The Meaning of Ezra 3:12 Explained

Ezra 3:12

KJV: 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:

YLT: 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;

Darby: But many of the priests and Levites and chief fathers, the ancient men that had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice, when the foundation of this house was laid in their sight; and many shouted aloud for joy.

ASV: 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:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Ezra 3:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 3:8-13 - The Foundation Of The Temple Laid
Foundation-laying is not always pleasant work. It means toil under ground, down in the trenches, unnoticed and unknown, and those who begin are often not permitted to finish. But amid all, the minstrel Hope brought her harp, and sang her sweet strains of encouragement. In spite of the fewness and poverty of the builders, the voice of Inspiration had assured them that the glory of the latter house should surpass that of the former. So by the reckoning of faith, in sure anticipation that God would keep His word, the builders encircled their foundations with their songs. But the same event excited tears and shoutings. The old men looked back, and as they contrasted the impoverished and diminished condition of their people with the opulent crowds that had thronged the courts of Solomon's Temple, they could not restrain their tears. The young, new generation had not the same retrospect or ideals and, filled with hope of that which was to be, they could not restrain their shouts, which were heard afar off. "We have been," said the graybeards, "and the good old times were better than these." "We shall be," said the young, "and we will make the coming days better than any that have been since the beginning of the world!" [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Ezra 3:12 mean?

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' [houses] old men who had seen - the temple first when the foundation was laid of this temple before their eyes wept with a voice loud and yet many shouted for joy aloud voice
וְרַבִּ֡ים מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ וְרָאשֵׁ֨י הָאָב֜וֹת הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָא֜וּ אֶת־ הַבַּ֤יִת הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּיָסְד֔וֹ זֶ֤ה הַבַּ֙יִת֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּכִ֖ים בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֑וֹל וְרַבִּ֛ים בִּתְרוּעָ֥ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה לְהָרִ֥ים קֽוֹל

וְרַבִּ֡ים  But  many 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים  of  the  priests 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְהַלְוִיִּם֩  and  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
וְרָאשֵׁ֨י  and  heads 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הָאָב֜וֹת  of  the  fathers'  [houses] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים  old  men 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
רָא֜וּ  had  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַבַּ֤יִת  the  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙  first 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
בְּיָסְד֔וֹ  when  the  foundation  was  laid 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַד 
Sense: to found, fix, establish, lay foundation.
זֶ֤ה  of  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הַבַּ֙יִת֙  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם  before  their  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
בֹּכִ֖ים  wept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
בְּק֣וֹל  with  a  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
גָּד֑וֹל  loud 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וְרַבִּ֛ים  and  yet  many 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
בִּתְרוּעָ֥ה  shouted 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּרוּעָה  
Sense: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or j oy.
בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה  for  joy 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
לְהָרִ֥ים  aloud 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
קֽוֹל  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.