In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
complete verse (Ezra 4:21)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 4:21:
- Kupsabiny: “Therefore stop these people so that (they) may not continue to build this city until I myself give the authority.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “So, until I give another decree, give these people the command to stop the work of building the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Now, you (plur.) command to have these people stop now the building/[lit. cause-to-stand] again of the city until I have- not yet -commanded it to-be-built.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them that they may rebuild it will they be allowed to continue.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Ezra 4:21
Therefore introduces a conclusion drawn from the last statement. Because of what the king has discovered, he instructs the provincial officials to decree that the rebuilding of Jerusalem be stopped until he makes a final decision and makes a [further] decree. The order of the officials is not irrevocable and so can be changed later by the king’s decree. It may be that King Artaxerxes considered that he was as strong as the Assyrian and Babylonian kings who had controlled Jerusalem and that he would later allow the building to continue.
Make a decree: Make is an imperative verb form that states a command. The king wants an order to be given. The words that are translated make a decree here are the same ones that were translated made a decree in verse 19. The same verb and object are used again at the end of the verse: a decree is made.
That these men be made to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt: The decree made by the provincial officials is literally “to cause these men to stop [working] and this city not be rebuilt.” These men are the “people” (New Revised Standard Version) who were building. They may be referred to as “the Jews” (Bible en français courant) or as “the men of Jerusalem” or “the men of Judah” for clarity. The content of the decree that the officials are to make is not a quotation but in some languages it may be introduced as an indirect quotation.
Until a decree is made by me is literally “until a decree is issued by me.” The king orders the decree by the provincial officials to be given so that the city shall not be rebuilt until he issues his own decree. This clause may be restructured as “until I issue a decree.” In some languages it may not be good style to repeat the word for “decree,” and if so, translators may wish to vary the terminology as Good News Translation does.
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 .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Ezra 4:21
4:21a Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop,
Now, give (plur.) the order for those men to stop/cease.
-or-
Therefore, you must order/tell these people to stop rebuilding ⌊Jerusalem city⌋.
4:21b so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
The city of Jerusalem will not be rebuilt until I say so. (New Century Version)
-or-
They must not rebuild the city until/unless I ⌊change my mind/decision and⌋ order/command them to do so.
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