The Altar Restored and the Temple Foundation Laid

3:1 When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites were living in their towns, the people assembled in Jerusalem. 3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his priestly colleagues and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues started to build the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by the law of Moses the man of God. 3:3 They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. 3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters as required and offered the proper number of daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day. 3:5 Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the Lord. 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. 3:7 So they provided money for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia. 3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, along with the rest of their associates, the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed the Levites who were at least twenty years old to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple. 3:9 So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives the Levites. 3:10 When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by King David of Israel. 3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, praising and glorifying the Lord: “For he is good; his loyal love toward Israel is forever.” All the people gave a loud shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established. 3:12 Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders – older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established – were weeping loudly, and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout. 3:13 People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous shouting and the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people were shouting so loudly that the sound was heard a long way off. Opposition to the Building Efforts

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

The returned exiles first restore worship at the altar and then begin rebuilding the temple. Even though they are afraid and the work is still incomplete, they obey God’s word, celebrate his appointed festivals, and praise him for his steadfast love.

Ezra 3 describes the first public steps of restoration after the exile. When the seventh month comes, the people gather in Jerusalem before the temple is rebuilt. Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel the leader begin by rebuilding the altar so burnt offerings can resume according to the Law of Moses. The text is honest that they do this while afraid of the surrounding peoples, but their fear does not stop their obedience.

The returned exiles then restore the regular pattern of worship. They keep the Feast of Booths, offer the daily sacrifices, and resume the other offerings tied to Israel’s sacred calendar. This shows that the first priority is not a building project but covenant worship. The temple is still not standing, but God’s people are already returning to the life of obedience he required.

Next, the community begins the actual rebuilding of the temple. They provide money, supplies, and timber, and they organize the work under priestly and Levitical oversight. The second year after their return marks an official start to the project. The foundation-laying is treated as a worship event, not just a construction milestone. Priests and Levites praise the Lord in the way associated with David’s ordered worship, and the people shout because God has shown them mercy.

At the same time, the chapter does not hide the grief of the moment. Older people who had seen the former temple weep because the new work is smaller than what they remember. So the chapter holds joy and sorrow together. God has truly brought his people back, but the restoration is still partial. The temple foundation is a real sign of hope, yet the story is not finished.

• God’s people gathered in Jerusalem at a key time in Israel’s calendar.
• Jeshua and Zerubbabel led the restoration under recognized leadership.
• The altar was rebuilt according to the Law of Moses.
• Fear of the surrounding peoples did not stop obedience.
• Sacrifices and festival observance were restored before the temple was completed.
• The temple building began in an organized, official way.
• Priests and Levites led worship when the foundation was laid.
• The people praised the Lord for his goodness and steadfast love toward Israel.
• Joy and grief were both present because the restoration was real but incomplete.
• The passage shows that the Lord had not abandoned his covenant people.
• The temple and altar belong first to Israel’s covenant life in this historical setting.

• Obedience to God should continue even when people are afraid.
• God’s appointed worship is to be taken seriously, not treated casually.
• Do not despise small beginnings when God is restoring his people.
• Lament over loss can be honest and faithful; it is not the same as unbelief.
• The Lord’s loyal love toward Israel remains the reason for praise.

This passage belongs to the post-exilic part of the Old Testament story. After judgment and exile, the Lord brings a remnant back to Jerusalem under Persian rule. They resume worship under the Mosaic covenant and continue the worship patterns associated with David. The rebuilt altar and the laying of the temple foundation show that God is restoring covenant life among his people, though only partially. The chapter points forward to the continuing unfolding of God’s promises while keeping its own historical meaning centered on restored Judah and the temple in Jerusalem.

Believers should notice the order here: worship comes first, and obedience is not delayed until everything feels safe or complete. God’s people can serve him faithfully in fear because courage is measured by obedience, not by comfort. This passage also teaches us to hold joy and sorrow together. We can thank God for real progress while still grieving what has been lost. And when God gives his people a task, it should be done with orderly, accountable leadership and with praise that centers on his goodness.

• Lite Commentary
• In-depth Commentary