Ezra 1:5
in Ezra 1So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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
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.
⋯
This verse in Ezra 1
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Only a portion of the Israelites took advantage of the permission of Cyrus. Many remained in Babylon, since they were disinclined to relinquish their property. They who returned were persons whom God had especially stirred up to make sacrifices for His glory.
This site's exposition
everyone whose spirit God had stirred
on Ezra 1:5-6
The family heads of Judah and Benjamin rise with the priests and Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred. The same stirring moved Cyrus in verse 1, so the king's decree and the exiles' readiness come from one hand. Those who remain in Babylon fund those who leave it.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the leaders of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin rose up, etc. Cyrus indeed, having proclaimed his voice, and having sent letters throughout his kingdom, permitted, nay commanded, from the whole people of Israel, which consisted of twelve tribes, those with whom God was, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The call and offer of the gospel are like Cyrus's proclamation. Deliverance is preached to the captives, Luke iv. Those that are bound under the unrighteous dominion of sin, and bound over to the righteous judgment of God, may be made free by Jesus Christ.
Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And whoever remains and every Jew who remains in his place, who cannot ascend because he has no money.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּק֜וּמוּ | vaiyakumu | and they arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| רָאשֵׁ֣י | rashei | [the] heads of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָאָב֗וֹת | haavot | the fathers | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לִֽיהוּדָה֙ | lihudah | of Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן | uvinyamin | and Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים | vehakohanim | and the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם | vehalviyim | and the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| לְכֹ֨ל | lekhol | to every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הֵעִ֤יר | heir | [one whom] he had stirred up | H5782 → | |
| הָאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רוּח֔וֹ | rucho | spirit his | H7307 → | |
| לַעֲל֣וֹת | laalot | to go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| לִבְנ֔וֹת | livnot | to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | birushalim | [is] in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
וַיָּק֜וּמוּand they arose
vaiyakumuH6965 →628 times
רָאשֵׁ֣י[the] heads of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
הָאָב֗וֹתthe fathers
haavotH1 →1212 times
לִֽיהוּדָה֙of Judah
lihudahH3063 →819 times
וּבִנְיָמִ֔ןand Benjamin
uvinyaminH1144 →166 times
וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםand the priests
vehakohanimH3548 →750 times
וְהַלְוִיִּ֑םand the Levites
vehalviyimH3881 →291 times
לְכֹ֨לto every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הֵעִ֤יר[one whom] he had stirred up
heirH5782 →
הָאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רוּח֔וֹspirit his
ruchoH7307 →
לַעֲל֣וֹתto go up
laalotH5927 →890 times
לִבְנ֔וֹתto build
livnotH1129 →376 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃[is] in Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Romans 9:16
So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
- Hebrews 13:21
Through
Ezra 1:1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezra 7:27
Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 36:22–23
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout…
- Jeremiah 29:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Ezra
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.