OET interlinear EZRA 8:24

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential

וָ⁠אַבְדִּ֛ילָ⁠ה

and,set_apart,

The word Then indicates that the event the story will now relate came after the event it has just described. In your translation, you can use the expression in your language that would best indicate this relationship.

Note 2 topic: translate-textvariants

וָ⁠אַבְדִּ֛ילָ⁠ה מִ⁠שָּׂרֵ֥י הַ⁠כֹּהֲנִ֖ים שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר לְ⁠שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֣ה חֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה וְ⁠עִמָּ⁠הֶ֥ם מֵ⁠אֲחֵי⁠הֶ֖ם עֲשָׂרָֽה

and,set_apart, of,leading the,priests two ten along_with,Sherebiah Hashabiah and,with,them of,brothers,their ten

The Hebrew text is difficult here. One way to read it is: “Then I separated 12 from the leaders of the priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten from their brothers.” But since 8:18 and 19 specifically identify Sherebiah and Hashabiah as Levites, they could not have been leaders of the priests. An ancient Greek version of the book of Ezra says “and” before Sherebiah, so that this is a list of 24 men in total. Another way to read the Hebrew is as in the ULT, which also results in a list of 24 men. Both of these translations agree with 8:30, which says that “the priests and the Levites” received the silver and gold and objects that Ezra weighed out to them. It will likely be clearest for your readers if you translate the verse in one of the latter two ways. Alternate translation: “Then I selected 12 leaders of the priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their fellow Levites.”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וָ⁠אַבְדִּ֛ילָ⁠ה

and,set_apart,

This expression means to set someone or something apart for a special purpose or assignment. Alternate translation: “Then I selected”

Note 4 topic: translate-names

לְ⁠שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֣ה חֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה

along_with,Sherebiah Hashabiah

These are the names of two men. See how you translated them in 8:18 and 8:19.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֵ⁠אֲחֵי⁠הֶ֖ם

of,brothers,their

Here, brothers is a figurative way of saying “fellow Levites,” although it is possible that some of the biological brothers of Sherebiah and Hashabiah were included in this group. Alternate translation: “of their fellow Levites”