Ezra 3:1-7

Altar and Sacrifices Restored

1 Now when the seventh month came, and ¹the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.

2 Then ²Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and ³Zerubbabel the son ⁴of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and ⁵built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, ⁶as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.

3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for ⁷they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they ⁸offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening.

4 They celebrated the ⁹Feast of Booths, ¹⁰as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, ¹¹according to the ordinance, as each day required;

5 and afterward * there was a ¹²continual burnt offering, also ¹³for the new moons and ¹⁴for all the fixed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the LORD.

6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, but the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.

7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and ¹⁵food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, ¹⁶to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at ¹⁷Joppa, according to the permission they had from ¹⁸Cyrus king of Persia.

Ezra 3:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 3

This chapter relates how that the people of Israel returned from captivity, gathered to Jerusalem, and set up the altar, where sacrifices were offered, Ezr 3:1-3, and kept the feast of tabernacles, and offered the sacrifices of that, besides the daily sacrifice, and of other festivals; and contributed to the workmen that prepared for the building of the temple, Ezr 3:4-7 and began it by laying the foundation of it; which to some was matter of joy, to others of grief, on different accounts, Ezr 3:8-13.

Cross References

• 1. Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 8:1
• 2. Nehemiah 12:1, 8
• 3. Haggai 2:2">Ezra Haggai 2:2; Haggai 1:1; Haggai 2:2
• 4. 1 Chronicles 3:17
• 5. Exodus 27:1
• 6. Deuteronomy 12:5, 6
• 7. Ezra 4:4
• 8. Numbers 28:2
• 9. Nehemiah 8:14; Zechariah 14:16
• 10. Exodus 23:16
• 11. Numbers 29:12
• 12. Exodus 29:38; Numbers 28:3
• 13. Numbers 28:11
• 14. Numbers 29:39
• 15. 2 Chronicles 2:10; Acts 12:20
• 16. 2 Chronicles 2:16
• 17. Acts 9:36
• 18. Ezra 1:2; Ezra 6:3

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "terror" was "upon them"
• [b]. Or "Tabernacles"
• [c]. Lit "by number"
• [d]. Lit "of"