Ezra 3:12

Ezra 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy,

Context of Ezra 3:12

10When the builders had laid the foundation of the Temple of Adonai, the kohanim, arrayed in their vestments and with clarions, and the Levites sons of Asaph with cymbals, were stationed to praise Adonai as prescribed by King David of Israel. 11With praise and thanksgiving they sang to Adonai, “For He is good; For His mercy upon Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to Adonai because the foundation of the House of Adonai had been laid. But many of the kohanim, Levites and patriarchal leaders, older men who had seen the former House, wept loudly at the sight of the founding of this House, while many shouted for joy. 13People could not distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of the people’s weeping. For the people were shouting so loudly that the sound was heard far away.

Ezra 3:12 word by word

וְרַבִּ֡ים מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ וְרָאשֵׁ֨י הָאָב֜וֹת הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָא֜וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֤יִת הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּיָסְד֔וֹ זֶ֤ה הַבַּ֙יִת֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּכִ֖ים בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֑וֹל וְרַבִּ֛ים בִּתְרוּעָ֥ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה לְהָרִ֥ים קֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• and chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of the fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• ancient menזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
• that had seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• when the foundationיָסַדyâsad · to foundH3245
• before their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• with a loudגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• shoutedתְּרוּעָהterû‛âh · shoutH8643
• aloudרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• for joyשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057

Cross-references for Ezra 3:12

• Haggai 2:3“Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes?
• Job 8:7And though your beginning was small, your future would flourish.
• Isaiah 41:14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you.” It is a declaration of Adonai, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 60:22The smallest will become a thousand, and the least a mighty nation. I, Adonai, will hasten it in its time.”
• Daniel 2:34While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.
• Zechariah 4:10For who despises the day of small things? These seven—which are the eyes of Adonai that run back and forth throughout the whole earth—will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
• Matthew 13:31He presented to them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
• Psalms 126:6Whoever keeps going out weeping, carrying his bag of seed, will surely come back with a song of joy, carrying his sheaves.
• Jeremiah 31:8With weeping and supplications they will come. I will bring them, leading them to walk by streams of water on a straight path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”

Commentaries on Ezra 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Wept with a loud voice - They saw that the glory had departed from Israel; in their circumstances it was impossible to build such a house as the first temple was; and had this been even possible, still it would have been greatly inferior, because it wanted the ark of the covenant, the heavenly fire, the mercy-seat, the heavenly manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the Divine shechinah, the spirit of prophecy, and most probably the Urim and Thummim. Many…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Wept … shouted … for joy - Compare the marginal reference and Zechariah 4:10. It is implied that the dimensions of the second temple were smaller than those of the first. Hence, the feeling of sorrow which came upon some. They, however, who had not seen the former temple, and so could not contrast the two, naturally rejoiced to see the sanctuary of their religion begin to rise from its ruins.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 There was a remarkable mixture of affections upon laying the foundation of the temple. Those that only knew the misery of having no temple at all, praised the Lord with shouts of joy. To them, even this foundation seemed great. We ought to be thankful for the beginnings of mercy, though it be not yet perfect. But those who remembered the glory of the first temple, and considered how far inferior this was likely to be, wept with a loud voice…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Some people cried loudly because they were disappointed that the new temple's foundation was not as impressive as the old one (see Haggai 2:3). Others cried because they were very happy to see the Lord's temple restored.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers ... wept with a loud voice--Those painful emotions were excited by the sad contrast between the prosperous circumstances in which the foundations of the first temple had been laid and the desolate, reduced state of the country and city when the second was begun; between the inferior size and less costliness of the stones used in the foundations of the second (1Ki 7:9, 10), and the much…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 3:12

• Jeshua
• Joy
• Priest
• Shouting
• Temple
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Priests and Levites
• Ordinance
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Senaah
• Temple
• Psalms, Book of
• patriarch

Commentaries on Ezra 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings