Ezra 3:1-3. The Building of the Altar 1. The first clause of this verse concludes the Register of the preceding section in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 7:73). _the seventh month_ Probably the 7th month in the first year of the Return, since the next recorded date (Ezra 3:8) is the 2nd month -in the second y... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then stood up … to offer_ Jeshua the High-priest (cf. Ezra 2:2) mentioned here in connexion with sacrifice, before Zerubbabel; in Ezra 3:8 after Zerubbabel in connexion with the work of rebuilding the Temple. Jeshua's brethren are the priests: Zerubbabel's brethren -the heads of fathers" houses... [ Continue Reading ]
_upon his bases_ R.V. UPON ITS BASE. Marg. - _in its place_". (_a_) There is a difference of reading. The C'thib gives the singular, the K'ri the plural. The word occurs frequently in the plur. (e.g. 2 Kings 16:17; 2 Kings 25:13; Jeremiah 27:19; Jeremiah 52:17; Jeremiah 52:20), it is probable that t... [ Continue Reading ]
The Feast of Tabernacles 4. _They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written_ The manner of keeping the feast of tabernacles is described in Leviticus 23:34-42; Deuteronomy 16:13-15. It was the autumn or vintage feast, the most joyous of all the great annual festivals. It commemorated th... [ Continue Reading ]
_and afterward_offered] R.V. - _and afterward_", the verb being supplied from the previous verse. The clause implies that after the celebration of this Feast of Tabernacles the Jews resumed for the first time since the destruction of Jerusalem the regular sacrificial system. _the continual burnt o... [ Continue Reading ]
_From the first day of the seventh month_&c. This statement taken in conjunction with Ezra 3:5 (-and afterward" &c.) can only mean, that the Jews began to offer burnt offerings on their altar on -the _first_day of the month", when the altar was set up, but that the regular offering of the daily sacr... [ Continue Reading ]
First steps taken towards the Rebuilding of the Temple _the masons_ The stone for the Temple was excavated from the hill on which Jerusalem stood. It is possible that the word rendered -masons" may include the rougher workmen for both stone and wood, i.e. quarrymen and wood cutters, while the word... [ Continue Reading ]
The Foundation of the Temple 8. The Second Year of the Return. _of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem_ cf. Ezra 2:68. Where the old Temple had been and the new was to be. _began_ The meaning of this verb standing by itself, without an object and without a verb depending upon it, is n... [ Continue Reading ]
This VERSE presents considerable difficulty: (_a_) The English reader cannot fail to be struck with the awkwardness of the final clause, -the sons of Henadad … the Levites". (_b_) The names here mentioned have been understood by different commentators to represent four, two and three families. (_a_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when the builders_&c. By -the builders" is clearly meant the workmen, not, as some commentators, Zerubbabel and Jeshua. _they set the priests_&c. So also R.V. text. (1) According to this reading, (_a_) the subject of the verb must be the leaders of the people (as described in Ezra 3:2); (_b_) t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they sung together by course_ R.V. AND THEY SANG ONE TO ANOTHER, literally -and they answered", the same word as is rendered -answered" in Ezra 10:12; Nehemiah 8:6. The traditional interpretation of this expression has seen in it an allusion to antiphonal singing, whereby a Psalm such as Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
_But many_&c. _and chief of the fathers_, who were _ancient men, that_ R.V. BUT MANY &c. AND HEADS OF FATHERS" HOUSES, THE OLD MEN WHO, i.e. the heads of the people who would be most conspicuous, priests, Levites, and heads of families. The Vulgate -et seniores" has apparently introduced a fourth of... [ Continue Reading ]
_So that the people could not discern_ literally, -And the people &c." The people generally, not merely the leaders, were of two minds. The sounds were mingled together; the weeping near at hand was as loud as the shouting. And the confused sound was audible a long way off.... [ Continue Reading ]