Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 9:2

And spent the night there: Ezra stayed overnight in Jehohanan’s room.

And he did not eat bread or drink water: Ezra continued to fast (see 1 Esd 8.73). Here bread means “food” in general, and water refers to any kind of drink. If he was too upset to drink water, he surely would not have indulged in wine. Good News Bible expresses this clause well, saying “He did not eat or drink anything” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

For he was mourning over the great iniquities of the multitude: Ezra refrained from food and drink because he was still upset over the great sins committed by his people.

Here is a possible model for this verse:

• He spent the night there. But he still did not eat or drink anything, because he continued to mourn over the great sins that the people had committed.

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.

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