Ezra 5:1-2

Tattenai Appeals to Darius

5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son ¹  of Iddo ²  prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem ³  in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began ⁴  to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Ezra 10:2-4

10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, ⁵  addressed Ezra:

“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying ⁶  foreign women from the local peoples. ⁷  Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. ⁸  10:3 Therefore let us enact ⁹  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ¹⁰  and that of those who respect ¹¹  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

Isaiah 35:3-4

35:3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,

steady the knees that shake! ¹² 

35:4 Tell those who panic, ¹³ 

“Be strong! Do not fear!

Look, your God comes to avenge!

With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” ¹⁴ 

[5:1]  ¹ tn Aram “son.” According to Zech 1:1 he was actually the grandson of Iddo.

[5:1]  ² tn Aram “and Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo the prophet.”

[5:1]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:2]  ⁴ tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

[10:2]  ⁵ tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew MSS, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate עֵילָם (’elam, “Elam”) rather than the reading עוֹלָם (’olam, “eternity”) found in the MT.

[10:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.

[10:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[10:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “upon this.”

[10:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “cut.”

[10:3]  ¹⁰ tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.

[10:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”

[35:3]  ¹² tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”

[35:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.

[35:4]  ¹⁴ tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.