The Meaning of Ezra 8:16 Explained

Ezra 8:16

KJV: Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

YLT: and I send for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, heads, and for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding;

Darby: And I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men, and for Joiarib and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

ASV: Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, who were teachers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then sent  I for Eliezer,  for Ariel,  for Shemaiah,  and for Elnathan,  and for Jarib,  and for Elnathan,  and for Nathan,  and for Zechariah,  and for Meshullam,  chief men;  also for Joiarib,  and for Elnathan,  men of understanding. 

What does Ezra 8:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 8:1-23 - United Prayer For Guidance
The number of men who accompanied Ezra amounted to 1754, but the women and children would bring up the gross total to about 7000. The lack of Levites was very serious. These should have been among the very first. A deputation was therefore sent to a neighboring seminary or college, where they were being trained, and here again is the mention of the good hand of God. Sometimes hearts are ready and waiting for service, which need just a word or appeal to complete their plans. There is always special interest in this paragraph for those who are venturing forth on the untried and unknown. The camp at Ahava; the sending for the priests; the waiting for their coming; the recognition of God's good hand in sending a man of discretion; and then the fast and prayer for protection. We can almost see the little band on the point of plunging into the inhospitable and dangerous desert, spending hours in prayer, and restrained from requesting an escort, lest they might invalidate their leader's trustful boast. How careful we should be to do nothing inconsistent with the proud position that faith gives us in the keeping power of God! Seek Him, O soul of mine, and He will be found, and His hand shall be upon thee for good. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 8

1  The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon
15  He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple
21  He keeps a fast
24  He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests
31  From Ahava they come to Jerusalem
33  The treasure is weighed in the temple
36  The commission is delivered

What do the individual words in Ezra 8:16 mean?

And I sent for Eliezer Ariel Shemaiah and Elnathan and Jarib and Nathan and Zechariah and Meshullam leaders and for Joiarib men of understanding
וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֡ה לֶאֱלִיעֶ֡זֶר לַאֲרִיאֵ֡ל לִֽ֠שְׁמַעְיָה וּלְאֶלְנָתָ֨ן וּלְיָרִ֜יב וּלְנָתָ֛ן וְלִזְכַרְיָ֥ה וְלִמְשֻׁלָּ֖ם רָאשִׁ֑ים וּלְיוֹיָרִ֥יב מְבִינִֽים

וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֡ה  And  I  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לֶאֱלִיעֶ֡זֶר  for  Eliezer 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִיעֶזֶר  
Sense: Abraham’s Damascene servant.
לַאֲרִיאֵ֡ל  Ariel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִיאֵל 
Sense: a name applied to Jerusalem.
לִֽ֠שְׁמַעְיָה  Shemaiah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמַעְיָה 
Sense: a prophet of the Lord in the reign of king Rehoboam of Judah.
וּלְאֶלְנָתָ֨ן  and  Elnathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְנָתָן  
Sense: king Jehoiachin’s maternal grandfather.
וּלְיָרִ֜יב  and  Jarib 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרִיב  
Sense: a son of Simeon.
וּלְנָתָ֛ן  and  Nathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָתָן  
Sense: a son of David by Bathsheba.
וְלִזְכַרְיָ֥ה  and  Zechariah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְכַרְיָה 
Sense: th in order of the minor prophets; a priest, son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, who, along with Haggai, directed the rebuilding of the temple in the days of Zerubbabel.
וְלִמְשֻׁלָּ֖ם  and  Meshullam 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְשֻׁלָּם  
Sense: grandfather of Shaphan, the scribe. 2 son of Zerubbabel. 3 a Benjamite of the sons of Elpaal. 4 a Benjamite, father of Sallu. 5 a Benjamite who lived at Jerusalem after the captivity. 6 a Benjamite. 6a perhaps the same as 3 or 4. 7 a Gadite in the reign of king Jotham of Judah. 8 son of Berechiah who assisted in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. 9 son of Besodeiah who assisted Jehoiada the son of Paseah in restoring the old gate of Jerusalem. 0 a chief of the people who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. father of Hilkiah and high priest probably in the reign of king Amon of Judah.
רָאשִׁ֑ים  leaders 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וּלְיוֹיָרִ֥יב  and  for  Joiarib 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄויָרִיב  
Sense: the head of the st of the 24 courses of priests in David’s time.
מְבִינִֽים  men  of  understanding 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.