So that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping: Good News Translation translates this into natural English by saying, “No one could distinguish…,” that is, no one among the people who heard the sound of “the joyful shouts and the crying” could differentiate between the sound of the shout of joy and the sound of weeping. From a distance the sounds from the weeping and the shouting could not be distinguished but blended together and became one loud noise. The connector so that in Revised Standard Version connects this verse with the previous one to indicate the result of the two sounds being made at the same time.

The people shouted with a great shout: Here a Hebrew participle from the verb “to make a loud noise” is followed by the noun phrase “great shout” (compare verse 11). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible in its French expression says “the people were uttering great ovations.” In brief, they made a very loud noise with their voices!

The sound was heard afar: The idiom “it could be heard for miles” may seem to be inappropriate for that time and culture in which miles were not a measurement of distance. It would be preferable to say something like “the sound could be heard over a long distance” or perhaps “… over many stones’ throw.”

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .