Ezra 3:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When Nebuchadnezzar laid waste to Jerusalem, the kingdom was rendered powerless, and the lineage of sovereign rule that once existed came to an end. During this period, the descendants of David, stripped of their authority, found themselves in exile. However, Salathiel and Zerubbabel, who had returned from captivity, assumed leadership roles within the community, while ultimate authority had shifted to the priests, as the lines between the priestly and royal families had become intertwined.

The phases of the temple's restoration indicate that they refrained from going to the house of the Lord because they found it already completed. To clarify, earlier statements confirm that the foundation had yet to be established. The temple of God signifies the site designated for His presence, reflecting their intention to renew the temple. The contemporary Jews err in claiming that the Chaldeans merely dismantled the roof, neglecting the walls, as Ezra explicitly records that the descendants of the exiles reconstructed the temple from its very foundation. It has been noted that they arrived in Jerusalem in the seventh month, and it is further mentioned that, in the second year following their arrival, they initiated the work on the temple in the second month.