The Meaning of Ezra 3:8 Explained

Ezra 3:8

KJV: Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the 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.

YLT: And in the second year of their coming in unto the house of God, to Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those coming from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appoint the Levites from a son of twenty years and upward, to overlook the work of the house of Jehovah.

Darby: And in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the 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 had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem; and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to superintend the work of the house of Jehovah.

ASV: Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest 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 have the oversight of the work of the house of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now in the second  year  of their coming  unto the house  of God  at Jerusalem,  in the 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. 

What does Ezra 3:8 Mean?

Study Notes

second month
i.e. May.

Context Summary

Ezra 3:8-13 - The Foundation Of The Temple Laid
Foundation-laying is not always pleasant work. It means toil under ground, down in the trenches, unnoticed and unknown, and those who begin are often not permitted to finish. But amid all, the minstrel Hope brought her harp, and sang her sweet strains of encouragement. In spite of the fewness and poverty of the builders, the voice of Inspiration had assured them that the glory of the latter house should surpass that of the former. So by the reckoning of faith, in sure anticipation that God would keep His word, the builders encircled their foundations with their songs. But the same event excited tears and shoutings. The old men looked back, and as they contrasted the impoverished and diminished condition of their people with the opulent crowds that had thronged the courts of Solomon's Temple, they could not restrain their tears. The young, new generation had not the same retrospect or ideals and, filled with hope of that which was to be, they could not restrain their shouts, which were heard afar off. "We have been," said the graybeards, "and the good old times were better than these." "We shall be," said the young, "and we will make the coming days better than any that have been since the beginning of the world!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 3

1  The altar is set up
4  Offerings renewed
7  Workmen employed in preparing materials
8  The foundations of the temple are laid in great joy and mourning

What do the individual words in Ezra 3:8 mean?

And in the year second of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem of the month second began [work] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem and appointed - the Levites from old twenty years and above to oversee upon the work of the house of Yahweh -
וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְבוֹאָ֞ם אֶל־ בֵּ֤ית הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֑י הֵחֵ֡לּוּ זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל בֶּן־ שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵל וְיֵשׁ֨וּעַ בֶּן־ יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק וּשְׁאָ֥ר אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֗ם וְכָל־ הַבָּאִים֙ מֵהַשְּׁבִ֣י יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּ אֶת־ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה לְנַצֵּ֖חַ עַל־ מְלֶ֥אכֶת בֵּית־ יְהוָֽה פ

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה  And  in  the  year 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
לְבוֹאָ֞ם  of  their  coming 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּ֤ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  at  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ  of  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הַשֵּׁנִ֑י  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
הֵחֵ֡לּוּ  began  [work] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל  Zerubbabel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְרֻבָּבֶל  
Sense: the grandson of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of returning exiles from Babylon.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵל  of  Shealtiel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל 
Sense: father of Zerubbabel.
וְיֵשׁ֨וּעַ  and  Jeshua 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵשׁוּעַ 
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק  of  Jozadak 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצָדָק 
Sense: grandson of the high priest Hilkiah; son of the high priest Seraiah; and father of the high priest Joshua; he never attained the office of high priest himself because he was carried captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
וּשְׁאָ֥ר  and  the  rest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שְׁאָר  
Sense: rest, residue, remnant, remainder.
אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם ׀  of  their  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְהַלְוִיִּ֗ם  and  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַבָּאִים֙  those  who  had  come 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מֵהַשְּׁבִ֣י  out  of  the  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּ  and  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַלְוִיִּ֗ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מִבֶּ֨ן  from  old 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֶשְׂרִ֤ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
שָׁנָה֙  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וָמַ֔עְלָה  and  above 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
לְנַצֵּ֖חַ  to  oversee 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מְלֶ֥אכֶת  the  work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation

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