The treasurers are instructed to consider that what is asked by Ezra is commanded by the God of heaven (see the comments on Ezra 1.2).
Let it be done in full: Compare “be it done with all diligence” in verse 21 above. In full is from a Persian loanword meaning to do something carefully and faithfully. It is used only here in the book of Ezra, but its meaning is close to the Aramaic word that is translated “with all diligence” in verse 21.
Lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons: The motivation for doing completely what God commanded was fear that the realm of the king together with his sons would suffer from the wrath of God (see Ezra 6.10). Note that the king refers to himself in the third person here instead of the first person of verse 21 (see the comments on verse 14). Wrath may be expressed as “anger” or may be restructured as a verb as Good News Translation has done (see the comments on Ezra 8.22). Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have restructured the second part of this verse from the rhetorical question of the original text to the conclusion that is stated in their translation. Revised English Bible interprets it the same way with “otherwise” followed by the result that will follow: “otherwise wrath may befall the realm of the king and his sons.” However, the text literally reads “Why should there be anger against the kingdom of the king and his sons?” New Jerusalem Bible renders this as “why should retribution come on the realm of the king and of his sons?” “Anger” is understood to be the anger of the God of heaven (see Ezra 8.22; 10.14). The assumed answer to the question is that wrath should not come against the king’s kingdom and his sons, and therefore whatever was commanded by the God of heaven should be done to avoid provoking his wrath.
The original word for realm may be translated “kingdom” or “reign” (see the comments on Ezra 1.1).
His sons is translated “his heirs” by New Revised Standard Version and “my descendants” by Bible en français courant. Good News Translation makes explicit the meaning of the king’s “heirs” or “descendants”: “those who reign after me.” His sons occurs here in the context of the king’s realm. Therefore it refers not simply to his offspring but to the line of succession to his throne.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .