Ezra 6:17

17 At the dedication of God's temple, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They sacrificed 12 male goats as an offering for sin, one goat for each of the tribes of Israel.

Ezra 6:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 6:17

And offered, at the dedication of this house of God, an
hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs
Hecatombs of various sorts, which were always reckoned grand sacrifices, even among Heathens, of which Homer sometimes speaks; some of these were for burnt offerings, and others peace offerings, by way of thankfulness to God for the finishing of the temple; part of which belonging to the offerers, they feasted upon it with great gladness of heart:

and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to
the number of the tribes of Israel;
for though the ten tribes were carried captive by Shalmaneser, yet, as before observed, there were some of them that remained in the land, and others that went and returned with the two tribes; and therefore a sin offering was made for them all, for the typical expiation of guilt contracted since they had been in an Heathen land, and, temple service had ceased.

Ezra 6:17 In-Context

15 This temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius' reign.

16 Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the others who had returned from exile celebrated at the dedication of God's temple.

17 At the dedication of God's temple, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They sacrificed 12 male goats as an offering for sin, one goat for each of the tribes of Israel.

18 The priests were assigned to their divisions and the Levites to their groups [to lead] the worship of God in Jerusalem by following the directions written in the Book of Moses.

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover.