The Meaning of Ezra 8:28 Explained

Ezra 8:28

KJV: And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers.

YLT: And I say unto them, 'Ye are holy to Jehovah, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a willing-offering to Jehovah, God of your fathers;

Darby: And I said to them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah; the vessels also are holy; and the silver and the gold is a voluntary offering to Jehovah the God of your fathers.

ASV: And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I said  unto them, Ye [are] holy  unto the LORD;  the vessels  [are] holy  also; and the silver  and the gold  [are] a freewill offering  unto the LORD  God  of your fathers. 

What does Ezra 8:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 8:24-36 - Thanksgiving For Safety And Success
Into our hands also is committed first the rich treasure and solemn trust of our own souls, and next the great deposit of the gospel; 1 Timothy 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:20. In order to fulfil this sacred charge there must be purity, "Ye are holy;" and sleepless vigilance, "Watch ye." There were ambushes and designs on their safety, but the foe was unable to break through the divine environment, Ezra 8:31. How safe are we who live in God! What joy as the little band weighed the vessels, and rendered up their charge, Luke 19:16. Is not this a picture of our entrance into heaven, when we also shall acknowledge the good hand of the Lord, and sacrifice our burnt offerings of thanksgiving? This incident is no exception. Similar care will be surely and blessedly experienced by all those who trust under the shadow of God's wing. It is credibly affirmed that, in the American Civil War, none of the Quakers, who of course were non-resisters, suffered any damage from the troops of either side. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Let those who fast and pray for God's help be sure to return Him thanks when it has been given. [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 8:28 mean?

And I said to them You [are] holy to Yahweh and the articles [are] holy and the silver and the gold [are] a freewill offering to Yahweh God of your fathers
וָאֹמְרָ֣ה אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְהַכֵּלִ֖ים קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְהַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַזָּהָב֙ נְדָבָ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם

וָאֹמְרָ֣ה  And  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אַתֶּ֥ם  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine plural
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לַיהוָ֔ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהַכֵּלִ֖ים  and  the  articles  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
קֹ֑דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
וְהַכֶּ֤סֶף  and  the  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וְהַזָּהָב֙  and  the  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
נְדָבָ֔ה  [are]  a  freewill  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְדָבָה  
Sense: voluntariness, free-will offering.
לַיהוָ֖ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.