Now, concerning death, the teaching is …: After assuring Ezra of his own destiny, Uriel tells him that he will answer his questions (verse 75). Other ways to render this initial clause of the verse are “But to answer your question about death” (Good News Bible), “And now, I will tell you what happens at death” (Contemporary English Version), and “You asked about death. Here is what happens.” In the rest of this verse Uriel gives three stages for the death of a person.

When the decisive decree has gone forth from the Most High that a man shall die: First, God decides that the person shall die. This clause is well translated by Contemporary English Version: “God Most High decides the exact time you will die, and when that time comes.” Another possible model is “When God Most High has made his decision that a person must die.”

As the spirit leaves the body to return again to him who gave it: Second, the person dies. In most languages this picture of the spirit leaving the body will be kept, for example, “his spirit [or, soul] leaves the body and returns to God.” The Latin text uses an unusual word for spirit here: inspiratio. It is used again in verse 80, but nowhere else. It seems to have specific reference to a soul that has left the body. Translators may use words for “spirit” or “soul” here that have been used elsewhere in the Bible.

First of all it adores the glory of the Most High: Third, the soul of the person is overwhelmed by God’s glory. Good News Bible renders adores as “praises,” but the verb “praises” is rather weak and expresses something more active than adores. The soul or spirit encounters God and is overwhelmed by God, soaks up God’s glory, is amazed by it, realizes its own unworthiness when up against such tremendous majesty. Uriel pictures this as the experience of any soul encountering God, even the wicked, whose first reaction on seeing God will not be to start praising him (compare verse 87). For God’s glory, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.19.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• But you asked about death. Here is what happens. When God Most High has made his decision that a person must die, his spirit [or, soul] leaves the body and returns to God. When the soul sees [or, encounters] God, it is overwhelmed by the glory [or, majesty] of God Most High.

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.