Lexical Summary agartal: Vessel, Container Original Word: אֲגַרְטָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance charger Of uncertain derivation; a basin -- charger. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a basin, basket NASB Translation dishes (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֲגַרְטָל] noun masculine a kind of vessel, basin or basket (?; others basket-like, basket-shaped vessel); only plural construct אֲגַרְטְלֵי זָהָב, & כֶסֶף ׳א, both Ezra 1:9, denoting vessels from temple at Jerusalem restored by Cyrus. (Etymology & meaning dubious compare above; A ᵐ5L Manuscripts ᵐ5 of ψυκτῆρες, wine-coolers; B omits; now commonly compared with Aramaic קַרְטָלִיתָא Levy NHWBiv. 376,  , Arabic  ,  , supposed to be loan-word from Hellenistic Greek κάρταλος, κάρταλλος (e.g. ᵐ5 2 Kings 10:7, Hebrew דּוּדִים), all = basket, fruit-basket, etc., canistrum (so MV BeRy SS); but κάρταλλος itself is possibly a Persian or Semitic loan-word; compare especially Frä77f.; further conjectures in Thes BeRy.) גרל (compare Arabic Topical Lexicon object described The term refers to shallow basins or dishes fashioned of precious metal. In Ezra 1:9 the inventory lists thirty in gold and one thousand in silver, indicating both their abundance and their value. The repetition within the same verse provides the two recorded occurrences. scriptural setting Ezra 1 recounts the edict of Cyrus permitting the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Verses 7–11 enumerate the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken and that Cyrus now restores. Among them are the אֲגַרְטָלִים. Their presence highlights the careful preservation of even the smaller implements of worship during the exile. Ezra 1:9: “This was the inventory: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver utensils.” historical significance 1. Evidence of Persian policy. Cyrus’s deliberate restitution of temple furnishings underscores the tolerant policy toward subject peoples and their cultic objects, lending historical support to the biblical narrative. liturgical role Basins served essential functions in tabernacle and temple worship: Though Ezra does not specify the precise use, their construction in gold and silver implies employment in high‐holiness contexts, perhaps associated with daily or festival sacrifices (cf. 2 Chronicles 4:8, 22). symbolic and theological implications 1. Holiness of vessels. Objects set apart for divine service could not be repurposed without defilement (Daniel 5:2–4). Their recovery therefore signifies a reversal of profanation. prophetic and typological considerations The meticulous counting of returned vessels foreshadows the completeness of future redemption. Zechariah envisions even the common cooking pots in Jerusalem becoming “holy to the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 14:20–21). The basins in Ezra anticipate that universal sanctification. ministry applications • Stewardship: Sacred objects were inventoried, transported, and handed over “by count and weight” (Ezra 1:8–11). Ministry resources today deserve similar accountability. related biblical imagery Basins recur throughout Scripture: Exodus 27:3; 1 Kings 7:50; 2 Chronicles 24:14—each context associates them with sacrificial blood, cleansing, or the house of God. The אֲגַרְטָלִים of Ezra stand within this broader motif of receptacles mediating between holy God and sinful humanity. concluding reflection Though mentioned only twice—and both times in a single verse—the basins remind readers that every detail of worship matters. Their journey from Solomon’s temple, through Babylonian plunder, into Persian treasuries, and back to Jerusalem testifies that the Lord both judges and restores, and that He keeps careful count of every vessel dedicated to His glory. Forms and Transliterations אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י אֲגַרְטְלֵי־ אגרטלי אגרטלי־ ’ă·ḡar·ṭə·lê ’ă·ḡar·ṭə·lê- ’ăḡarṭəlê ’ăḡarṭəlê- agarteLeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 1:9 HEB: וְאֵ֖לֶּה מִסְפָּרָ֑ם אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י זָהָ֜ב שְׁלֹשִׁ֗ים NAS: 30gold dishes, 1000 silver KJV: of them: thirty chargers of gold, INT: another and this the number chargers of gold thirty Ezra 1:9 2 Occurrences |
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, & plural 
, stones, or stony place planted with trees; 
stony; 
, 
, stony ground, stones; hence following, because stones were used in casting lots; compare Greek ψῆφος pebble, vote; κύσμος bean, lot).