Ezra 3:1

Rebuilding the altar

1 When the seventh month came and the Israelites were in their towns, the people gathered together as one in Jerusalem.

Ezra 3:1 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 3:1

And when the seventh month was come
The month Tisri, which answers to part of September and October; or when it "was approaching" ^F16, for before it was actually come some following things were done, the people met, and an altar was built; for on the first day of it sacrifices were offered, ( Ezra 3:6 ) ,

and the children of Israel were in the cities;
their respective cities, settling their domestic affairs:

the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem;
the thing was universal, and done with as much dispatch as if only one man was concerned; and it seems to denote as if they were under a divine impulse, and came together without any consultation, or knowledge of each other's designs, and without summons.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F16 (egyw) "cum appropinquaret", Piscator.

Ezra 3:1 In-Context

1 When the seventh month came and the Israelites were in their towns, the people gathered together as one in Jerusalem.

2 Then Jeshua, Jozadak's son along with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel, Shealtiel's son along with his kin, started to rebuild the altar of Israel's God so that they might offer entirely burned offerings upon it as prescribed in the Instruction from Moses the man of God.

3 They set up the altar on its foundations, because they were afraid of the neighboring peoples, and they offered entirely burned offerings upon it to the LORD, both the morning and the evening offerings.

4 They celebrated the Festival of Booths, as prescribed. Every day they presented the number of entirely burned offerings required by ordinance for that day.

5 After this, they presented the continual burned offerings, the offerings at the new moons, and at all the sacred feasts of the LORD, and the offerings of everyone who brought a spontaneous gift to the LORD.

Footnotes

• [a] September–October, Tishrei