Ezra 3:11
in Ezra 3And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they sang one to another in praising and giving thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.
KJV
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
⋯
This verse in Ezra 3
Commentary
8 notes on this verseSung - That everlasting hymn, which will never be out of date, and to which our tongue should never be out of tune, the burden of Psalm 1xxxvi, 1-26. Whatever our condition is, let it be owned, that God is good, and whatever fails, that his mercy fails not.
This site's exposition
as David king of Israel had prescribed
on Ezra 3:10-11
When the foundation is laid, the priests take their trumpets and the Levites their cymbals. They sing responsively, "For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever", the refrain of 1 Chronicles 16:34. The song David's Levites sang now marks a foundation laid under Persian rule.
This site's exposition
Then all the people gave a great shout
The great shout of praise goes up over a laid foundation only. Matthew Henry writes that to hungry souls, after long desolation, even this foundation of the house seemed great, as life from the dead. He calls for thanksgiving at the beginnings of mercy.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
So, with the foundation of the temple of the Lord laid by the masons, etc., great devotion of all persons is shown. With the foundation of the temple of the Lord laid, both priests and Levites and all the people, according to their respective statuses, …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
To them even this foundation seemed great, and was as life from the dead; to their hungry souls even this was sweet. They shouted, so that the noise was heard afar off. Note, We ought to be thankful for the beginnings of mercy, though we have not yet come to the perfection of it; and the foundations of a temple, after long desolations, cannot but be fountains of joy to every faithful Israelite.
This was the day of small things, which was not to be despised, Zech. iv. The Renewal of the Sacrifices. 1 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:26w-of-46
And they sang together by course,....
Let all the streams of mercy be traced up to the fountain. Whatever our condition is, how many soever our griefs and fears, let it be owned that God is good; and, whatever fails, that his mercy fails not.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽ֠יַּעֲנוּ | vaiyaanu | and they sang | H6030 → | 331 times |
| בְּהַלֵּ֨ל | behalel | with praising | H1984 → | 165 times |
| וּבְהוֹדֹ֤ת | uvehodot | and with giving thanks | H3034 → | |
| לַֽיהוָה֙ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ט֔וֹב | tov | [he is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֥ם | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| חַסְדּ֖וֹ | chasdo | covenant loyalty his | H2617 → | 247 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] towards | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֡ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הֵרִיעוּ֩ | heriu | they shouted | H7321 → | |
| תְרוּעָ֙ה | teruah | a shout of joy | H8643 → | 36 times |
| גְדוֹלָ֤ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| בְהַלֵּל֙ | vehalel | with praising | H1984 → | 165 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | <to> Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | because | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הוּסַ֥ד | husad | it was founded | H3245 → | 43 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַֽ֠יַּעֲנוּand they sang
vaiyaanuH6030 →331 times
בְּהַלֵּ֨לwith praising
behalelH1984 →165 times
וּבְהוֹדֹ֤תand with giving thanks
uvehodotH3034 →
לַֽיהוָה֙to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
ט֔וֹב[he is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
לְעוֹלָ֥םfor ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
חַסְדּ֖וֹcovenant loyalty his
chasdoH2617 →247 times
עַל־[is] towards
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֡םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הֵרִיעוּ֩they shouted
heriuH7321 →
תְרוּעָ֙הa shout of joy
teruahH8643 →36 times
גְדוֹלָ֤הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
בְהַלֵּל֙with praising
vehalelH1984 →165 times
לַֽיהוָ֔ה<to> Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַ֖לbecause
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הוּסַ֥דit was founded
husadH3245 →43 times
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 16:34Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Psalms 106:1
Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 7:3
When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- Psalms 136:1–26
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever.
- 2 Chronicles 5:13
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He…
- Psalms 106:1
Through
Psalms 107:1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 100:5
For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Ezra
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Berean Standard Bible, Ezra 3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.