SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:12
Y muchos de los sacerdotes y de los levitas y de los cabezas de los padres, viejos, que habían visto la casa primera, viendo fundar esta casa, lloraban en alta voz, mientras muchos otros daban grandes gritos de alegría.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ezra 3:12
Verse 12. Wept with a loud voice] They saw that the glory had departed from Israel; in their circumstances it was impossible to build such a house as the first temple was; and had this been even possible, still it would have been greatly inferior, because it wanted the ark of the covenant, the heavenly fire, the mercy-seat, the heavenly manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the Divine shechinah, the spirit of prophecy, and most probably the Urim and Thummim. Many shouted for joy] Finding they were now restored to their own land, and to the worship of their God in his own peculiar city: these, in general, had not seen the original temple; and therefore could not feel affected in that way which the elderly people did.
The sight must have been very affecting: a whole people, one part crying aloud with sorrow; the other shouting aloud for joy; and on the same occasion too, in which both sides felt an equal interest! The prophet Haggai comforted them on this occasion by assuring them that the glory of this latter house should exceed that of the former, because the Lord (Jesus Christ) was to come to this temple, and fill it with his glory. See Haggai, Haggai ii. 1-9.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. But many of the priests and Levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men , etc.] Seventy or eighty years of age: that had seen the first house ; the temple built by Solomon, as they very well might, since then it had been destroyed but fifty two years; for the seventy years captivity are to be reckoned from the fourth of Jehoiakim, when it began, and which was eighteen years before the destruction of the temple; the beginning of the next clause, when in the foundation , according to the Hebrew accents, is to be connected with this, that had seen the first house ; not when first founded, for that was five hundred years ago, but in “its foundation”; they saw it standing upon its foundation, in all its glory, and so the Septuagint version; and we may read on, when this house was before their eyes, wept with a loud voice ; seeing what it was like to be by the foundation now laid, and was in their sight as nothing in comparison of the former; (see Haggai 2:3) but Aben Ezra connects this clause as we do, when the foundation of this house was laid ; not but that the dimensions of this house strictly taken were as large as the former: (see Ezra 6:3,4), but not the courts and appendages to it: besides, what might affect them, there was no likelihood of its being so richly decorated with gold and silver as the former temple, and many things would be wanting in it, as the Urim and Thummim, etc. and many shouted aloud for joy ; of the younger sort, who had never seen the grandeur of the first temple, and were highly delighted with the beginning of this, and the hope of seeing it finished.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-13 - There was a remarkable mixture of affections upon laying the foundatio of the temple. Those that only knew the misery of having no temple a all, praised the Lord with shouts of joy. To them, even this foundatio 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 bewaile 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. Le not the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of presen mercies __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ורבים 7227 מהכהנים 3548 והלוים 3881 וראשׁי 7218 האבות 1 הזקנים 2205 אשׁר 834 ראו 7200 את 853 הבית 1004 הראשׁון 7223 ביסדו 3245 זה 2088 הבית 1004 בעיניהם 5869 בכים 1058 בקול 6963 גדול 1419 ורבים 7227 בתרועה 8643 בשׂמחה 8057 להרים 7311 קול׃ 6963
