The Meaning of Ezra 3:11 Explained

Ezra 3:11

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.

YLT: And they respond in praising and in giving thanks to Jehovah, for good, for to the age His kindness is over Israel, and all the people have shouted -- a great shout -- in giving praise to Jehovah, because the house of Jehovah hath been founded.

Darby: And they sang alternately together in praising and giving thanks to Jehovah: For he is good, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout to the praise of Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezra 3:11 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 3:11 mean?

And they sang responsively praising and giving thanks to Yahweh for [He is] good for ever His mercy [endures] toward Israel And all the people shouted with a shout great when they praised Yahweh because the foundation was laid of the house of Yahweh -
וַֽ֠יַּעֲנוּ בְּהַלֵּ֨ל וּבְהוֹדֹ֤ת לַֽיהוָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב כִּֽי־ לְעוֹלָ֥ם חַסְדּ֖וֹ עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְכָל־ הָעָ֡ם הֵרִיעוּ֩ תְרוּעָ֨ה‪‬ גְדוֹלָ֤ה בְהַלֵּל֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה עַ֖ל הוּסַ֥ד בֵּית־ יְהוָֽה ס

וַֽ֠יַּעֲנוּ  And  they  sang  responsively 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בְּהַלֵּ֨ל  praising 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
וּבְהוֹדֹ֤ת  and  giving  thanks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָדָה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast.
לַֽיהוָה֙  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ט֔וֹב  [He  is]  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לְעוֹלָ֥ם  ever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
חַסְדּ֖וֹ  His  mercy  [endures] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
עַל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֡ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הֵרִיעוּ֩  shouted 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רוּעַ  
Sense: to shout, raise a sound, cry out, give a blast.
תְרוּעָ֨ה‪‬  with  a  shout 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּרוּעָה  
Sense: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or j oy.
גְדוֹלָ֤ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בְהַלֵּל֙  when  they  praised 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עַ֖ל  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הוּסַ֥ד  the  foundation  was  laid 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַד 
Sense: to found, fix, establish, lay foundation.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation