Ezra 3:11

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 136 would be rendered by two choirs, one choir singing the clause -O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good", the other replying -for His mercy endureth for ever" &c. There can be no doubt that certain Psalms, such as Psalms 24:7-10; Psalms 106, 107, 118, 136, lent themselves very readily to such musical rendering; and it is possible that Nehemiah's division of the people into two companies on a great festal occasion may favour the view that antistrophic chanting was then in vogue (Nehemiah 12:31 &c.). But, in our ignorance of early Jewish music, it is impossible to speak with certainty upon the subject, while it is very easy to import modern and Western notions into our conceptions of Oriental music. The present verb very probably means that the chant of praise was responded to with a great burst of chorus, vocal and instrumental, the substance of which was some well-known sacred refrain. Cf. Exodus 15:20-21.

becausehe is good, for his mercyendureth for ever R.V. -saying, For he is good, for his mercy &c." The clause quotesthe refrain. It has been natural perhaps to suppose that the allusion is made to Psalms 136. But reference to other passages, where the same refrain is quoted (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:13; 2Ch 7:3; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Jeremiah 33:11) shows that the words are not a quotation from a Psalm, but rather a liturgical response in frequent use at sacred festivals, upon which the well-known Psalm was founded. The present verse constitutes an interesting fulfilment to the prediction of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

because the foundation … was laid The word here used occurs in 2 Chronicles 3:3, where the student will find the rendering of the R.V. (not of the A.V.) illustrated by this verse.