The Meaning of Ezra 1:5 Explained

Ezra 1:5

KJV: Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

YLT: And heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin rise, and the priests and the Levites, even every one whose spirit God hath waked, to go up to build the house of Jehovah, that is in Jerusalem;

Darby: And the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin rose up, and the priests, and the Levites, even all those whose spirit God had stirred, to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem.

ASV: Then rose up the heads of fathers houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then rose up  the chief  of the fathers  of Judah  and Benjamin,  and the priests,  and the Levites,  with all [them] whose spirit  God  had raised,  to go up  to build  the house  of the LORD  which [is] in Jerusalem. 

What does Ezra 1:5 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 1:5 mean?

And arose the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites with all had moved God - whose spirits to go up and build the house of Yahweh which [is] in Jerusalem
וַיָּק֜וּמוּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָאָב֗וֹת לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם לְכֹ֨ל הֵעִ֤יר הָאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־ רוּח֔וֹ לַעֲל֣וֹת לִבְנ֔וֹת בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם

וַיָּק֜וּמוּ  And  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
רָאשֵׁ֣י  the  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הָאָב֗וֹת  of  the  fathers'  [houses] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לִֽיהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן  and  Benjamin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים  and  the  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם  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.
לְכֹ֨ל  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הֵעִ֤יר  had  moved 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
הָאֱלֹהִים֙  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
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.
רוּח֔וֹ  whose  spirits 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
לַעֲל֣וֹת  to  go  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
לִבְנ֔וֹת  and  build 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, 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.