Supervised the holy work with very great care: The Persian officials did not “supervise,” but “helped” to rebuild the Temple. The Jewish leaders did the “supervising.” The holy work refers to the work being done on the Temple, so Good News Bible says “the work on the Temple.” However, we think something is missing in Good News Bible‘s rendering. We prefer to keep the idea that the labor was a holy endeavor, something done for God. Since the Greek word for work is plural (“works”), this phrase may be rendered “all the holy work” or “all the work done for God.”

Assisting the elders of the Jews and the chief officers of the temple: For the elders of the Jews, see 1 Esd 6.5; for the chief officers of the temple, see 1 Esd 1.8.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• They helped the Jewish leaders and Temple officials by making sure that all the holy work being done on the Temple [or, all the work they were doing for God] was done very carefully.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.