Ezra 3:2-4

3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak ¹  and his priestly colleagues ²  and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues ³  started to build ⁴  the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by ⁵  the law of Moses the man of God. 3:3 They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, ⁶  and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. 3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters ⁷  as required ⁸  and offered the proper number of ⁹  daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day.

[3:2]  ¹ sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.

[3:2]  ² tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”

[3:2]  ³ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[3:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “arose and built.”

[3:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.

[3:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[3:4]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (’et khag-hassukot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.

[3:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “according to what is written.”

[3:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “by number.”