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עֶזְרָא

𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤀

Ezera

H5830 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עזר to help, assist, support

Definition

Personal name: Ezra. Refers specifically to a notable Israelite scribe and leader during the Persian period, who was instrumental in religious reform and the restoration of Torah observance among the returnees from Babylonia. As a proper noun, its usage is always as a personal name, almost exclusively referencing this historical figure.

Semantic Range

personal name (Ezra the scribe), reference to a specific Israelite leader of the Persian period

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root עזר (ʿ-z-r), meaning 'to help, assist, support.' The name עֶזְרָא is a shortened form or variation of עֶזְרָה (Ezrah) and means 'help' or 'he has helped.' As a personal name, it expresses a theophoric element implicitly (i.e., 'GOD has helped'), though without an explicit divine name attached here.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֶזְרָא (Ezra) emerges uniquely in the post-exilic context, referring specifically to the leader who arrived in Jerusalem from Babylonia in the 5th century BCE (Ezra 7–10; Nehemiah 8–12). The name is not documented in earlier Israelite periods within the biblical text. In the Greek Septuagint and later traditions, the name is often rendered as Esdras, and influence from this form can be seen in English Bible translations. Unlike some other biblical names, 'Ezra' does not appear as a common name or noun with wider meaning in the Hebrew Bible; its reference is strictly personal. Later developments (Second Temple, rabbinic, and Christian traditions) further elevate Ezra as a central figure, but these are not reflected in the name’s original biblical usage. The Greek term 'Jew' may be used in post-biblical texts for individuals like Ezra, but in the context of the Hebrew Bible it is more historically and geographically precise to call him a Judahite or post-exilic Israelite. The name is distinct from עֶזְרָה (Ezrah), which refers to a different individual in 1 Chronicles 4:17.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a variation of עֶזְרָה; Ezra, an Israelite; Ezra.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עזר (ʿ-z-r) — help, assist, support

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3134 יוֹעֶזֶר and YHWH-is-help
H3270 יַעֲזֵיר in He-helps
H373 אִיעֶזְרִי the Iezerite clansman
H461 אֱלִיעֶזֶר God is help
H5809 עַזּוּר Azzur

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5830-01 עֶזְרָא֙ ezera HNp Ezra Ezra 15
H5830-02 לְ/עֶזְרָ֥א leezera HR/Np to Ezra to Ezra 4
H5830-03 וְ/עֶזְרָ֣א veezera HC/Np and Ezra and Ezra 3

Occurrences in Scripture

22 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5830-01 Ezra 7:1 עֶזְרָא֙ ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 7:6 עֶזְרָא֙ ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 7:10 עֶזְרָא֙ ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-02 Ezra 7:11 לְ/עֶזְרָ֥א leezera HR/Np to Ezra to Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 10:1 עֶזְרָא֙ ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-02 Ezra 10:2 לְ/עֶזְרָ֔א leezera HR/Np to Ezra to Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 10:5 עֶזְרָ֡א ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 10:6 עֶזְרָ֗א ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 10:10 עֶזְרָ֤א ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
H5830-01 Ezra 10:16 עֶזְרָ֨א ezera HNp Ezra Ezra
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