3:1 And when the {a} seventh month was come, and the children of Israel [were] in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

(a) Called Tishri which had part of September and part of October.

3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the {b} son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as [it is] written in the law of Moses the man of God.

(b) Meaning nephew, for he was the son of Pedaiah, 1Ch 3:19.

3:3 And they set the altar upon {c} his bases; for fear [was] upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, [even] burnt offerings morning and evening.

(c) In the place where Solomon had placed it.

3:5 And afterward [offered] {d} the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.

(d) That is, after the feast of tabernacles.

3:8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the {e} second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.

(e) Which contains part of April and part of May, for in the mean season they had provided for things needed for the work.

3:9 Then stood Jeshua {f} [with] his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, [with] their sons and their brethren the Levites.

(f) They gave them exhortations and encouraged every man forward in the work.

3:12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, [who were] ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, {g} wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

(g) Because they saw that it was not nearly as glorious as the temple Solomon had built, nonetheless Aggeus comforted them and prophesied that it would be more beautiful than the first, meaning the spiritual temple, they who are the members of Christ's body.