1.
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
seventh month. Tisri. See App-51 .
children = sons.
of Israel. See note on Ezra 2:2 , and 1 Kings 12:17 .
the cities. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulg, read "their cities".
to = in. Therefore this was after Nehemiah 7:1-4 .
2.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Jeshua . The high priest. Spelled Joshua in Haggai 1:1 ; Haggai 2:2 .Zechariah 3:1 .
Jozadak. The son of Seraiah (1 Chronicles 6:14 , 1 Chronicles 6:15 ). But Ezra was the son of Seraiah (Ezra 7:1 ). Therefore Ezra was brother to Jozadak and uncle to Joshua the high priest.
Zerubbabel. Compare Matthew 1:12 .Luke 3:27 , called Zorobabel.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. (with Art.) = the [true] God. App-4 .
offer = offer up. Hebrew. 'alah . App-43 .
written in the law of Moses. See note on Exodus 17:14 , and App-47 .
the man Of God (with Art.) = the [true] God. See note on Deuteronomy 33:1 ; and App-49 .
3.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
people = peoples.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
4.
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;
kept, &c. As recorded also in the parallel passage (Nehemiah 8:1-18 ).
as it is written. See Leviticus 23:34-43 .Deuteronomy 16:13-15 , and compare 1 Kings 8:2 , 1 Kings 8:65 .
5.
And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly 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 laid.
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.
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ), to emphasize each detail.
carpenters = artificers.
bring cedar trees. Compare 1 Kings 5:6 . 2Ch 2:8 , 2 Chronicles 2:10 .
Joppa. Compare Joshua 19:46 . Acts 9:35 , 3 John 1:3; 3 John 1:3 .
grant. Occurs only here.
Of = from. Genitive of Origin. See App-17 .
8.
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel 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 old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. (with Art.) the [true] God. App-4 . set forward = oversee.
9.
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
Judah: or Hodaviah, as in Ezra 2:40 .
10.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
they set the priests: or, the priests took their stand.
cymbals. Hebrew mziltayim. Dual form, meaning two metal discs struck together, making a clashing sound. Not zilzilim, which = timbrels, but is translated cymbals in 2 Samuel 6:5 and Psalms 150:5 , from the rustling sound. See note on 1 Chronicles 13:8 .
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.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
shouted with a great shout. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 .
12.
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:
chief = heads.
who were. Some codices, with one early printed edition and "Vulgate, read "and the".
shouted aloud for joy. Thus fulfilling Jeremiah 33:10 , Jeremiah 33:11 .
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.