In 2:1-67 we have a clear and accurate record of the number of the captives who returned under Zerubbabel, the prince of Judah (1:8), the governor of the former kingdom of Judah (2:2, 63). Of the Judites, the Benjaminites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants (vv. 3-58), the total number was 42,360, besides their male and female servants and the male and female singers (vv. 64-65). In addition, 652 common people and three houses of priests who could not give evidence of their fathers’ houses were included with those who returned under Zerubbabel (vv. 59-63).
Verses 68 and 69 speak of the willing offering of some of the heads of the fathers’ houses, after their arrival at the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, for the house of Jehovah to restore it on its foundation. This means the heads of the fathers’ houses willingly offered their precious things to God for the rebuilding of the temple.
Ezra 3:1-6a is concerned with the rebuilding of the altar of God.
They rebuilt the altar in the seventh month of the year of their return (v. 1a).
The children of Israel gathered from their cities to Jerusalem as one man (v. 1b). Not only the returned captives but also the Jews who had not been captured came to Jerusalem to rebuild the altar.
Joshua the high priest and his brothers the priests and Zerubbabel the governor and his brothers built the altar of the God of Israel upon its bases, as written in the law of Moses, the man of God. Then, for God’s satisfaction, they offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, as written in the law of Moses (vv. 2-3). Here we see that they did everything according to God’s word.
They kept the Feast of Tabernacles and offered the daily burnt offerings and the offerings of the new moons and of all the appointed feasts of Jehovah (vv. 4-6a). This indicates that they recovered the worship of God, which had been lost for at least seventy years.
In verses 6b through 13 we have a record of the rebuilding of the house of God.
They hired stone hewers and carpenters, and they supplied the Sidonians and the Tyrians the daily necessities for them to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to Joppa (v. 7).
In the second month of the second year after their return, they began to rebuild the house of God with praise to Jehovah by the priests (vv. 8-13). Many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, the old men who had seen the first house, the original temple of God, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid, and many shouted aloud for joy (v. 12). The people could not discern the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people (v. 13).