The Meaning of Ezra 1:8 Explained

Ezra 1:8

KJV: Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

YLT: yea, Cyrus king of Persia bringeth them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbereth them to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

Darby: And Cyrus king of Persia brought them forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

ASV: even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Even those did Cyrus  king  of Persia  bring forth  by the hand  of Mithredath  the treasurer,  and numbered  them unto Sheshbazzar,  the prince  of Judah. 

What does Ezra 1:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 1:1-11 - God's Promises Fulfilled
God will ever be mindful of His covenant. There were also many remembrancers as Daniel and other like-minded exiles who gave Him no rest and were ever asking Him for David's sake to bring his people from captivity. See Isaiah 62:6-7. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, Ezra 1:1-11, and the spirits of the people, Ezra 5:1-17. How clearly the minds of men are subject to His promptings! May we never be disobedient to the heavenly visions that visit us, but always on the alert to work out with fear and trembling whatsoever He may work in. Whenever we yield to the divine promptings, it is remarkable how everything seems to cooperate with us. The stars in their courses fight for us. All things serve the man who serves Christ. In the present instance, all that were round about strengthened their hands. Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which had been in safe-keeping during those years of anarchy and confusion, like the precious manuscripts of Scripture during the Middle Ages. But when they were needed, God brought them out of their hiding-place. Trust in Him; He makes no mistakes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 1

1  The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple
5  The people provide for their return
7  Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar

What do the individual words in Ezra 1:8 mean?

and brought them out Cyrus king of Persia by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah
וַיּֽוֹצִיאֵ֗ם‪‬ כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס עַל־ יַ֖ד מִתְרְדָ֣ת הַגִּזְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּסְפְּרֵם֙ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֔ר הַנָּשִׂ֖יא לִיהוּדָֽה

וַיּֽוֹצִיאֵ֗ם‪‬  and  brought  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ  Cyrus 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּורֶשׁ  
Sense: the king of Persia and conqueror of Babylon; first ruler of Persia to make a decree allowing the Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
פָּרַ֔ס  of  Persia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פָּרַס  
Sense: the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south.
יַ֖ד  the  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִתְרְדָ֣ת  of  Mithredath 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִתְרְדָת  
Sense: treasurer of king Cyrus of Persia.
הַגִּזְבָּ֑ר  the  treasurer 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גִּזְבָּר  
Sense: treasurer.
וַֽיִּסְפְּרֵם֙  and  counted  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֔ר  to  Sheshbazzar 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר  
Sense: the prince of Judah at the first return from exile in Babylon; usually identified as the Babylonian name for Zerubbabel.
הַנָּשִׂ֖יא  the  prince 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
לִיהוּדָֽה  of  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.