The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “mourn” or similar in English is translated in Newari as “have one’s heart broken” or “have a bursting heart” (source: Newari Back Translation).
Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 10:49
And behold: The word behold highlights what follows (see the comments on 2 Esd 6.18).
You saw her likeness, how she mourned for her son, and you began to console her for what had happened: See verse 41. Translators may want to consider omitting the phrase for what had happened, since the meaning is obvious without it.
The clause added in the Revised Standard Version footnote (“these were the things to be opened to you”), and included in Good News Bible‘s text (“this is what was to be revealed to you”), is usually considered to be a scribal comment that has found its way into the text. We agree with this, and suggest that translators follow Revised Standard Version in omitting it.
An alternative model for this verse is:
• You saw the woman mourning for her son, and you tried to comfort her for what had happened.
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.
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