Ezra 3 · Verse 8

Ezra 3:8

Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.
Ezra 3:8, King James Version

Ezra 3:8 in other translations

BSBIn the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
WEBNow in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the LORD’s house.
ASVNow in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Jehovah.
YLTAnd in the second year of their coming in unto the house of God, to Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those coming from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appoint the Levites from a son of twenty years and upward, to overlook the work of the house of Jehovah.
DARBYAnd in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem; and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to superintend the work of the house of Jehovah.
BBENow in the second year of their coming into the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, the work was taken in hand by Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come from the land where they were prisoners to Jerusalem: and they made the Levites, of twenty years old and over, responsible for overseeing the work of the house of the Lord.
WebsterNow in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.

What does Ezra 3:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ezr 3:8-13. The Foundation of the Temple Laid.

8. appointed the Levites ... to set forward the work--that is, to act as overseers of the workmen, and to direct and animate the laborers in the various departments.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 In the second year - The previous time had been employed in clearing the ground, felling timber, hewing stones, and transporting them to the place, and making other necessary preparations for the commencement of the building.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezra 3:8-13
There was a remarkable mixture of affections upon laying the foundation of the temple. Those that only knew the misery of having no temple at all, praised the Lord with shouts of joy. To them, even this foundation seemed great. We ought to be thankful for the beginnings of mercy, though it be not yet perfect. But those who remembered the glory of the first temple, and considered how far inferior this was likely to be, wept with a loud voice. There was reason for it, and if they bewailed the sin that was the cause of this melancholy change, they did well. Yet it was wrong to cast a damp upon the common joys. They despised the day of small things, and were unthankful for the good they enjoyed. Let not the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of present mercies.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ezra 3:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣הu.va.sha.Nahand in the yearH8141
הַשֵּׁנִ֗יתha.she.Nit<the> secondH8145
לְבוֹאָ֞םle.vo.'Amof coming theirH935
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בֵּ֤יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םli.Ru.sha.Limto JerusalemH3389
בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁba.Cho.deshin the monthH2320
הַשֵּׁנִ֑יha.she.Ni<the> secondH8145
הֵחֵ֡לּוּhe.Che.luthey beganH2490
זְרֻבָּבֶ֣לze.ru.ba.VelZerubbabelH2216
בֶּן\־be.noSh-[the] son ofH1121
שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵלShe.'al.ti.'elShealtielH7597
וְיֵשׁ֨וּעַve.ye.Shu.a'and JeshuaH3442
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
יֽוֹצָדָ֜קyo.tza.DakJozadakH3136
וּשְׁאָ֥רu.she.'Arand [the] rest ofH7605
אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם\׀'a.chei.Hembrothers theirH251
הַכֹּהֲנִ֣יםha.ko.ha.Nimthe priestsH3548
וְהַלְוִיִּ֗םve.hal.vi.Yimand the LevitesH3881
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
הַבָּאִים֙ha.ba.'Imthose [who] had comeH935
מֵהַשְּׁבִ֣יme.ha.she.Vifrom the captivityH7628
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּvai.ya.'a.Mi.duand they appointedH5975
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַלְוִיִּ֗םhal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881
מִבֶּ֨ןmi.Benfrom a son ofH1121
עֶשְׂרִ֤ים'es.RimtwentyH6242
שָׁנָה֙sha.Nahyear[s]H8141
וָמַ֔עְלָהva.Ma'.lahand up -wardsH4605
לְנַצֵּ֖חַle.na.Tze.achto act as overseersH5329
עַל\־'al-overH5921
מְלֶ֥אכֶתme.Le.khet[the] work ofH4399
בֵּית\־beit-[the] house ofH1004
יְהוָֽה\׃\ \פYah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezra 3:8

  • Ezra 4:3

    But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

  • 1 Chronicles 23:4

    Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers and judges:

  • 1 Chronicles 23:24-32

    These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: …

  • Numbers 4:3

    From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zerubbabel.
2
twenty years old.
Nu 4:3; 1Ch 23:24-32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezra 3:7

    They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

  • Ezra 3:8

    Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.

  • Ezra 3:9

    Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.

Read all of Ezra 3

Ezra 3:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y en el año segundo de su venida á la casa de Dios en Jerusalem, en el mes segundo, comenzaron Zorobabel hijo de Sealthiel, y Jesuá hijo de Josadec, y los otros sus hermanos, los sacerdotes y los Levitas, y todos los que habían venido de la cautividad á Jerusalem; y pusieron á los Levitas de veinte años arriba para que tuviesen cargo de la obra de la casa de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et la seconde année de leur arrivée à la maison de Dieu à Jérusalem, au second mois, Zorobabel, fils de Shealthiel, et Jéshua, fils de Jotsadak, et le reste de leurs frères, les sacrificateurs et les lévites, et tous ceux qui étaient venus de la captivité à Jérusalem, commencèrent; et ils établirent les lévites, depuis l’âge de 20 ans et au-dessus, pour surveiller l’œuvre de la maison de l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und im zweiten Jahre ihres Kommens zum Hause Gottes in Jerusalem, im zweiten Monat, begannen Serubbabel, der Sohn Schealtiels, und Jeschua, der Sohn Jozadaks, und ihre übrigen Brüder, die Priester und die Leviten, und alle, die aus der Gefangenschaft nach Jerusalem gekommen waren, und sie bestellten die Leviten von zwanzig Jahren an und darüber, um Aufsicht zu führen über das Werk des Hauses Jehovas.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Anno autem secundo adventus eorum ad templum Dei in Jerusalem, mense secundo, cœperunt Zorobabel filius Salathiel, et Josue filius Josedec, et reliqui de fratribus eorum sacerdotes, et Levitæ, et omnes qui venerant de captivitate in Jerusalem, et constituerunt Levitas a viginti annis et supra, ut urgerent opus Domini.