they cut down cedars at Lebanon, which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:8

Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem ,.... The place where it formerly stood; the Jews seem to have set out from Babylon, in the spring of the preceding year, as it was now of this; which to Jerusalem was a journey of about four months, as Ezra performed it, Ezra 7:9 , but might take up longer time for such a body of people to do it in, being larger than that with him; wherefore, after they had visited their respective cities, and settled their affairs... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:9

Then stood Jeshua, with his sons ,.... Not Jeshua the high priest before mentioned, but Jeshua the Levite, Ezra 2:40 , and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together ; the same with Hodaviah, Ezra 2:40 to set forward the workmen in the house of God ; to give them orders to begin and lay the foundation, and hasten and animate them to it: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites : two of this man's sons are mentioned in Nehemiah... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:10

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord ,.... The masons, whose work it was, Ezra 3:7 they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets ; these were set in a proper place by the prince and the high priest, in their priestly garments, with trumpets in their hands to blow with, as the foundation was laying: and the Levites the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel ; these were instruments of brass,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:11

And they sang together by course ,.... They sang by turns in responses, and answered one another, as the word signifies; when one company had performed their part, another took theirs: in praising and giving thanks to the Lord ; for returning them to their own land, and giving them opportunity, ability, and will, to set about the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord, and restoring the pure worship of God: because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever towards Israel ; which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:12

But many of the priests and Levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men ,.... Seventy or eighty years of age: that had seen the first house ; the temple built by Solomon, as they very well might, since then it had been destroyed but fifty two years; for the seventy years captivity are to be reckoned from the fourth of Jehoiakim, when it began, and which was eighteen years before the destruction of the temple; the beginning of the next clause: when in the foundation ,... read more

Group of Brands