The Meaning of Ezra 1:9 Explained

Ezra 1:9

KJV: And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

YLT: And this is their number: dishes of gold thirty, dishes of silver a thousand, knives nine and twenty,

Darby: And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine-and-twenty knives,

ASV: And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And this [is] the number  of them: thirty  chargers  of gold,  a thousand  chargers  of silver,  nine  and twenty  knives, 

What does Ezra 1:9 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 1:9 mean?

And these [are] the numbers of them platters gold thirty platters silver a thousand knives nine and twenty -
וְאֵ֖לֶּה מִסְפָּרָ֑ם אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י זָהָ֜ב שְׁלֹשִׁ֗ים אֲגַרְטְלֵי־ כֶ֙סֶף֙ אָ֔לֶף מַחֲלָפִ֖ים תִּשְׁעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים ס

וְאֵ֖לֶּה  And  these  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
מִסְפָּרָ֑ם  the  numbers  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י  platters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֲגַרְטָל  
Sense: vessel, basket, leather bag, basin.
זָהָ֜ב  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
שְׁלֹשִׁ֗ים  thirty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
אֲגַרְטְלֵי־  platters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֲגַרְטָל  
Sense: vessel, basket, leather bag, basin.
כֶ֙סֶף֙  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
אָ֔לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
מַחֲלָפִ֖ים  knives 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַחֲלָף  
Sense: knife.
תִּשְׁעָ֥ה  nine 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: תֵּשַׁע  
Sense: nine, nonad.
וְעֶשְׂרִֽים  and  twenty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation