Ezra 3:12
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.

English Standard Version
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,

Berean Standard Bible
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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,

New American Standard Bible
Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,

NASB 1995
Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,

NASB 1977
Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy;

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house of Yahweh, were weeping with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many in loud shouts with gladness were raising their voice,

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

Christian Standard Bible
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple, but many others shouted joyfully.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this house, but many others shouted joyfully.

American Standard Version
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, the old 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:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And many of the Priests and the Levites, Chiefs of the elder fathers, because they saw this house in its first glory when this house was finished, they wept with a loud voice, and there were many who were lifting up their voice with the horns and with joy.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But many of the priests and the Levites, and the elder men, heads of families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and who saw this house with their eyes, wept with a loud voice: but the multitude shouted with joy to raise a song.

Contemporary English Version
Many of the older priests and Levites and the heads of families wept bitterly because they remembered seeing the first temple years before. But others were so happy that they celebrated with joyful shouts.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But many of the priests and the Levites, and the chief of the fathers and the ancients that had seen the former temple; when they had the foundation of this temple before their eyes, wept with a loud voice: and many shouting for joy, lifted up their voice.

English Revised Version
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, the old 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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But many of the priests, Levites, and the heads of the families who were old enough to have seen the first temple with their own eyes began to sob when they saw the foundation of this temple. Many others shouted for joy.

Good News Translation
Many of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and as they watched the foundation of this Temple being laid, they cried and wailed. But the others who were there shouted for joy.

International Standard Version
Now a number of the priests, the Levities, and the leading officials of the elders—who were very elderly—had seen the former Temple with their own eyes. When they observed the foundation of the Temple being laid, they wept with a loud voice, while the rest of them shouted for joy.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, the old men that had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept with a loud voice, when this house was before their eyes; and many shouted aloud for joy;

Literal Standard Version
And many of the priests, and the Levites, and the heads of the fathers, the aged men who had seen the first house—in this house being founded before their eyes—are weeping with a loud voice, and many with a shout, in joy, lifting up the voice;

Majority Standard Bible
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.

New American Bible
Many of the priests, Levites, and heads of ancestral houses, who were old enough to have seen the former house, cried out in sorrow as they watched the foundation of the present house being laid. Many others, however, lifted up their voices in shouts of joy.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of families, old people who had seen the first house on its foundations, wept with a loud voice when they saw this house, though many shouted aloud for joy,

New Heart English Bible
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of ancestral houses, 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,

Webster's Bible Translation
But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, old 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:

World English Bible
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,

Young's Literal Translation
And many of the priests, and the Levites, and the heads of the fathers, the aged men who had seen the first house -- in this house being founded before their eyes -- are weeping with a loud voice, and many with a shout, in joy, lifting up the voice;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Temple Restoration Begins
11And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid. 12But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully. 13The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.…

Cross References
Ezra 3:13
The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.

Jeremiah 50:4
"In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.

Haggai 2:3
Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?'


Treasury of Scripture

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:

many

Haggai 2:3
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

when the foundation

Job 8:7
Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 60:22
A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

wept

Psalm 126:6
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Jeremiah 31:8,9
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither…

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Ezra 3
1. The altar is set up
4. Offerings renewed
7. Workmen employed in preparing materials
8. The foundations of the temple are laid in great joy and mourning














(12) But many of the priests and Levites . . . wept with a loud voice.--This most affecting scene requires the comment of Haggai 2 and Zeeh. 4. The first house was destroyed in B.C. 588, fifty years before. The weeping of the ancients was not occasioned by any comparison as to size and grandeur, unless indeed they marked the smallness of their foundation stones. They thought chiefly of the great desolation as measured by the past; the younger peoplc thought of the new future.

Verse 12. - Many... who were ancient men, that had seen the first house. The old temple had not been destroyed so much as fifty years. Consequently, there would be many who could remember its grandeur and glory. These persons, when the foundation of the (new) house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. It was "the day of small things" (Zechariah 4:10). The new house, in comparison with the old one, was "as nothing" (Haggai 2:3). The difference was perhaps not so much in the dimensions (see note on Ezra 6:3) as in the size and quality of the foundation-stones (1 Kings 5:17), the excellence of the masonry, and the like. Solomon had employed the best workmen of one of the greatest of the Tyrian kings; Zerubbabel had only the arms of his own subjects to depend upon.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But many
וְרַבִּ֡ים (wə·rab·bîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

of the older
הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים (haz·zə·qê·nîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2205: Old

priests,
מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים (mê·hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

Levites,
וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ (wə·hal·wî·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

and family
הָאָב֜וֹת (hā·’ā·ḇō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

heads
וְרָאשֵׁ֨י (wə·rā·šê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7218: The head

who
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

had seen
רָא֜וּ (rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the first
הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ (hā·ri·šō·wn)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

temple
הַבַּ֤יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

wept
בֹּכִ֖ים (bō·ḵîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

loudly
בְּק֣וֹל (bə·qō·wl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

when they saw
בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם (bə·‘ê·nê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

the foundation
בְּיָסְד֔וֹ (bə·yā·sə·ḏōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3245: To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consult

of this
זֶ֤ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

temple.
הַבַּ֙יִת֙ (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

Still, many
וְרַבִּ֛ים (wə·rab·bîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

others shouted
בִּתְרוּעָ֥ה (biṯ·rū·‘āh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8643: Clamor, acclamation of joy, a battle-cry, clangor, of trumpets, as an alarum

joyfully.
קֽוֹל׃ (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound


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OT History: Ezra 3:12 But many of the priests and Levites (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 3:11
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