OET interlinear EZRA 4:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-names

רְח֣וּם

Rəḩūm

Rehum is the name of a man.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בְּעֵל־טְעֵ֗ם

officer commanding

This was Rehum’s official title. The expression likely means that he had the authority in that area to issue decrees on behalf of the king. The king actually tells him to do this in 4:21. Use the title for a government official with authority over a local area. Alternate translation: “the royal deputy”

Note 3 topic: translate-names

וְ⁠שִׁמְשַׁי֙

and,Shimshai

Shimshai is the name of a man.

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

סָֽפְרָ֔⁠א

scribe,the

This was Shimshai’s official title. It does not mean that he merely handled correspondence and record-keeping for Rehum. Rather, historical sources suggest that a scribe such as Shimshai had important administrative responsibilities and authority of his own. Alternate translation: “the state secretary”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אִגְּרָ֥ה חֲדָ֖ה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם

letter one on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem)

Here the book uses the term Jerusalem to refer figuratively, by association, to the Jews who lived in that city and, by extension, to their fellow Jews in the rest of the province of Judah. Alternate translation: “a letter against the Jews who had returned from exile”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

כְּנֵֽמָא

as_follows

The phrase as follows would ordinarily indicate that a copy of the text of the letter comes next in the book. If that is the case, then 4:9 and 4:10 are a preamble to the letter that lists the names of the senders. Alternate translation: “and here is what they wrote to the king”