Ezra 3:12

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 official class, -the Elders". The elders are not mentioned here; but see chap. Ezra 5:5.

had seen the first house Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 587. The foundation of the new Temple was laid in 536. There were even some alive sixteen years later (520) to whose recollection of the former building the prophet Haggai could appeal (Haggai 2:3).

when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes The traditional interpretation preserved in the Hebrew accents connects this clause with the one preceding, - the first housestanding on its foundation, when this house was before their eyes" (so marg. R.V.) The objection to this rendering is the concrete use of the word rendered -foundation" not found elsewhere. But the construction is more vigorous and more vivid than that of the A.V. preferred by most commentators, which connects the whole clause with the words following.

wept with a loud voice Clearly not tears of joy; expressions of joy are noticed in the next clause: nor tears of grief, because they could never live to see the completion of the building, or because the character of the work was by comparison with the former Temple poor and insignificant. Only the foundations were being laid, and the general plan was on a larger scale than that of Solomon's Temple (see on Ezra 6:3). Disappointment at the small scale of the beginning may have taken possession of some (cf. Haggai 2:3-9; Zechariah 4:10). But the thoughts of the disasters of their youth, the sorrows cf. their manhood in exile, the gaps in their numbers, the insignificance of the new community by comparison with the splendour of Messianic hopes (Isaiah 60), were enough to cause sadness and weeping.

shouted aloud for joy the younger and middle-aged men. If memory was sad, hope was joyful.