Or do you not know that Israel has been entrusted to you in the land of their exile?: Phaltiel rebukes Ezra here, but these words also help the author to inform the reader of Ezra’s status. The implied answer to this rhetorical question is “Yes.” Some translators may prefer to render it as a statement; for example, Contemporary English Version says “You have been appointed ruler of the Israelites living in exile.” We suggest adding the following sentence to Contemporary English Version‘s model for emphasis: “Don’t you realize that?” It is God, of course, who entrusted Ezra with this leadership, and in languages that do not use the passive voice, possible models for this verse are:

• God has appointed you to rule the Israelites living in exile [in Babylonia]. Don’t you realize that?

• God has chosen you to lead us Israelites while we are here in exile [in Babylonia]. You should know that.

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.