When I heard this: Ezra’s response to the accusation is introduced by a temporal clause in Hebrew, as translated in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The Hebrew is literally “In my hearing this word.” Some languages may use grammatical constructions that are closer to the Hebrew construction than the English, for instance, “In hearing this matter on my part.” This new event must be introduced by an appropriate discourse marker to signal the change in actor and action.

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 .

Ezra responds to the information that he received with three personal actions of ritual mourning in front of the Temple (see also Ezra 10.1). First, he rent his inner garments and his mantle, the outer garment. This was a symbolic way of stripping oneself naked as a sign of humiliation and mourning. By adding “in despair,” Good News Translation makes explicit the meaning of the act of tearing his clothes. It was not a sign of madness or of frustration but of grief.

Second, he pulled hair from his head and beard. The usual gesture of grief by peoples at that time was to shave their heads. This was forbidden in the Torah (Lev 21.5), so a symbolic shaving was done by pulling out one’s hair. In some societies grief and despair are shown by loosening one’s hair to make it look disheveled and uncared for. In other societies dust, dirt, mud or even dung may be mixed into one’s hair to show these feelings.

Third, he sat appalled. Good News Translation uses the active verb form “sat down” (also New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), rather than the simple past form sat with a stative meaning. Sitting without saying anything at a time of lamentation was a sign of extreme grief. Here Ezra is described as being appalled. The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb is “to be desolate” or “laid waste” when applied to cities or places. When used about people, it expresses shock. It means “to be astonished, to be confounded.” Good News Translation renders it “crushed with grief,” while Contemporary English Version says “in shock.” Osty-Trinquet translates it here as “stupefied,” while Chouraqui says “sorrowful.” New Jerusalem Bible says that Ezra “sat down in horror.”

Different people have different ways of showing shock and dismay and grief. For some it may be pacing back and forth, for others it may be standing still in a certain position, for still others it may be sitting on the ground holding one’s hands crossed on one’s head. When translating the gestures and signs of Ezra’s sorrow and despair, the translator should retain as much as possible of the description that is given in the Hebrew text, for this is what reflects the life and expression of Ezra’s time as recorded by the writer. However, in order to avoid misinterpretation of Ezra’s acts by the reader, the translator may be advised to make explicit the significance of the gestures as Good News Translation has done. Some languages will use an ideophone to describe Ezra’s appearance. One African language renders sat down appalled as “sat down tɔ̀kɔ̀rɔ̀” (KKS). Tɔ̀kɔ̀rɔ̀ is a low tone ideophone that describes a person sitting in complete despair.

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 .