And Jeremiel the archangel answered them and said: Jeremiel is unknown in Scripture, but is mentioned (as Remiel) in the Greek version of 1 Enoch 20.8, as one of seven archangels, as well as in 2 Baruch 55.3. An archangel is a chief among angels. Archangels are mentioned in Scripture only at 1 Thes 4.16 and Jude 9. Other ways to render this word are “chief angel,” “ruling angel,” or even “a chief of God’s messengers.” The pronoun them refers to the righteous dead. A possible model for this quote frame is “Jeremiel, one of the chief angels, answered them [or, the righteous people].”

When the number of those like yourselves is completed: Compare 2 Esd 2.40-41. Those like yourselves refers to all other righteous people. This clause may be rendered “It will happen [or, You will receive their reward] as soon as the number [or, all] of the people like you is complete” or “It will happen as soon as the complete number of those who have suffered like you are here” (similarly Good News Bible). Revised Standard Version notes a textual problem here. We prefer the reading in Revised Standard Version without a footnote.

For he has weighed the age in the balance: For the idea of weighing in the balance, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.34. Good News Bible renders this clause as “For God has weighed this age.” Another possible model is “For God has weighed this age as if on a balance [or, scales].”

And measured the times by measure, and numbered the times by number: These two clauses refer to the years and days in this age. Good News Bible makes this clear by saying “measured the years, and numbered the days,” and so does Contemporary English Version with “he has counted its years and days.”

And he will not move or arouse them until that measure is fulfilled: It is not clear where Jeremiel’s words end. Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and others versions assume that his words extend through verse 37. We recommend, however, that Jeremiel’s words be limited to When the number of those like yourselves is completed. The pronoun them most likely refers to the souls of the righteous dead (verse 35) whom Jeremiel addresses. (Grammatically, the pronoun them, which represents no particular word in the Latin text, can be taken to refer to the times, but we think it makes better sense referring to the souls of the righteous dead.) With for he has weighed … through the end of verse 37 it seems that Uriel is talking about those anxious souls. If this is true, the phrase move or arouse them means “make them alive” or even “call for them,” so the last sentence of verse 37 may be rendered “He will not call for those souls [or, those righteous dead] until their number is complete.” Using Good News Bible as a guide, we propose the following model for verses 36-37:

• 36 The archangel Jeremiel answered them, ‘It will happen as soon as the complete number of those who have suffered as you have are here.’ [You see,] God has weighed this age, 37 measured the years, and numbered the days. He will not call for those souls until their number is complete.”

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.