Why did they rebuild the altar before the temple? Study Ezra 3 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · EZRA 3 — THE ALTAR RESTORED AND THE TEMPLE FOUNDATION LAID
Worship and atonement came first. The altar was the center of the sacrificial system, and sacrifice was necessary for fellowship with God and for protection. The practical need was also great, since they feared their neighbors.
They remembered the splendor of Solomon's temple, and the new foundation seemed modest by comparison. Their weeping may express grief for the past and disappointment. Haggai addressed the same feelings, promising that the latter glory would be greater.
Earlier laws gave different ages, and David had lowered the age to twenty. The community adapted to its needs, following David's precedent.
Chapter 3 records the first two public acts of the returned community: the restoration of sacrifice and the laying of the temple foundation. The order matters. They rebuild the altar before they rebuild the temple, because worship comes before the building, and because sacrifice was necessary for fellowship with God. The seventh month was the most sacred month of the Israelite year, containing the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:23–44). Gathering at that time connected the new community to the covenant calendar. The foundation was laid in the second year, around 536 BC. The mixed reaction of joy and weeping is one of the most memorable scenes in the book.
The details of this chapter fit the historical situation. The use of Phoenician cities for cedar is consistent with what is known of trade in the Persian period, when Sidon and Tyre were major suppliers of timber. The Persian practice of financing local temples is documented in the Cyrus Cylinder and in other texts. The responsive singing and the use of trumpets and cymbals match the descriptions of temple worship in Chronicles and the Psalms. The date of the second month of the second year corresponds to about 536 BC. The temple foundation inscription type, which commemorates the laying of a foundation with a ceremony, is common in the ancient Near East, and the account fits that tradition.
This study preserves the hard questions, explanations, context, apologetic note, and references from Dr. Shallua's Commentary.