8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month , Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites , and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem , began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the Lord . 9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons , the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites , to oversee the workmen in the temple of God . 10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets , and the Levites , the sons of Asaph , with cymbals , to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel . 11 They sang , praising and giving thanks to the Lord , saying, " For He is good , for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever ." 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 . 12 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 , 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people , for the people shouted with a loud shout , and the sound was heard far away .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezra 3:8-13
Commentary on Ezra 3:8-13
(Read Ezra 3:8-13)
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. There was reason for it, and if they bewailed the sin that was the cause of this melancholy change, they did well. Yet it was wrong to cast a damp upon the common joys. They despised the day of small things, and were unthankful for the good they enjoyed. Let not the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of present mercies.