The Meaning of Ezra 7:28 Explained

Ezra 7:28

KJV: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

YLT: and unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God is upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up with me.

Darby: and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened, as the hand of Jehovah my God was upon me; and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

ASV: and hath extended lovingkindness unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And hath extended  mercy  unto me before  the king,  and his counsellors,  and before all the king's  mighty  princes.  And I was strengthened  as the hand  of the LORD  my God  [was] upon me, and I gathered together  out of Israel  chief men  to go up  with me. 

What does Ezra 7:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 7:19-28 - A King's Bounty
Ezra's commission was very ample. Those who officiated or assisted in Temple service were exonerated from taxation. Full permission was given to take all voluntary gifts of money. Orders were issued for the supply of food and other necessities. He was also appointed governor of all Jews west of the Euphrates. The royal bounty was very generous. Here was the harvest of Daniel's prayers and tears. God did exceeding abundantly unto His people beyond all that they had asked or thought. Notice how Ezra's love for God's law impressed Artaxerxes with the conviction that it was perfect. He commanded that the will of God should be the supreme court of reference to Ezra and his brethren in the disposal of the free-will offerings. He further enjoined that they should do exactly the commands of the God of heaven, and ordained that all who refused should be punished. So great was his respect for the Law, that he left Ezra to do very much as he thought best. This reverence on the part of a heathen monareh for God's law shames us. Let us make more of it ourselves! Let us be people of the Book, and exalt it as we are exalted by it, in the judgment even of those who do not revere it! [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 7

1  Ezra goes up to Jerusalem
11  The gracious commission of Artaxerxes to Ezra
27  Ezra blesses God for this favor

What do the individual words in Ezra 7:28 mean?

and to me has extended mercy before the king and his counselors and before all princes Of the king mighty so I was encouraged as the hand of Yahweh my God [was] upon me and I gathered of Israel leading men to go up with me -
וְעָלַ֣י הִטָּה־ חֶ֗סֶד לִפְנֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְיֽוֹעֲצָ֔יו וּלְכָל־ שָׂרֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ הַגִּבֹּרִ֑ים וַאֲנִ֣י הִתְחַזַּ֗קְתִּי כְּיַד־ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהַי֙ עָלַ֔י וָאֶקְבְּצָ֧ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֛ל רָאשִׁ֖ים לַעֲל֥וֹת עִמִּֽי פ

וְעָלַ֣י  and  to  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, first person common singular
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.
הִטָּה־  has  extended 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
חֶ֗סֶד  mercy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
לִפְנֵ֤י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְיֽוֹעֲצָ֔יו  and  his  counselors 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄועֵץ 
Sense: to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan.
וּלְכָל־  and  before  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שָׂרֵ֥י  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  Of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הַגִּבֹּרִ֑ים  mighty 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
וַאֲנִ֣י  so  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
הִתְחַזַּ֗קְתִּי  was  encouraged 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
כְּיַד־  as  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יְהוָ֤ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהַי֙  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עָלַ֔י  [was]  upon  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
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.
וָאֶקְבְּצָ֧ה  and  I  gathered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רָאשִׁ֖ים  leading  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
לַעֲל֥וֹת  to  go  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עִמִּֽי  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation