Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 3:6
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not [yet] laid.
6. From the first day of the seventh month &c.] This statement taken in conjunction with Ezr 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 sacrifice was not begun till after the Feast of Tabernacles (15th to 22nd).
But the foundation &c.] R.V. ‘ but ’ &c.: no full-stop. The explanatory clause is added. The burnt offerings were regularly made on the altar, although there was no Temple building, nor Temple worship. Such a thing would have been almost incredible to the Jew of later centuries.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ezr 3:6-13
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord.
The full establishment of religious services precedes She building of the temple
A weighty truth is enshrined in this apparently incongruous fact. The worship itself is felt to be more important than the house in which it is to be celebrated (Joh 4:21-24). How vain is it, then, to treat the erection of churches as though it were a revival of religion! As surely as the empty seashell can never secrete a living organism to inherit it, a mere building–whether it be the most gorgeous cathedral or the plainest village meeting-house–will never induce a living spirit of worship to dwell in its cold desolation. Every true revival of religion begins in the spiritual sphere. (Walter F. Adeney, M. A.)
They gave money also unto the carpenters.
The preparations for rebuilding the temple
I. The great work yet to be accomplished. This illustrates–
1. The incompleteness of human joys.
2. The incompleteness of human works.
The altar was built, but the temple was not begun. The work of the earnest man is never accomplished. Even when death approaches, most men have much which they desire to accomplish. This incompleteness of our human works is also ordered wisely and well. It tends to prevent stagnation; to rouse to earnest activities, etc.
3. The obligation of the Church of God. The Jews at Jerusalem felt themselves bound not to rest content with the joys and blessings of the altar, but to proceed to the more arduous task of rebuilding the temple.
II. The prompt preparations for the accomplishment of this work. Two points claim attention–
1. The variety of service and the unity of design.
2. The co-operation of Jews and Gentiles.
Conclusion–
1. Are we as living stones built up in the spiritual temple of God? (1Pe 2:4-6).
2. Are we also assisting to build this glorious temple? (1Co 3:10-15). (William Jones.)
The building of the temple
I. That difficulties ought not to discourage us in the Lords work. Paucity of numbers and feebleness of resources. Enemies.
II. The readiness of the people to give of their means unto the Lord (Ezr 2:68-69). Their first care was the house of God. Without homes of their own, their cities in ruins, with a thousand demands pressing upon them, they nevertheless provided first of all for the worship of the temple. How needful the lesson! Gods house before our own. God first and afterward self. This work first, and then our own.
1. They offered willingly. It was not the tithe which they were required by law to give. It was a free-will offering to God, and hence all the more acceptable (2Co 9:7).
2. They gave according to their ability. Proportionate giving as God has prospered us is one of the most pressing needs of the Church to-day. It is a duty as plainly enjoined as prayer and praise (Deu 16:17; 1Co 16:2).
III. The people were ready to work as well, as give. The Church needs willing workers even more than generous givers. Hearts and hands are always worth more than gold and silver.
1. They worked unitedly. The people laboured as one (margin). Their counsels were not divided. There were no jealousies, no personal ambitions to hinder the progress of the undertaking.
2. The work was systematically prosecuted. Zeal and energy were displayed, but without making them substitutes for intelligence and adaptation. One of the great needs of Gods people is appreciation of the advantages of systematic work.
IV. Thankful joy in the Lords service. The ancient men wept with a loud voice as they saw the foundation of the new house laid. Yet, after all, their weeping may have had nothing in it of the spirit of murmuring. Tears are ofttimes expressive of the deepest joy.
Theres not a string attuned to mirth
But has its chord in melancholy.
The joy that is touched with pain is the noblest of joys. The sweetest music is written in the minor key. Possibly the noise of their weeping was more grateful to God than the shouts of their younger companions. (Rufus S. Green, D. D.)
The second temple
I. The building of this temple was a visible and abiding testimony to mans firm faith in the existence and power of the god of heaven. The mystery of holy shrines, says Kinglake, lies deep in human nature. However the more spiritual minds may be able to rise and soar, the common man, during his mortal career, is tethered to the globe that is his appointed dwelling-place; and the more his affections are pure and holy, the more they seem to blend with some sacred spot, that belongs to the outward and visible world? Temples tell us of one who is invisible. As Jacob set up an altar in the place where God talked with him and called the name of the place Bethel, so always men have erected memorial stones to commemorate their faith in God.
II. The temples and altars which man builds dignify a desire on his part for nearer and more constant communion with God. From the first God had revealed Himself as One who was ready to meet with His people, to draw aside the veil, at least in part, and commune with them from off the holy place. Outside the walls of Eden He appeared above the altar of Abel. Whenever, in later times, the patriarchs set up an altar and called on the name of the Lord, they expected that He would come and sanctify the spot by His presence. They were not disappointed. Enoch walked with Him; Noah built an ark under His direction; Abraham saw His day; to Jacob He appeared again and again; He talked with Moses and showed His glory to Isaiah; Elijahs altar was touched with fire; to the whole people He showed a pillar of cloud and flame, and commanded them, saying, Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them, and when it was finished, the shekinah appeared, God dwelt in the Holy of holies, and from off the fiery seat talked with His prophets and priests. Although under the Christian dispensation the idea of communion with God is ennobled, and the fellowship made more exalted and spiritual, so that Jesus Christ is now our true sanctuary and passover, still the old conception is not altogether abandoned. While the veil of the temple is rent in twain and every common bush is aflame with God, still there is a special blessing for those who meet together in the sanctuary. The place of worship is correctly spoken of as the meeting house, the meeting-house where man comes to meet his God.
III. The conduct of these temple buildings indicates determination and self-sacrifice. (Sermons by Monday Club.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
To offer burnt-offerings, and the other sacrifices which were to be offered with them upon that day, being the feast of trumpets, Num 29:1, &c. Burnt-offerings are oft put for all sacrifices, as hath been observed once and again.
The foundation of the temple was not yet laid; though it is probable they had done something towards the removing of the rubbish, and preparing the way for it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4, 6. They kept also the feast oftabernacles . . . From the first day of the seventh monthTheyrevived at that time the daily oblation, and it was on the fifteenthday of that month the feast of tabernacles was held.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
From the first of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord,…. And which day was not only a new moon, but a grand festival, the feast of blowing of trumpets,
Le 23:24, and no doubt but they observed the tenth day of this month, with all the rites of it, which was the day of atonement,
Le 23:27,
but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid; they began first with sacrifices, that having thereby given thanks to God for their return to their own land, and for all the benefits they enjoyed, and made atonement for their sins in a typical way, they might be the more prepared and fit for the work of building the temple; or, “though the foundation” of it was not laid z, yet they offered the above sacrifices.
z Etsi, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(6) From the first day.The notes of time demand notice. The altar was raised before the month came; from the first until the fifteenth, when the Feast of Tabernacles began, the daily sacrifice was offered. The whole verse recapitulates, and its latter part is the transition to what follows.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Ezr 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not [yet] laid.
Ver. 6. From the first day of the seventh month ] Which was the feast of blowing of trumpets, signifying the just man’s joyfulness, and serving to put life and spirit into them.
Began they to offer
But the foundation of the temple
Was not yet laid
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ezr 3:6-7
Ezr 3:6-7
THE TRUE WORSHIP RESTORED; THEY PLANNED TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE
“From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid. They gave money also unto the masons and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil unto them of Sidon, and unto them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.”
There was never any doubt that the returnees would rebuild the temple, which they would do as soon as possible. They wasted no time in raising money for that purpose.
“The grant they had of Cyrus” (Ezr 3:7). “The full terms of this grant are found in Ezr 6:3-5.” “The Lebanon range of mountains where those wonderful cedar trees grew belonged, at this point in history, to the kings of Persia.”
A number of dependable scholars have mentioned “corruptions” in the text of this chapter. Keil stated that, “This text cannot be regarded as authoritative”; and Oesterley stated, with regard to both Ezr 3:8 and Ezr 3:9 that, “The text here is corrupt.” In spite of this, the basic truth of what is here proclaimed is unimpeachable; and the alleged “corruptions” do not change that. Furthermore, we believe that the allegations regarding a corrupt text are related to the false assumption of scholars that “laying the foundation” occurred only one time. We reject that as unreasonable. How do men know that it was not done twice, once at the very beginning, during the reign of Cyrus, and many years later under Darius I?
E.M. Zerr:
Ezr 3:6. From the first day would be in accordance with the law of Moses. The new moon was a holy day, also the beginning of the month (1Sa 20:24; 1Sa 20:27), and that called for a sacrifice; hence the statement in this place. The work of building the temple would require much more time than it would take to arrange for these services, therefore they did the latter before starting on the major task before them. Such is the significance of the closing sentence of the verse.
Ezr 3:7. Having got the altar worship under way, the people turned their attention to the great work of rebuilding the temple. They had been allowed to take money with them when they left Babylon, and they expended it on the workmen employed in the building project. Tyre and Zidon were cities in the country of Phoenicia, the territory that produced the famous cedar trees, celebrated in story and song. Solomon had procured this wood from the king of Tyre for the first temple, and now the Jews turned to that source for the same kind of timber. Sea of Joppa means the seacoast of Joppa, that city being an important shipping port on the Mediterranean Sea. From there the timber would be floated in rafts to some suitable port accessible to the territory of Judah. According to the grant refers to the permission that Cyrus gave the Jews to obtain materials for the building, and to pay for them with money obtained in the land of Persia proper, or other places under the same rule.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
seventh month
i.e. October.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid: Heb. the temple of the Lord was not yet founded.
Reciprocal: Lev 23:24 – In the seventh Num 29:1 – the seventh
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ezr 3:6. To offer burnt-offerings And the other sacrifices which were to be offered with them upon that first day of the seventh month, which was the feast of trumpets. Burnt-offerings are often put for all sacrifices, and the meaning of these two verses is, that the holy rites of sacrificing were restored, and continued ever after, in their several seasons, on the new moons, and other festival solemnities.