Ezra 9:8

9:8 “But now briefly ¹  we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position ²  in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes ³  and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude.

Ezra 10:2

10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, ⁴  addressed Ezra:

“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying ⁵  foreign women from the local peoples. ⁶  Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. ⁷ 

[9:8]  ¹ tn Heb “according to a little moment.”

[9:8]  ² tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.

[9:8]  ³ tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.

[10:2]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.

[10:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[10:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “upon this.”