Ezra 3:1-7

Rebuilding the Altar

1 ¹When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.

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

3 They set the altar in its place, ⁶for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and ⁷they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.

4 ⁸And they kept the Feast of Booths, ⁹as it is written, ¹⁰and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required,

5 and after that the regular burnt ¹¹offerings, the offerings at the new moon ¹²and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made 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 was not yet laid.

7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, ¹³and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians ¹⁴to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, ¹⁵according to the grant that they had from Cyrus 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. 3:1 Neh. 7:73; 8:1
• 2. 3:2 Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27
• 3. 3:2 1 Chr. 3:17; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27
• 4. 3:2 Deut. 12:5, 6
• 5. 3:2 See Deut. 33:1
• 6. 3:3 [ch. 4:4]
• 7. 3:3 Ex. 29:38; Num. 28:3, 4
• 8. 3:4 Zech. 14:16; See Neh. 8:14-17
• 9. 3:4 Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:34
• 10. 3:4 See Num. 29:12-38
• 11. 3:5 See Num. 28:11-15
• 12. 3:5 Num. 29:39
• 13. 3:7 1 Kgs. 5:6, 9; 2 Chr. 2:10
• 14. 3:7 2 Chr. 2:16
• 15. 3:7 ch. 1:3, 4; 6:3