They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
All Commentaries on Ezra 3:7 Go To Ezra 3
Bede
AD 735
Typologically, in this passage, the founding of God’s temple holds a figure of those who, recently converted to the faith, prepare a place or abode in their heart and body for the Lord, as the apostle says: “Do you not know that your limbs are the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you”; and again, “That by faith Christ dwells in your hearts.” Accordingly, those who when freed from captivity had come up to Jerusalem had indeed arranged to build a temple, which, by their labor, they eventually achieved, but first they built an altar and commended themselves to the Lord with daily burnt offerings, so that in this way being made more pure they might deserve to start the work of building the temple. Likewise with respect to the spiritual edifice too it is necessary in every way that whoever has decided to teach others should first teach himself, and one who aims to instruct his neighbors to fear and love God should first make himself worthy for the office of teacher by serving God more eagerly, lest by chance he should hear from the apostle, “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?” This is why the apostle says in regard to himself, “But I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, in case when preaching to others I myself should be found wanting.” Consequently, it is fitting that the descendants of the exile are found to have offered God no victims or sacrifices other than entire burnt offerings …, because whoever lives an evil life yet desires to teach others to refrain from illicit acts must give himself over entirely to his Creator by living well and refraining even from things that are permissible, so that he might not only by the merit of good action more copiously obtain heavenly help in preaching but also, by the example of that same good work, encourage his hearers to follow more effectively what he teaches.
