Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 8:29 - 8:40

The Greek form for presentation of this list cites the family first and then the name of the person, followed by any other information. This structure has been followed by many versions, such as Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible. A more normal English pattern would be to present the name of the person first as Good News Bible has done (also Contemporary English Version). As was the case for the list in chapter 5, translators will need to adopt syntactic and discourse patterns that are appropriate for lists of persons with genealogical information as found here. The discourse structure that is adopted by the translators will very likely determine whether the verses will be numbered separately as in Revised Standard Version or as a group as in Good News Bible.

In this context of a list the sons of means “the descendants of” (New Revised Standard Version), which may be rendered “the clan of” (Good News Bible) or “the family of” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

The heads of the two priestly families, Gershom and Gamael, are listed first (verse 29ab). The families are named from their earliest ancestors. Both priestly families are named from the descendants of Aaron, the first priest of the people of Israel. Phineas (which is better spelled “Phinehas” in Good News Bible) was the son of Aaron’s third son Eleazar and Ithamar was Aaron’s fourth son (Exo 6.23-25).

The third person listed, Hattush, was of the line of King David (verse 29c; see 1 Chr 3.19-22). Other than being listed third he had no special position or role among the returning exiles.

Next twelve lay families are listed with the ancestor’s name given first, followed by the name of the head of the family who returned with Ezra, followed in most cases by the name of the father of the head of the family, and finally the number of men who accompanied him (verses 30-40). Although the number of families is the same as the number of the sons of Jacob and of the tribes of Israel, there is apparently no direct link between the 12 families listed here and the 12 tribes of Israel.

Of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him a hundred and fifty men enrolled (verse 30): Good News Bible takes this phrase to mean that these men had family records to prove their ancestry. Enrolled is literally “from [the] record” (compare New English Bible “according to the register”), which we take to mean only that there was written evidence that Zechariah and 150 other men came from the family line of Parosh. It may be assumed that the phrase “from [the] record” applies to all the following family names as well, where numbers of men (specifically) are given. There probably was acceptable evidence that their family histories were in order, but the point is simply that Ezra the narrator (or the writer) is passing on evidence from a written source.

Of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them seventy men (verse 39): The phrase the last ones (which is a literal translation of the Hebrew in the parallel passage of Ezra 8.13|prj:GNT92.EZR.8.13) is taken by Good News Bible to mean that the men named in this verse did not actually come with Ezra, but followed later. This interpretation reflects the Revised Standard Version translation of Ezra 8.13, where it says “those who came later.” This phrase has also been taken to mean (1) that the end of the list is near (so New English Bible “last came those from the line of Adonikam…”); (2) that Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah were the youngest members of the family of Adonikam; and (3) that when this group left for Judah, none of their family was left in Babylonia. They had all chosen to go. This last interpretation, recommended by Blenkinsopp (pages 162-163), is the one we choose to use in our model below. Translators who wish may certainly follow Good News Bible or New English Bible.

An alternative model for verses 29-40 is:

• 29 Gershom, of the Phinehas family.
Gamael, of the Ithamar family.
Hattush son of Shecaniah, of the David family
30 Zechariah, of the Parosh family, along with 150 other members of his family group. These men had records of their family line [or, of their ancestors].
31 Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the Pahath Moab family, along with 200 men.
32 Shecaniah son of Jehaziel, of the Zattu family, with 300 men.
Ebed son of Jonathan, of the Adin family, with 250 men.
33 Jeshaiah son of Gotholiah, of the Elam family, with 70 men.
34 Zeraiah son of Michael, of the Shephatiah family, with 70 men.
35 Obadiah son of Jehiel, of the Joab family, with 212 men.
36 Shelomith son of Josiphiah, of the Bani family, with 160 men.
37 Zechariah son of Bebai, of the Bebai family, with 28 men.
38 Johanan son of Hakkatan, of the Azgad family, with 110 men.
39 Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the Adonikam family, with 70 men. (When these men left for Judah, none of the family remained behind in Babylonia.)
40 Uthai son of Istalcurus, of the Bigvai family, with 70 men.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 8:78 - 8:79

And now in some measure mercy has come to us from thee, O Lord …: The conjunction And may be rendered “But” or “Yet” (Revised English Bible), since it introduces a contrast. The Greek phrase translated in some measure can be interpreted to mean “in a great measure”; for example, New English Bible renders this clause as “And now, Lord, how great is the mercy thou hast shown us!” (similarly Myers). We believe this interpretation fits the context better, although it gives the passage a somewhat different sense from that of the parallel passage in Ezra 9.8, which speaks of mercy being shown for a short time. Another possible model for this clause is “But now, O Lord, you have been so [or, very] merciful to us.”

To leave to us a root and a name in thy holy place: The Greek word for root refers to what is left to continue growing after a tree is cut down. Here it is a figure for the Jews who have survived, ready to begin living the Jewish way of life again in Judah. A name means they have an identity as a nation. In spite of all that has happened, the Jewish people have survived. Thy holy place is the land of Judah. We may render this clause as “You have allowed some of us to survive and live as Jews in your holy land.”

And to uncover a light for us in the house of the Lord our God is a highly figurative expression. Contemporary English Version probably interprets it correctly by saying “and come to your sacred temple, where there is light for our nation once again,” that is, God has allowed the Temple to be rebuilt and it is once again a source of light, inspiration, for the Jewish people. The phrase the Lord our God refers to God in the third person. Some languages will need to use second person since Ezra is addressing God here (see the model below).

And to give us food in the time of our servitude may be expressed as “Even while we were captives, you gave us food.”

An alternative model for verses 78-79 is:

• 78 ‘But now, O Lord, you have been so merciful to us! You have allowed some of us to survive and live as Jews in this holy land of yours. 79 O Lord our God, you have let your Temple inspire us once again. Even while we were captives, you gave us food.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 9:18

Verses 18-22 name the priests who had to send their foreign wives away. Other categories appear later: Levites (verse 23), Temple musicians (verse 24), Temple gatekeepers (verse 25), and laymen (called “Israel”; verses 26-35). Here in verse 18 Good News Bible speaks of the “men,” and then puts each category of men in italics (Priests, Levites, Musicians, Temple guards, and Others). This model is quite sufficient and clear, but we will offer a slightly different approach.

Of the priests those who were brought in and found to have foreign wives were: For priests see 1 Esd 1.2. Who were brought in may be rendered “who had been assembled” or even “whom they had brought together.” We take this clause to refer to the priests who were in the big meeting mentioned in verses 5-6. Alternative models for this verse are:

• Here are the names of the priests in that gathering who had foreign wives:….

• Here are the names of the priests whom they had gathered together who had foreign wives:….

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 1:15

Thus says the Lord Almighty: For a similar prophetic formula see the comments on verse 12. This clause may be rendered “The Lord who is more powerful than all other gods [also] says.” Since the Lord is speaking here, another possible model is “I, the Lord All-Powerful, say” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

The quails were a sign to you: In the wilderness God sent quails as food for the Israelites (see Exo 16.13). Quails are small plump birds known in many parts of the world today. They are light brown in color, with black and pale streaks. They migrate across certain parts of the Sinai Peninsula in spring and autumn, but after becoming exhausted they drop for shelter before migrating farther. In cultures where quails are unknown, translators may transliterate the term by saying “birds named ‘quail.’ ” Another option is to use the name of a medium-sized wild bird resembling the quail, one that is edible and locally known. Were a sign to you may be rendered “showed that I cared for you.”

I gave you camps for your protection, and in them you complained: The Latin word for camps refers to places where the Israelites stayed in tents for brief periods during their wilderness wanderings. God kept the camps safe, but from the safety of the camps the people complained about their condition. This sentence may be rendered “I provided safe places for you to set up your tents, but all you did there was complain.”

Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse.

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 2:9

Whose land lies in lumps of pitch and heaps of ashes: This clause describes the sites of the ruined cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Pitch or “tar” (Good News Bible) is a black sticky mineral substance. If translators do not have a word for pitch in their language, they may use a descriptive phrase such as “thick/heavy oil,” or they may transliterate the word, based on its form in an international language. This clause may be rendered “These cities are now nothing but lumps of tar and piles of ashes,” “Their land now lies covered with lumps of tar and heaps of ashes” (Good News Bible), or “Their land is now buried under tar and ashes” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

So will I do to those who have not listened to me: God will punish any disobedient nation in the same way as he punished Sodom and Gomorrah. Contemporary English Version says “That is how I punish people who disobey me.”

Says the Lord Almighty: See the comments on 2 Esd 1.14-15. Good News Bible omits this clause, but it is better to keep it. Contemporary English Version does so by saying “I, the Lord All-Powerful have spoken.”

Alternative models for this verse are:

• Those cities are now nothing but lumps of tar and piles of ashes. I will do the same to any nation who does not obey me.” That is what the Lord Almighty said.

• Their land is now buried under tar and piles of ashes….

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 2:43

In their midst was a young man of great stature, taller than any of the others may be rendered “In the middle of this crowd was a very tall young man, taller than all the others.”

And on the head of each of them he placed a crown: In this context the crown is a symbol of victory (compare 2 Tim 4.8; James 1.12; 1 Peter 5.4; Rev 2.10). It was customary in ancient times to place a wreath of leaves or flowers on the heads of victors in athletic competitions. In this case, though, it is probably a “crown of gold.” In cultures where the crown is unknown, it may be better to say “wreath of flowers.”

But he was more exalted than they: The conjunction but may also be rendered “Even so.” He was more exalted than they not only means he was still taller than they, but it also implies that he received greater honor. New English Bible translates “he stood out above them all,” but Good News Bible and Revised English Bible say “he towered above them all,” which may be exaggerating too much. The English verb phrase “stood out” pictures it nicely. The young man was taller than the others, yes, but in spite of the fact that he is putting crowns on everyone’s head, he is still the obvious figure. He is the one the eyes are drawn to. Other possible models are “he was the center of attention” and “everyone was looking at him.”

And I was held spellbound: The English phrase held spellbound literally means “held helpless in a magic spell cast by someone,” but it is no longer taken literally. The Latin clause here is literally “and I was held by the marvel.” Contemporary English Version says “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” which is a good English idiom, but it must not be taken literally. It is not a matter of Ezra believing anything, but of his marveling at what he sees. We may say “It was such a marvelous scene that I could not take my eyes off it.” Translators should try to find some idiom in their language that conveys this same intensity.

Here is a possible model for this verse:

• In the middle of the crowd was a very tall young man, taller than anyone else, and he was placing a crown on the head of each person. Even so, he was still the center of attention. It was such a marvelous scene that I could not take my eyes off it.

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 3:29 - 3:30

For when I came here I saw ungodly deeds without number: The conjunction For is better rendered “But” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible), since it introduces a contrast to Ezra’s rhetorical questions in the previous verse. The reader may be helped by being told that the clause when I came here refers back to verse 1, where Ezra tells us he is in Babylon. Like the author of Revelation, however, this author probably intends the reader to understand Babylon as a coded reference to Rome. This clause may be translated “when I first arrived here in Babylon.” I saw ungodly deeds without number may be expressed as “I saw people committing countless ungodly deeds” or “I saw people doing more evil deeds than I could count.”

And my soul has seen many sinners during these thirty years: My soul is a way of Ezra referring to himself, so this phrase may be rendered “I myself,” “with my own eyes I” (Revised English Bible), or simply “I” (Good News Bible). The verb phrase has seen many sinners does not necessarily refer to Ezra witnessing sinners doing things, but simply knowing that he lives among a sinful people. There is a textual problem with the phrase during these thirty years. The Latin text has “in this thirtieth year” (Revised Standard Version footnote), but this text is surely a misreading of the original Hebrew, so with Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible we prefer the reading of some ancient versions.

And my heart failed me: The conjunction And may be rendered “So” (Good News Bible) or omitted (so Contemporary English Version). The figurative expression my heart failed me is interpreted by some scholars to mean “I was puzzled” (similarly Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version, Myers). We think this interpretation is probably correct. We also suggest “I could not understand this.” The Latin word for heart expresses the Hebrew word for “heart,” which is the seat of thought and reasoning, not of the emotions.

For I have seen how thou dost endure those who sin may be rendered “because I have seen how you continue to tolerate [or, put up with] sinners.”

And hast spared those who act wickedly: This clause is similar in meaning to the previous one, so Contemporary English Version combines them, saying “when I saw that you did not punish sinners.” Good News Bible keeps this clause, saying simply “and do not punish them.” If possible, translators should keep both clauses for emphasis.

And hast destroyed thy people, and hast preserved thy enemies: In some languages it may be helpful to reverse these two clauses (so Good News Bible; see also the model below).

An alternative model for verses 29-30 is:

• 29 When I first arrived here in Babylon, I saw people committing countless ungodly deeds, and for thirty years* I have known many sinners here [or, I have lived among many sinners here]. I could not understand this, 30 because I have seen how you continue to tolerate sinners by not punishing them, and how you protect your enemies, while you destroy your own people.
* Some ancient translations for thirty years; Latin in this thirtieth year.

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 4:29

If therefore that which has been sown is not reaped, and if the place where the evil has been sown does not pass away, the field where the good has been sown will not come: The conjunction therefore introduces a conclusion. Good News Bible leaves it implied. That which has been sown refers to evil. This world is the place where the evil has been sown. This evil world must pass out of existence before the good, which has already been sown, can grow. The field in which the good has been planted is the age to come. The author may mean also that the human heart must be cleared of evil before good can take its place. Alternative models for this verse are:

• Only when that harvest of evil is over can good begin to grow [like crops] in God’s field.

• Good has already been planted [in a field], but it cannot come up and grow until all the evil has been harvested, and the field where it grew has passed away.

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.