Ezra 3:11

11 And they answered with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, , For good, for his mercy to Israel for ever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.

Ezra 3:11 Meaning and 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 words are often repeated in ( Psalms 136:1-26 ) and which might be the psalm the Levites now sung by responses:

and all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the
Lord;
to express their joy, in the best manner they could, on this solemn occasion:

because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid;
which gave them hope the temple in due time would be rebuilt, and the service of it restored; see ( Job 38:6 Job 38:7 ) .

Ezra 3:11 In-Context

9 And Jesus and his sons and his brethren stood, Cadmiel and his sons the sons of Juda, over them that wrought the works in the house of God: the sons of Enadad, their sons and their brethren the Levites.

10 And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord: and the priests in their robes stood with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the order of David king of Israel.

11 And they answered with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, , For good, for his mercy to Israel for ever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.

12 But many of the priests and the Levites, and the elder men, heads of families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and this house with their eyes, wept with a loud voice: but the multitude shouted with joy to raise a song.

13 And the people did not distinguish the voice of the glad shout from the voice of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud voice, and the voice was heard even from afar off.