Original Word: שִׂיב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: siyb
Pronunciation: seeb
Phonetic Spelling: (seeb)
NASB: elders
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H7867 (שִׂיבּ - gray)]

1. elder

elder

(Aramaic) corresponding to siyb -- elder.

see HEBREW siyb

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to sib
Definition
to be hoary
NASB Translation
elders (5).

[שִׂיב] verb be hoary (see Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Participle plural as substantive = elders, technical term, absolute שָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא Ezra 5:5; Ezra 6:7,8,14; so emphatic שָׂבַיָּא Ezra 5:9.

Meaning and Scope

The term שִׂיב occurs only in the Aramaic sections of Ezra. In each instance it designates the “elders” of the returned Jewish community—men distinguished not merely by age but by the moral weight, wisdom, and representative authority they carried among the exiles who had come home from Babylon.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Ezra 5:5
2. Ezra 5:9
3. Ezra 6:7
4. Ezra 6:8
5. Ezra 6:14

These five occurrences form a concentrated portrait of the elders’ ministry during the rebuilding of the Second Temple.

Historical Background: Elders in the Post-Exilic Community

After Cyrus’s decree (Ezra 1:1-4), Judah’s scattered families returned to a devastated Jerusalem. Civil structures were fragile, and prophetic leadership was still taking shape through Haggai and Zechariah. In this setting, the elders served as the recognized heads of clans, mediators with imperial officials, keepers of covenant memory, and guarantors of continuity with pre-exilic faith and practice.

Role in the Temple Rebuilding

• Representation before Persian authorities. When regional adversaries objected to the reconstruction, the elders became the community’s voice. “We questioned the elders and asked them, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild this temple?’” (Ezra 5:9).
• Stewardship of resources. Darius’s later decree commanded provincial treasurers to supply the elders with funds, animals, and materials (Ezra 6:8). Their trustworthiness made such royal generosity prudent.
• Perseverance under God’s eye. “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they could not stop them” (Ezra 5:5). The narrative couples human leadership with divine supervision, highlighting God’s sovereignty working through responsible men.
• Completion and dedication. “The elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building” (Ezra 6:14). The elders’ faithfulness joined prophetic preaching and imperial politics to bring the Lord’s house to completion.

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Implications

1. Corporate Accountability. The elders were answerable both to God and to civil magistrates (Romans 13:1-7), modeling integrity in dual spheres.
2. Complementary Leadership. Prophets supplied vision; elders supplied governance. Healthy ministry still rests on this partnership (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 5:17).
3. Perseverance amid Opposition. The elders’ example speaks to congregations facing cultural or governmental pushback, encouraging steadfast obedience grounded in divine oversight (Acts 5:29).

Prophetic and Redemptive Aspects

The restoration under the elders prefigures the greater restoration accomplished in Jesus Christ, who builds the living temple of His church (1 Peter 2:4-5). Their completed stone temple foreshadows the consummate dwelling of God with His people (Revelation 21:3).

Intertextual Connections

• Old Testament Eldership: From Moses’ seventy (Numbers 11:16) to the city-gates judiciary (Deuteronomy 21:19), Israel consistently relied on mature leaders. שִׂיב in Ezra stands in this stream, ensuring continuity with covenant structures.
• New Testament Eldership: The apostolic church appoints πρεσβύτεροι (“elders”) in every city (Acts 14:23). The post-exilic elders’ tasks of oversight, teaching, and representation anticipate these New Covenant offices.

Practical Application for Modern Believers

• Churches should esteem biblically qualified elders who shepherd, govern, and guard doctrine.
• Christian leaders must engage civic structures without compromising fidelity to God’s commands.
• All believers can draw courage from the truth that “the eye of their God” remains upon His people, making every hindrance temporary and every promise certain.

וְשָׂבֵ֤י וּלְשָׂבֵ֣י ולשבי ושבי לְשָׂבַיָּ֣א לשביא שָׂבֵ֣י שָׂבֵ֤י שבי lə·śā·ḇay·yā ləśāḇayyā lesavaiYa śā·ḇê śāḇê saVei ū·lə·śā·ḇê ūləśāḇê ulesaVei vesaVei wə·śā·ḇê wəśāḇêInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts