Also the Carmonians, raging in wrath, shall go forth like wild boars of the forest: The Carmonians lived in the Persian province of Kirman. Here they are the Persian troops under King Sapor. Raging in wrath may be rendered “wild with anger.” Wild boars are wild pigs, which can be savage animals in a fight. They are also mentioned in Psa 80.13. The phrase of the forest adds nothing to the information that the pigs are wild, and may be included or omitted in translation. It is the boars that come out of the forest, not the Carmonians as in Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version. This whole clause may be translated “The Carmonians will come forth to meet them, raging like savage wild boars.”

And with great power they shall come, and engage them in battle may be expressed as “Huge numbers of Carmonian soldiers will come and fight the Arab armies.”

And shall devastate a portion of the land of the Assyrians with their teeth: The land of the Assyrians actually refers to Syria here. Their teeth is better rendered “their tusks” (Good News Bible). Wild pigs do great damage to soil, rooting around in it with their tusks to find food. In many parts of the world where they have been introduced, they do great harm in this way.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• The Carmonians will come forth to meet them, raging like savage wild boars. They will come in great force, and engage the Arab armies in battle, and tear up [with their tusks] a large portion of Assyrian ground.

• Huge numbers of Carmonian soldiers will come forth to meet the Arab armies. They will be raging like wild boars as they fight them, and tear up [with their tusks] a large portion of Assyrian ground.

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.