The Meaning of Ezra 8:18 Explained

Ezra 8:18

KJV: And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

YLT: And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen;

Darby: And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely, Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

ASV: And according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And by the good  hand  of our God  upon us they brought  us a man  of understanding,  of the sons  of Mahli,  the son  of Levi,  the son  of Israel;  and Sherebiah,  with his sons  and his brethren,  eighteen; 

What does Ezra 8:18 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 8:18 mean?

And they brought us by hand of our God the good upon us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli son of Levi the son of Israel and namely Sherebiah and with his sons and brothers eight [and] ten [men]
וַיָּבִ֨יאּוּ לָ֜נוּ כְּיַד־ אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ הַטּוֹבָ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ שֶׂ֔כֶל מִבְּנֵ֣י מַחְלִ֔י בֶּן־ לֵוִ֖י בֶּן־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֛ה וּבָנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁמֹנָ֥ה עָשָֽׂר

וַיָּבִ֨יאּוּ  And  they  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לָ֜נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
כְּיַד־  by  hand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ  of  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַטּוֹבָ֤ה  the  good 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
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.
אִ֣ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
שֶׂ֔כֶל  of  understanding 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂכֶל  
Sense: prudence, insight, understanding.
מִבְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מַחְלִ֔י  of  Mahli 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַחְלִי  
Sense: son of Merari and grandson of Levi; progenitor of the family of the Mahlites.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵוִ֖י  of  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: 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.
וְשֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֛ה  and  namely  Sherebiah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁרֵבְיָה  
Sense: a Levite who assisted Ezra at the reading of the Law and who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah.
וּבָנָ֥יו  and  with  his  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְאֶחָ֖יו  and  brothers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
שְׁמֹנָ֥ה  eight 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמֹנֶה  
Sense: eight, eighth.
עָשָֽׂר  [and]  ten  [men] 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).