Ezra 3 13

Ezra 3:13 kjv

So that the people could not discern the noise of 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 3:13 nkjv

so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.

Ezra 3:13 niv

No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Ezra 3:13 esv

so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.

Ezra 3:13 nlt

The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.

Ezra 3 verses

Ezra 3 13 Meaning

Ezra 3:13 describes a paradoxical scene during the laying of the Second Temple's foundation in Jerusalem. The sound of exuberant joy from many who witnessed this new beginning mingled so profoundly with the loud lament of the older generation, who remembered the glory of Solomon's original Temple, that it was impossible to distinguish the sound of joyous shouts from the cries of sorrow. Both emotions, joy and weeping, were powerfully expressed and distinctly audible from a distance, signifying a deeply mixed communal response to God's restorative work.

Ezra 3 13 Context

Ezra chapter 3 recounts the return of the exiles to Jerusalem and their initial steps toward restoring proper worship and communal life after the Babylonian captivity. Having re-established the altar and resumed regular sacrifices, the community then turns its focus to rebuilding the Temple itself. Verses 10-13 specifically describe the highly anticipated moment when the foundation of the Second Temple was laid. Levites led worship with trumpets and cymbals, praising the LORD with the enduring refrain "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel." This joyful praise, particularly from the younger generation who had never seen the first Temple, stands in stark contrast to the deep grief expressed by the older priests, Levites, and heads of households who remembered the grandeur and fate of Solomon's magnificent Temple. This verse captures the raw, unfiltered emotional expression of a community simultaneously experiencing God's faithfulness in restoration and lamenting their historical loss.

Ezra 3 13 Word analysis

• And the people could not distinguish (וְהָעָם֙ לֹא־מַכִּירִ֔ים, vĕhāām lō`-makīrîm):

  • vĕhā ʿām: "And the people." Highlights the communal aspect.
  • lōʾ: "not." A simple negative.
  • makīrīn: (מכירים), from the Hebrew root nakar (נכר), meaning "to discern, recognize, distinguish, be acquainted with." The participle form suggests an ongoing inability to differentiate. This emphasizes the sheer volume and intertwining nature of the two sounds.

• the shout of joy (קוֹל֮ תְּרוּעָה֮ שִׂמְחָה֒, qôl tĕrûʿāh śimḥāh):

  • qôl (קול): "sound, voice, cry." Refers to any audible noise.
  • tĕrûʿāh (תְּרוּעָה): A significant term. It means "a loud shout," often specifically a joyful acclamation, blast of a trumpet (as for war or praise), or an alarm. It implies an overwhelming, tumultuous noise, frequently in a religious or celebratory context (e.g., calling the assembly, sounding the trumpets on new moons, for battle, or when the ark enters the camp). It denotes a public, communal expression.
  • śimḥāh (שִׂמְחָה): "joy, gladness, mirth." A deep, often spiritual, state of happiness, often connected to God's presence or blessings. It clarifies the nature of the teruah.

• from the sound of weeping (לְקוֹל֙ בְּכִ֔י, lĕqôl bĕkî):

  • lĕqôl: "to/from the sound of." Indicates separation or contrast.
  • bĕkî (בְּכִ֖י): "weeping, lamentation." Denotes intense, emotional crying, often associated with grief, mourning, or even repentance. This is a profound expression of sorrow.

• because the people were shouting with a great shout (כִּ֣י הָעָ֗ם מְרִיעִים֙ תְּרוּעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה, kî hāʿām mĕrīʿîm tĕrûʿāh gĕdôlāh):

  • kî: "because, for." Provides the reason for the inability to distinguish the sounds.
  • hāʿām: "the people." Reiterates the collective participation.
  • mĕrīʿîm: (מריעים), derived from the root rûaʿ (רוע), "to shout, to utter a loud cry." A participle indicating a continuous or sustained action.
  • tĕrûʿāh gĕdôlāh: "a great shout" or "a mighty shout." The addition of gĕdôlāh (גדלה, "great") emphasizes the overwhelming intensity and volume of the joyful cries, confirming it was not just a shout but an immense roar.

• and the sound of the weeping was heard afar off (וְק֤וֹל בְּכִי֙ הָעָ֔ם נִשְׁמָ֥ע מֵרָחֹֽוק, wĕqôl bĕkî hāʿām nišmāʿ mērāḥôq):

  • wĕqôl bĕkî hāʿām: "and the sound of the weeping of the people." Connects the weeping to the community as well.
  • nišmāʿ (נשמע): Nifal (passive) form of šāmaʿ (שמע), "to hear," meaning "was heard." Implies it resonated and was distinctly audible.
  • mērāḥôq (מֵרָחֹֽוק): "from afar, from a distance." This highlights the extensive nature of the sorrow, indicating that the wailing was not just a small isolated group but widespread enough to be audible from a considerable distance, matching the loud shouts of joy.

Word Group Analysis:

• "could not distinguish the shout of joy from the sound of weeping": This phrase paints a vivid picture of overwhelming, overlapping sounds. It underscores the profound paradox of human emotion in a pivotal moment of spiritual restoration. The experience was so powerful and mixed that individual sounds blended into an indistinguishable, intense auditory landscape.
• "because the people were shouting with a great shout, and the sound of the weeping was heard afar off": This provides the reason and simultaneously re-emphasizes the scale of both emotional expressions. The joyous shouting was immense, a "great shout," yet the sound of weeping, equally pervasive, could be "heard afar off," proving its considerable volume and reach. This duality captures the deep communal psyche at a time of both remembrance and renewal.

Ezra 3 13 Bonus section

The mixed reactions at the temple foundation are a critical commentary on the "smallness" of beginnings. While the young rejoice in any Temple, the old lament what they perceive as a significantly lesser edifice compared to the magnificent structure built by Solomon (see Hag 2:3). This highlights a spiritual tension: celebrating God's new work even when it seems humble, versus grieving the perceived lack compared to past glory.

The communal shout, teruah, often carries eschatological significance in the prophetic tradition (e.g., Isa 27:13, Zec 9:14), signifying a future deliverance or God's powerful presence. Its use here links the present physical rebuilding to the broader divine plan for Israel's ultimate restoration and joy, even as tears accompany it.

The very fact that both sounds were heard "afar off" indicates that this was not a private or subdued moment, but a loud, public, and collective act of spiritual expression, a communal outpouring before God and the surrounding nations. It spoke volumes about the nation's spiritual state.

Ezra 3 13 Commentary

Ezra 3:13 vividly captures a profoundly poignant moment in Israel's post-exilic history. The laying of the Second Temple's foundation was met not with a singular emotion, but with a torrent of intertwined joy and sorrow, creating an overwhelming crescendo of sound. The exuberant teruah—the loud, jubilant acclamations, possibly amplified by trumpets, from the younger generation—signified a new beginning, a palpable experience of God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises of return and restoration. This joy was a direct response to seeing the foundational work of the holy sanctuary re-established.

However, intermingled with this elation was the raw, deep weeping of the elders. These were individuals who had seen Solomon's magnificent Temple before its destruction by Babylon. For them, the laying of this "small" foundation stirred painful memories of what was lost—the unparalleled glory of the first Temple, their history of sin leading to exile, and perhaps the diminished state of the current beginnings. Their tears were not of despair but of a profound lament, a recognition of how far they had fallen and the chasm between past glory and present humility, even in the midst of a new dawn.

The inability to distinguish between the two sounds speaks to their combined power and volume, suggesting that both were equally valid, powerful, and necessary expressions of worship and identity for the returning community. It underscores that spiritual experience is often complex, holding joy and grief, hope and memory, simultaneously. This moment showcases God's work being experienced by a people deeply marked by their past yet clinging to hope for their future, reminding us that even in God's restorative acts, the echoes of former sorrows can resonate powerfully alongside newfound delight. It highlights the authentic human response to divine grace amidst historical reality.