And from all the lands of the world thou hast chosen for thyself one region: Instead of region, the Latin text has the word fovea, which means “small pit.” One Latin manuscript has folium, meaning “leaf,” which is probably a confused scribe’s attempt to make the imagery of this verse fit in with the one before it. The ancient versions have various texts that read “country” or “place.” Myers follows the Latin manuscript with folium, but translates this clause as “from all the lands of the globe you have selected for yourself an insignificant one.” We believe that Myers is on the right track with his translation (which Good News Bible is presumably following), but we find his textual defense of it unnecessary. Ezra could be using a word meaning “small pit” in an ironic sense to point to the insignificant size and importance of the small part of the world which God marked out as Israel’s Promised Land. American readers, at any rate, would catch this meaning if “small pit” is rendered “hole in the ground,” which is a bound phrase meaning “a very small place.” We suggest rendering, with no textual footnote, some such meaning using some idiom or expression that means a small or insignificant little place.

And from all the flowers of the world thou hast chosen for thyself one lily: One lily refers to Israel (compare Hos 14.5; see also Song 2.1-2, where by our writer’s time, the woman in Song of Songs was identified by rabbinic interpreters as Israel). The lily is a large showy flower growing on stalks about half a meter (2 feet) high. The lilies native to ancient Israel were either white or red. (There is some debate among scholars as to just exactly what flower is meant by the “lily” in the Hebrew Old Testament.) In cultures where lilies are unknown, translators may render this clause as “From all the flowers in the world you have chosen only one lily flower as your own,” and provide a picture of this flower along with a footnote describing it.

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• Out of all the countries of the world you chose this small, insignificant [or, inconspicuous] place as your own land. From all the flowers in the world you chose one lily as your own.

• You chose this tiny little country out of all the other countries in the world. You chose only one lily from all the flowers in the world.

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.