14For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand,
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
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.)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 7:14:
Kupsabiny: “I and my council of seven am sending you to investigate the issues of Judah and Jerusalem and go and do what the law of your God whom you are together with says.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Ezra, I and my seven ministers are sending you to Judah and Jerusalem. You look and see how the situation is there — Is the law which God has given to you to be obeyed being observed or not?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I am commanding you and my seven advisers that you examine what are the happenings in Juda and Jerusalem if they are-following the Law of your God, which you have-known very well.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in other towns in Judah. You are taking with you a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
You are sent: In Aramaic this is a singular passive participle referring to Ezra. In some languages it will be necessary to change from the passive to an active verb form. Although the Aramaic verb form does not include a personal pronoun, the king does refer to Ezra with second person singular pronominal suffixes later in the verse. The Aramaic language does not distinguish between honorific and normal pronoun reference, but in some receptor languages it will be necessary to clarify the social distance that would exist between the Persian king and Ezra. Normally, the king would address Ezra in the manner that would be appropriate for addressing someone of the rank of Ezra as a priest and scribe.
It now becomes clear that the decree is given in the name of the king and his seven counselors. The counselors were nobles from the leading families who were authorities in laws and customs and served as advisors to the king (see Est 1.13-14). Thus Ezra’s commission does not come only from the king himself, but also from the group of the king’s closest advisors. It comes from the highest Persian authorities. The king refers to himself in the third person, as is often done in royal speech, but Good News Translation uses the first person throughout the decree since it is the king who is speaking. Translators should use the style that is appropriate for royal settings or similar formal situations in the receptor culture.
To make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God: The Aramaic verb translated to make inquiries means literally “to search” or “to investigate.” Usually this verb means “to search for something,” but here it is linked to the place names of Judah and Jerusalem by the Aramaic preposition ʿal (which is usually translated “to, toward”), so the Revised Standard Version rendering is correct in this context. However, the king does not indicate precisely what Ezra is to make inquiries about. Since most of the text of the letter is about the Temple ritual and Ezra is to do his investigating according to the law of your God, this seems to indicate that he is to make sure that the Temple worship is being done according to the Law of Moses. The Persian kings were concerned about the religious rituals of their subjects so that their prayers and sacrifices would bring blessings to themselves (see the comments on Ezra 1.2). For law see the comment on verse 12 above, where the same Aramaic word dat is used.
Which is in your hand: Some commentators believe that in your hand indicates that Ezra actually had the document of the Law, all or part of the Pentateuch, with him and that he was taking it to Jerusalem. Others understand this expression to be a figure of speech meaning “which has been entrusted to you” (Good News Translation; similarly New English Bible), “of which you have mastery,” or “which is at your disposal.”
Revised Standard Version retains the ambiguities of the original text in its rendering of this verse (also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). New American Bible is similar with “… to supervise Judah and Jerusalem in respect of the law of your God which is in your possession.” However, Good News Translation makes explicit its interpretation of this first instruction in the king’s message: “… to investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the Law of your God, which has been entrusted to you, is being obeyed.” Bible en français courant translates similarly with “… to see how the law of your God, of which you are taking the text with you, is respected there.” Translators should follow the model of Good News Translation.
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 .
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