Definition: From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not [yet] laid.

Explanation: Okay, let's break down this passage from Ezra 3:6. It’s a really important part of how the story of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem unfolds. Here's what it means in simple terms: The Basic Story: The Problem: After the Jewish people had been exiled for many years, they were facing a problem – they needed to rebuild the Temple, which was their central place of worship and connection with God. They Started Offering Burnt Offerings: The people started offering sacrifices (burnt offerings) to the Lord. These were basically prayers and gifts made to show respect and gratitude. But It Wasn’t Complete: They kept going about this, but they weren't fully finished with the building of the Temple. What the Verse Says – A Bit More Detail: “From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD.” This means: The Seventh Month: The seventh month was a crucial time for this rebuilding. It was a special period. To the Lord: They were making these sacrifices specifically to God. Burnt Offerings: They were offering things that were burned – often in a ritualistic way – to show their devotion and repentance (a turning away from wrongdoing). But… It Wasn’t Finished Yet! “But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not [yet] laid.” This is the really important part. The verse says that the foundation of the Temple – the very base upon which it would stand – hadn't been built yet. What does this mean? It means that while they were starting to offer these sacrifices, they weren’t yet ready to build a complete and solid structure for God's presence. It was still in the early stages of construction. In short, it describes a period of preparation and building work before the Temple was fully completed. --- Think of it like this: Imagine you're building a house – you start laying the foundation first, but you need to add walls, floors, and everything else before you can actually live in it. That’s essentially what’s happening here: they were starting to build the Temple, but not yet finished. --- Do you want me to explain any of this further? For example, would you like me to: Explain the significance of the seventh month? Provide a little context about why this rebuilding was so important?