Original Word: גִּזְבָּר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gizbar
Pronunciation: giz-bar
Phonetic Spelling: (ghiz-bawr')
KJV: treasurer
NASB: treasurer
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. treasurer

treasurer

Of foreign derivation; treasurer -- treasurer.

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
treasurer
NASB Translation
treasurer (1).

גִּזְבָּר noun masculine treasurer (loan-word; Late Hebrew id.; compare Biblical Aramaic [גִּזְבָּר], plural גִּזְבָּרַיָּא; Syriac , also , Persian , compare Lag^{Ges. Abh. 27 f., Arm. Stud.§ 454}), Ezra 1:8.

Historical Setting in Ezra

The single appearance of גִּזְבָּר (Strong’s Hebrew 1489) occurs in Ezra 1:8 during the opening scene of the post-exilic narrative. Cyrus the Great has issued his decree allowing the Judean exiles to return and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The text records, “Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah” (Ezra 1:8). The treasurer stands at the convergence of royal authority and covenant restoration, functioning as the official who transfers sacred vessels from imperial custody back to their rightful liturgical use.

Role and Function of a Treasurer

1. Custodian of Sanctified Property: The items overseen—gold and silver articles formerly taken by Nebuchadnezzar—were consecrated to temple service (Ezra 1:7). Handling them therefore required ceremonial reliability and civic integrity.
2. Mediator of Accountability: Counting the articles in the presence of both Persian and Jewish representatives ensured transparent stewardship, safeguarding the testimony of God’s faithfulness to restore what had been lost.
3. Agent of Royal Policy: Although a Persian official, the treasurer facilitated divine purposes revealed through the prophetic word (Isaiah 44:28; Jeremiah 29:10), demonstrating that even secular offices are ultimately subordinate to the sovereign plan of God.

Theological Themes of Stewardship

• Divine Ownership: Everything in the treasurer’s inventory belonged first to the Lord (Haggai 2:8). The office underscores that human authority over resources is always delegated.
• Faithful Administration: Scripture consistently esteems upright treasurers—whether the Levitical overseers of the storerooms (1 Chronicles 26:20) or the post-exilic appointees who “were considered trustworthy” (Nehemiah 13:13). The treasurer in Ezra personifies this integrity.
• Restoration and Hope: Returning the vessels affirmed that exile was not the last word; God would renew worship in Jerusalem. The treasurer’s careful enumeration provided tangible proof to the people that nothing promised had been forgotten (Ezra 1:11).

Intertextual Connections

• Old Testament Parallels: While גִּזְבָּר itself is unique to Ezra 1:8, the concept parallels Hebrew terms for temple guardians (e.g., 1 Chronicles 29:6; 2 Kings 12:10). Together, they form a mosaic of financial and sacred oversight.
• New Testament Echoes: The principle of entrusted funds carries into the teaching of Jesus—“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10)—and the apostolic practice of designating reliable stewards for offerings (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
• Eschatological Perspective: The meticulous transfer of the vessels anticipates the ultimate restoration when every treasure of the nations will be brought into the glory of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24).

Implications for Ministry Today

1. Stewardship as Worship: Handling church finances or charitable resources is not a mere administrative task; it is an act of reverence patterned after the treasurer in Ezra.
2. Transparency and Trust: Public accounting (“counted them out”) models best practice for modern ministry, guarding against reproach and fostering confidence among God’s people.
3. Partnering with Civil Authorities: Cyrus’s decree and the treasurer’s role show that believers can cooperate with secular structures without compromising fidelity, provided that God’s glory remains central.
4. Hope in Restoration: Congregations recovering from moral, financial, or structural loss can look to Ezra’s treasurer as evidence that the Lord is able to reclaim and repurpose what once seemed forfeited.

Summary

Though mentioned only once, גִּזְבָּר illumines the biblical portrait of faithful stewardship under God’s sovereign hand. The Persian treasurer’s precision in Ezra 1:8 sets a timeless standard: every resource entrusted to God’s people must be handled with accountability, integrity, and the confident expectation that the Lord will fulfill His redemptive promises.

הַגִּזְבָּ֑ר הגזבר hag·giz·bār haggizBar haggizbārInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts