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.'--EZRA iii. 1-13.


What an opportunity of 'picturesque' writing the author of this book
has missed by his silence about the incidents of the march across the
dreary levels from Babylon to the verge of Syria! But the very silence
is eloquent. It reveals the purpose of the book, which is to tell of
the re-establishment of the Temple and its worship. No doubt the tone
of the whole is somewhat prosaic, and indicative of an age in which
the externals of worship bulked largely; but still the central point
of the narrative was really the centre-point of the events. The
austere simplicity of biblical history shows the real points of
importance better than more artistic elaboration would do.

This passage has two main incidents--the renewal of the sacrifices,
and the beginning of rebuilding the Temple.

The date given in verse 1 is significant. The first day of the seventh
month was the commencement of the great festival of tabernacles, the
most joyous feast of the year, crowded with reminiscences from the
remote antiquity of the Exodus, and from the dedication of Solomon's
Temple. How long had passed since Cyrus' decree had been issued we do
not know, nor whether his 'first year' was reckoned by the same
chronology as the Jewish year, of which we here arrive at the seventh
month. But the journey across the desert must have taken some months,
and the previous preparations could not have been suddenly got
through, so that there can have been but a short time between the
arrival in Judea and the gathering together 'as one man to Jerusalem.'