The whole assembly is a technical expression for the community of men, women, and children who were qualified to participate in the religious activities of the people of Israel (see Ezra 10.1; Neh 13.1). King James Version uses “congregation” for this community, but New King James Version says “assembly” like Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible, while New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh refers to it as a “community.” This did not include the servants and singers who were counted separately from the assembly. The number 42,360 is not the total of the people in the lists. They only add up to 29,818. The difference is probably due to scribal error in copying early manuscripts. Good News Translation introduces the list that gives the final sum with the common English expression “Total number” (see also Bible en français courant), and this may serve as a model.

Menservants and maidservants: These were servants who belonged to the Jewish families. The same Hebrew word is used here for menservants that was used in verse 55 above (“servants”) and some translations therefore translate “male and female slaves” here (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New English Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Many translations, however, use a word for those who serve or who work, in both the masculine and feminine forms (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, New International Version).

The singers referred to here sang for social occasions; they were a different group from the Temple singers listed in verse 41. It is again specified that they were male and female or “men and women.” Good News Translation uses the more general term “musicians” to indicate that their duties included not only singing but also playing musical instruments. Like the servants, they served the people who returned to Judah.

Horses … mules … camels … asses: The animals that are listed were for riding and carrying burdens. Horses were used in battle and were ridden by kings. A horse may be called an “animal for riding.” Mules are the offspring of a horse and a donkey. They were used especially for riding but also for carrying loads. They can be compared to big donkeys. Camels, as referred to here, were dromedaries. They had one hump and were capable of traveling long distances especially over dry sandy terrain. They could be ridden and they could carry big loads at a fairly high speed. They can be described as “large load-carrying animals of the desert.” Asses or “donkeys” are smaller than horses and mules. They could be ridden, but they were mostly used for carrying loads. They may be called “load-carrying animals.” Some languages may refer to mules and donkeys by the same word. Perhaps they may then be included together as “two kinds of donkeys.” If mules and asses are combined, then the total number for the two also needs to be combined, which is 6,965.

In some languages words may not exist for all these animals. Words must then be borrowed to refer to these animals or compound words can be formed to describe them. Another solution is to compare them to an animal that is known or simply describe them and add what they are called in another language that is known to the receptor audience. If the animals are not known, illustrations can be included in the translation to show what they look like and an explanation can be given in footnotes or in the glossary.

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 .