(KJV) Ezra 31

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⥃Sacrifices Restored

[1] And when the seventh2 month was come, and the children of Israel [were] in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one3 man to Jerusalem. [2] Then stood up Jeshua4 the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel5 the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as [it is] written6 in the law of Moses the man of God. [3] And they set the altar7 upon his bases; for fear8 [was] upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, [even] burnt9 offerings morning and evening. [4] They kept also the feast10 of tabernacles, as [it is] written, and [offered] the daily11 burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required12; [5] And afterward [offered] the continual13 burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly14 offered a freewill offering unto the Lord. [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] laid15. [7] They gave money16 also unto the masons, and to the carpenters17; and meat18, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa19, according20 to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

⥃Temple Restoration Begins

[8] Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel21 the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old22 and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord. [9] Then stood Jeshua23 [with] his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah24, together25, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, [with] their sons and their brethren the Levites. [10] And when the builders26 laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set27 the priests in their apparel with trumpets28, and the Levites the sons of Asaph29 with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance30 of David king of Israel. [11] And they sang31 together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because32 [he is] good, for his mercy [endureth] for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted33 with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because34 the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. [12] But many35 of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, [who were] ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation36 of this house was laid before their eyes, wept37 with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: [13] So that38 the people could not discern the noise39 of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted40 with a loud shout, and the noise41 was heard afar off.

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  1. Ezra 3:1, The altar is set up; Ezra 3:4, Offerings renewed; Ezra 3:7, Workmen employed in preparing materials; Ezra 3:8, The foundations of the temple are laid in great joy and mourning. ↩

  2. Exod 23:14-17; Lev 16:29, Lev 23:24, Lev 23:27-44; Num 29:1-40; Neh 8:2, Neh 8:14 ↩

  3. Judg 20:1; Neh 8:1; Zeph 3:9; Acts 2:46, Acts 4:32; 1Cor 1:10 ↩

  4. Hag 1:1, Hag 1:12, Hag 1:14, Hag 2:2-4; Zech 3:1, Zech 3:8, Zech 6:11, Joshua the son of Josedech. ↩

  5. Ezra 2:2; 1Chr 3:17, 1Chr 3:19; Hag 2:21, Hag 2:23; Zech 4:6-10; Matt 1:12-13; Luke 3:27, Zorobabel, Salathiel ↩

  6. Exod 20:24-25; Num 28:3-31; Deut 12:5-7; 2Chr 6:6; Ps 78:68; Bp. Patrick observes, that before the temple was built, there seems to have been a tabernacle pitched for Divine service, as was in David's time, not on mount Moriah, but mount Sion, to be used while the temple was building. Let us learn hence to begin with God, and to do what we can in the worship of God, when we cannot do what we would. They could not immediately have a temple, but they would not be without an altar. Wherever a Christian goes, if he carry not with him the sacrifices of prayer and praise, he is wanting in his duty; for he has an altar ever ready that sanctifies both the gift and the giver. ↩

  7. 2Chr 4:1 ↩

  8. Ezra 4:11-16, Ezra 8:21-22; Ps 27:1-2, Ps 56:2-4 ↩

  9. Exod 29:38-42; Num 28:2-8 ↩

  10. Exod 23:16; Lev 23:34-36; Neh 8:14-17; Zech 14:16-19; John 7:2, John 7:37 ↩

  11. Num 29:12-38 ↩

  12. Heb. the matter of the day in his day, Exod 5:13, Exod 29:38; Jer 52:34 *marg. ↩

  13. Exod 29:38-42; Num 28:3-10, Num 28:11, Num 28:19, Num 28:27, Num 29:2, Num 29:8, Num 29:13 ↩

  14. Lev 1:3; Deut 12:6, Deut 12:17; 2Chr 29:31-32 ↩

  15. Heb. the temple of the Lord was not yet founded. ↩

  16. 2Kgs 12:11-12, 2Kgs 22:5-6; 2Chr 24:12-13 ↩

  17. or, workmen ↩

  18. 1Kgs 5:6, 1Kgs 5:9-11; 2Chr 2:10-15; Ezek 27:17; Acts 12:20 ↩

  19. Joppa, now Jaffa or Yaffa, one of the most ancient sea-ports in the world, is situated in a fine plain on the shore of the Mediterranean, between Jamnia south and Cesarea of Palestine north, 150 stadia from Antipatris, according to Josephus, 30 miles south of Cesarea, 12 miles north of Ashdod, 9 miles west of Ramla, and 40 miles west of Jerusalem, according to modern authorities; and in lat. 32 degrees 50 minutes long. 65 degrees 40 minutes according to Ptolemy. It is still a considerable town, containing about 4,000 or 5,000 souls, and occupying a circular eminence close to the seaside, with a citadel on the summit; the bottom of the hill being surrounded by a wall 12 or 14 feet high, and two or three feet thick. The environs are occupied by extensive gardens. 2Chr 2:16; Jonah 1:3; Acts 9:36, Acts 10:5-6 ↩

  20. Ezra 6:3-5 ↩

  21. Ezra 3:2 ↩

  22. Num 4:3; 1Chr 23:24-32 ↩

  23. Not Jeshua the high-priest, before mentioned, but another Jeshua, a Levite, mentioned in the parallel passage. Ezra 2:40 ↩

  24. Hodaviah, δεγειδ ( ‎הוֹדַוְיָה‎ ), is called Hodevah, δεγεδ ( ‎הוֹדְוָה‎ ), by the elision of ι, yood, and was probably named Judah, from the word having the same signification. Ezra 2:40, Hodaviah, Neh 7:43, Hodevah ↩

  25. Heb. as one ↩

  26. Zech 4:10 ↩

  27. Exod 28:40-42; 1Sam 22:18; 1Chr 15:27; Neh 12:24-26 ↩

  28. Num 10:1-10; 1Chr 15:24, 1Chr 16:5-6, 1Chr 16:42 ↩

  29. 1Chr 6:39, 1Chr 16:37, 1Chr 25:1-7; 2Chr 35:15 ↩

  30. 1Chr 6:31-48, 1Chr 16:4-7, 1Chr 23:5; 2Chr 29:25-26 ↩

  31. Exod 15:21; Neh 12:24, Neh 12:40; Ps 24:7-10; Isa 6:3 ↩

  32. 1Chr 16:34, 1Chr 16:41; 2Chr 7:3; Ps 103:17, Ps 106:1, Ps 107:1, Ps 135:3, Ps 136:1-26; Ps 145:1-11; Jer 33:11; Luke 1:50 ↩

  33. Josh 6:5, Josh 6:10, Josh 6:16; Ps 47:1, Ps 47:5; Isa 12:6, Isa 44:23; Zech 9:9 ↩

  34. Ps 102:13-14; Rev 21:10-14 ↩

  35. Hag 2:3 ↩

  36. Job 8:7; Isa 41:14, Isa 60:22; Dan 2:34-35; Zech 4:10; Matt 13:31-32 ↩

  37. Ps 126:6; Jer 31:8-9 ↩

  38. This sight must have been very affecting; a whole people, one part weeping aloud with sorrow, the other shouting aloud for joy; and on the same occasion too, in which both sides felt an equal interest. The prophet Haggai (Hag 2:1-9) comforted them on this occasion, by assuring them that the glory of this latter house should exceed that of the former, because the Lord would come to this temple, and fill it with His glory. ↩

  39. Judg 2:5 ↩

  40. Neh 12:43; Ps 5:11; Jer 33:11; Zech 4:7; Luke 19:37-40 ↩

  41. Exod 32:17-18; 1Sam 4:5; 1Kgs 1:40, 1Kgs 1:45; Ps 100:1-2 ↩