Ezra 3:12

3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

KJV

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But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. Many also shouted aloud for joy,

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

3:13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

What does Ezra 3:12 mean?

Ezra 3:12 is a verse in the book of Ezra, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include רַב (rab), כֹּהֵן (kôhên), לֵוִיִּי (Lêvîyîy). It connects to 9 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

But

manyרַבrab/rab/H7227abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)

the

priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên/ko-hane'/H3548literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)

and

LevitesלֵוִיִּיLêvîyîy/lay-vee-ee'/H3881a Levite or descendant of Levi

and

chiefרֹאשׁrôʼsh/roshe/H7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)

the

fathers,אָבʼâb/awb/H1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

who

were

ancient

men,זָקֵןzâqên/zaw-kane'/H2205old

that

had

seenרָאָהrâʼâh/raw-aw'/H7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

the

firstרִאשׁוֹןriʼshôwn/ree-shone'/H7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)

house,בַּיִתbayith/bah'-yith/H1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

when

the

foundationיָסַדyâçad/yaw-sad'/H3245to set (literally or figuratively); intensively, to found; reflexively, to sit down together, i.e. settle, consult

this

houseבַּיִתbayith/bah'-yith/H1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

was

laidיָסַדyâçad/yaw-sad'/H3245to set (literally or figuratively); intensively, to found; reflexively, to sit down together, i.e. settle, consult

before

their

eyes,עַיִןʻayin/ah'-yin/H5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

weptבָּכָהbâkâh/baw-kaw'/H1058to weep; generally to bemoan

with

loudגָּדוֹלgâdôwl/gaw-dole'/H1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

voice;קוֹלqôwl/kole/H6963a voice or sound

and

manyרַבrab/rab/H7227abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)

shoutedתְּרוּעָהtᵉrûwʻâh/ter-oo-aw'/H8643clamor, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clangorof trumpets, as an alarum

aloudרוּםrûwm/room/H7311to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)

for

joy:שִׂמְחָהsimchâh/sim-khaw'/H8057blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)

Commentary on Ezra 3:12

HENRY_FULL · Ezra 3:10–13

1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord , and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. 4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. Concerning Josiah we are here told, 1. That he came to the crown when he was very young, only eight years old (yet his infancy did not debar him from his right), and he reigned thirty-one years ( v. 1 ), a considerable time. I fear, however, that in the beginning of his reign things went much as they had done in his father's time, because, being a child, he must have left the management of them to others; so that it was not till his twelfth year, which goes far in the number of his years, that the reformation began, v. 3 . He could not, as Hezekiah did, fall about it immediately. 2. That he reigned very well ( v. 2 ), approved himself to God, trod in the steps of David, and did not decline either to the right hand of to the left: for there are errors on both hands. 3. That while he was young, about sixteen years old, he began to seek after God, v. 3 . We have reason to think he had not so good an education as Manasseh had (it is well if those about him did not endeavour to corrupt and debauch him); yet he thus sought God when he was young. It is the duty and interest of young people, and will particularly be the honour of young gentlemen, as soon as they come to years of understanding, to begin to seek God; for those that seek him early shall find him. 4. That in the twelfth year of his reign, when it is probable he took the administration of the government entirely into his own hands, he began to purge his kingdom from the remains of idolatry; he destroyed the high places, groves, images, altars, all the utensils of idolatry, v. 3, 4 . He not only cast them out as Manasseh did, but broke them to pieces, and made dust of them. This destruction of idolatry is here said to be in his twelfth year, but it was said ( 2 Kings xxiii. 23 ) to be in his eighteenth year. Something was probably done towards it in his twelfth year; then he began to purge out idolatry, but that good work met with opposition, so that it was not thoroughly done till they had found the book of the law six years afterwards. But here the whole work is laid together briefly which was much more largely and particularly related in the Kings. His zeal carried him out to do this, not only in Judah and Jerusalem, but in the cities of Israel too, as far as he had any influence upon them. 8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Numbers 35:33

So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. the land cannot: Heb. there can be no expiation for the land

1 Kings 13:2

And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

2 Kings 23:16

And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

Ezra 3:7

They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. carpenters: or, workmen

Jeremiah 3:10

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. feignedly: Heb. in falsehood

Jeremiah 4:14

O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

Jeremiah 8:1

At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

Jeremiah 8:2

And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

Ezekiel 22:24

Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.

Topics

Shouting in Joy and Praise Temple, the Second

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Ezra 3:12.

Exodus 12:2

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 38:21

This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

Exodus 6:25

And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

Genesis 12:1

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Genesis 40:13

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. lift: or, reckon

Genesis 6:5

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. every: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires continually: Heb. every day

Genesis 8:13

And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

Genesis 8:5

And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. decreased: Heb. were in going and decreasing

Frequently asked questions

What does Ezra 3:12 say?

Ezra 3:12 (King James Version) reads: "But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:"

Is Ezra 3:12 in the Old or New Testament?

Ezra 3:12 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Ezra.

Reflect

As you read Ezra 3:12, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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