Ezra 3:4 Komentář

In the close of the foregoing chapter we left Israel in their cities, but we may well imagine what a bad posture their affairs were in, the ground untilled, the cities in ruins, all out of order; but here we have an account of the early care they took about the re-establishment of religion among them. Thus did they lay the foundation well, and begin their work at the right end. I. They set up an altar, and offered sacrifices upon it, kept the feasts, and contributed towards the rebuilding of the temple (Ezr 3:1-7). II. They laid the foundation of the temple with a mixture of joy and sorrow (Ezr 3:8-13). This was the day of small things, which was not to be despised, Zac 4:10.

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 3 This chapter relates how that the people of Israel returned from captivity, gathered to Jerusalem, and set up the altar, where sacrifices were offered, Ezr 3:1, and kept the feast of tabernacles, and offered the sacrifices of that, besides the daily sacrifice, and of other festivals; and contributed to the workmen that prepared for the building of the temple, Ezr 3:4 and began it by laying the foundation of it; which to some was matter of joy, to others of grief, on different accounts, Ezr 3:8.

They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written,.... According to the rules prescribed for the observation of it in Lev 23:34 this began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month: and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; for on all the eight days of the feast there was a certain number of sacrifices fixed for every day; and exactly according to the law concerning them did they offer them at this time; see Num 29:12.

Or rather let them learn of you, who are so well instructed in such histories, how that Jeshua the son of Josedek the priest, and his brother, and Zerubbabel the wise, the son of Salathiel, and Ezra the priest and scribe of the law, as the temple was being built after the captivity, the feast of tabernacles being at hand (which was a great feast and time of assembly and prayer in Israel), gathered the people together with one accord in the great court within the first gate, which is toward the east, and prepared the altar to God, and there offered their gifts and kept the feast. And so afterwards they brought hither their sacrifices, on the sabbaths and the new moons, and the people offered up their prayers. And yet the Scripture says expressly that when these things were done, the temple of God was not yet built; but rather while they thus prayed, the building of the house was advancing. So neither were their prayers deferred in expectation of the dedication, nor was the dedication prevented by the assemblies held for the sake of prayer. But the people thus continued to pray; and when the house was entirely finished, they celebrated the dedication, and brought their gifts for that purpose and all kept the feast for the completion of the work.

And they kept the feast of booths, etc. The Feast of Booths, which in the Gospel is called in Greek Skenopegia, that is, the pitching of booths, was a festival of seven days, beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, during which the Lord commanded all the people to make booths for themselves from leaves and branches of the most beautiful trees, and to leave their houses and stay in these booths for seven days, daily studying the decrees of the divine law, and offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord in fire. They were ordered to do all this in memory of the time when they had once come out of Egypt and dwelt in booths in the wilderness, with Moses preaching the law and the divine presence frequently appearing to them, looking forward for a long time to when they could enter the promised land, so that the grace of this great benefit would never fade from their minds. Therefore, those who had come up from Babylon to Jerusalem, with great devotion to carry out all the commands of the Lord, took care to celebrate this feast on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, performing every day of that week the things commanded by the law. All of which we ought to do spiritually with equal devotion. For we too have come out of Egyptian slavery through the blood of the Lamb, so that we might come to the promised land, having been baptized into the sacraments of the Lord’s passion, casting off the heavy yoke of trespasses, so that, having been adopted into the liberty of the glory of the children of God, we might be heirs of the heavenly kingdom. For we were dwelling in booths and tents, journeying for a long time through the desert, until we might come to our homeland, when in baptism renouncing not only Satan as the king of Egypt, that is, of darkness, but also all the pomps and works of this age, we promised to be like foreigners and pilgrims in this world, citizens of another life which we hoped for from the Lord. In memory of this hope and promise, we must dwell in booths in the seventh month, that is, being illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is described as sevenfold, leaving this world with our whole mind as if it were alien and pressing on us, and fixing our intention on hastening to the unwithering joys of paradise; and we must do this for seven days, that is, during the whole time of the present life, which is circled by as many days, without ceasing, and every day of this week we must make a burnt offering and the work of the day in its day; a burnt offering, that is, a whole burnt sacrifice in things that properly pertain to divine service, such as prayers and fasts. And the work of the day in its day, in those things that pertain to the service of fraternal love; such as giving bread to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the cold, hospitality to the traveler, visitation to the sick, burial to the dead, teaching to the wandering, and comfort to the grieving. And it is well that he said they should make a burnt offering on each day according to the command of the law, and the work of the day in its day, he interposed, In order; because whatever is done in the service of divine or fraternal love out of order, loses the merit of its perfection. For "the honor of the king loves judgment" (Psalm 99); for whatever we do devoutly in honor of the highest king, it is necessary to distinguish with the discretion of judgment when or how much it should be done; lest if we do our proper work disorderly, we spoil the rule of its correctness. Paul implied these mystical feasts of booths, that is Skenopegia, when he was preaching and occupied in the work of tentmaking (Acts 28). For he was making tents, that is, booths, both to teach himself to be an inhabitant of the world and a pilgrim, and to teach those he instructed to be pilgrims in this life and hope for a future homeland. For we are accustomed to use booths and tents when traveling or making a journey; which the same Apostle testifies that the saints do in this life, when he says: "While we are in this body, we are pilgrims away from the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5). And to the Hebrews: "For we do not have here a lasting city, but we seek the future one" (Hebrews 13). Since he wanted those who perfectly alienate their minds from the world and faithfully confess themselves as citizens of the homeland which is above, to immediately open the entry to all virtues, it is rightly added:

The altar of burnt-offerings is set up, Ezr 3:1-3. They keep the feast of tabernacles, Ezr 3:4-6. They make provision for rebuilding the temple; and lay its foundation in the second month of the second year, Ezr 3:7, Ezr 3:8. Ceremonies observed in laying the foundation, Ezr 3:9-11. Some weep aloud, and others shout for joy, Ezr 3:12-13.

They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written - This began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; but they had begun the regular offerings from the first day of this month, Ezr 3:6. And these were religiously continued all the time they were building the temple.

THE ALTAR SET UP. (Ezr 3:1-13) when the seventh month was come--The departure of the returning exiles from Babylon took place in the spring. For some time after their arrival they were occupied in the necessary work of rearing habitations to themselves amid the ruins of Jerusalem and its neighborhood. This preliminary work being completed, they addressed themselves to rebuild the altar of burnt offering. As the seventh month of the sacred year was at hand--corresponding to the latter end of our September--when the feast of tabernacles (Lev 23:34) fell to be observed, they resolved to celebrate that religious festival, just as if the temple had been fully restored.

OFFERINGS RENEWED. (Ezr 3:4-7) They kept also the feast of tabernacles . . . From the first day of the seventh month--They revived at that time the daily oblation, and it was on the fifteenth day of that month the feast of tabernacles was held.

The Altar of Burnt-Offering Erected, the Feast of Tabernacles Celebrated, and the Foundations of the Temple Laid - Ezr 3:1-13 On the approach of the seventh month, the people assembled in Jerusalem to restore the altar of burnt-offering and the sacrificial worship, and to keep the feast of tabernacles (Ezr 3:1-7); and in the second month of the following year the foundations of the new temple were laid with due solemnity (Ezr 3:8-13). Comp. 1 Esdr. 5:46-62.