Contradiction with Haggai 2:3
This verse questions who remembers the former temple's glory, contrasting with the reaction in Ezra 3:12 where elders weep at seeing the new temple's foundation.
Haggai 2:3: Who [is] left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? [is it] not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
Contradiction with Zechariah 4:10
This verse encourages not to despise small beginnings, whereas Ezra 3:12 mentions the elders' weeping due to disappointment.
Zechariah 4:10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they [are] the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. [for they...: or, since the seven eyes of the LORD shall rejoice] [plummet: Heb. stone of tin]
Contradiction with 1 Kings 6:38
Describes the grandeur and detailed completion of Solomon's Temple, contrasting with the elders' emotional response in Ezra 3:12 to the new and possibly less glorious foundation.
1 Kings 6:38: And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which [is] the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. [through out...: or, with all the parts thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof]
Contradiction with Ezra 6:15-16
States the successful completion and celebration of the temple’s dedication, contradicting the mixed reaction in Ezra 3:12 where many wept.
Ezra 6:15-16: And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Contradiction with Psalm 126:5
Suggests sowing in tears will result in joyous reaping, contrasting with the immediate emotional grief seen in Ezra 3:12.
Psalm 126:5: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. [joy: or, singing]
Paradox #1
Ezra 3:12 might present a contradiction or inconsistency when considering the different reactions to the rebuilding of the temple. Some people viewed the new temple with joy, seeing it as a new beginning and a sign of God's promises being fulfilled. Others, especially older individuals, wept because they remembered the original temple's former glory and saw the new one as less grand. This shows tension between differing perspectives on God's presence and the fulfillment of His promises, highlighting a potential conflict between celebrating progress and mourning loss.
Paradox #2
Ezra 3:12 describes older people weeping while others shout for joy during the temple's foundation laying. The contradiction or conflict might arise from differing emotions about the new temple compared to Solomon's grand temple, which some elders remembered. This mix of joy and sadness could be inconsistent with the expectation that everyone should be uniformly happy about the rebuilding effort.