OET interlinear EZRA 9:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּֽי

that/for/because/then/when

Here, For indicates that the sentence it introduces explains the reasons for the statement that the leaders make in the previous sentence. Alternate translation: “You see,”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

נָשְׂא֣וּ מִ⁠בְּנֹֽתֵי⁠הֶ֗ם לָ⁠הֶם֙ וְ⁠לִ⁠בְנֵי⁠הֶ֔ם

taken some_of,daughters,their to/for=them and,for,sons,their

The phrase lifted from their daughters is an idiom that means “married some of their women.” Alternate translation: “Israelite men have married women from these other groups, and they have also gotten wives for their sons from those groups.”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠הִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַ⁠קֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּ⁠עַמֵּ֖י הָ⁠אֲרָצ֑וֹת

and,mixed seed/offspring the,holy in/on/at/with,peoples the,lands

Here, mixed is a metaphor for blending one thing into another. Alternate translation: “so they are blending the Jewish people right in with the other people groups living in the land”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠הִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַ⁠קֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּ⁠עַמֵּ֖י הָ⁠אֲרָצ֑וֹת

and,mixed seed/offspring the,holy in/on/at/with,peoples the,lands

The implication is that as a result of these marriages, not only was a distinct Jewish lineage being lost, the Jewish people were also beginning to follow the practices of these other groups rather than the commandments of God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “so they are blending the Jewish people right in with the other people groups living in the land, and they are starting to follow their practices rather than the law of God”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

זֶ֣רַע הַ⁠קֹּ֔דֶשׁ

seed/offspring the,holy

As in 8:28, holiness means “that which is set apart for a special purpose.” Here, the word refers specifically to the fact that God had set apart the Israelites to be a model community of God’s followers. Alternate translation: “the Jewish people, who belong to God,”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

זֶ֣רַע הַ⁠קֹּ֔דֶשׁ

seed/offspring the,holy

Here, seed means “descendants.” The reference here is specifically to the descendants of Jacob, who was also known as Israel, and specifically to his descendants who were living in Judah and Jerusalem, that is, the Jews who had returned from exile. Alternate translation: “the Jewish people, who belong to God,”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בְּ⁠עַמֵּ֖י הָ⁠אֲרָצ֑וֹת

in/on/at/with,peoples the,lands

As in 9:1, this expression refers to members of other people groups who were living in and around the province of Judah. Alternate translation: “with the other people groups living in this land”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠יַ֧ד הַ⁠שָּׂרִ֣ים וְ⁠הַ⁠סְּגָנִ֗ים הָֽיְתָ֛ה בַּ⁠מַּ֥עַל הַ⁠זֶּ֖ה רִאשׁוֹנָֽה

and,hand the,leaders and,the,officials she/it_was in/on/at/with,unfaithfulness the=this foremost

Here, hand represents control and action. Alternate translation: “And our clan leaders and provincial officials were actually the first ones to disobey in this way”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בַּ⁠מַּ֥עַל הַ⁠זֶּ֖ה

in/on/at/with,unfaithfulness the=this

Here, unfaithfulness means disobedience to God. Alternate translation: “to disobey God in this way”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

הַ⁠שָּׂרִ֣ים וְ⁠הַ⁠סְּגָנִ֗ים

the,leaders and,the,officials

These terms mean similar things, but it seems that leaders may refer to the heads of the clans and that rulers may refer to official leaders of government. If your language uses one word for both of those, you can combine them and use that word here. Alternate translation: “our chiefs”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

בַּ⁠מַּ֥עַל הַ⁠זֶּ֖ה

in/on/at/with,unfaithfulness the=this

This is the end of Ezra’s quotation of what the clan leaders told him. If you decided in 9:1 to mark their words as a direct quotation, you should indicate that here with a closing primary quotation mark or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate the end of a quotation.