OET interlinear EZRA 9:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

וְ⁠עַתָּ֡ה

and=now

The phrase But now indicates that the sentence that it introduces draws a contrast between what the Israelites had been experiencing in the past and what God was now doing. Use a natural way in your language to indicate this contrast.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

כִּ⁠מְעַט־רֶגַע֩

for,brief moment

Alternate translation: “for just a short time”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵ⁠אֵ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗י⁠נוּ

she/it_was grace by, YHWH God,our

The abstract noun favor refers to one person helping another person even if that person does not deserve it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the idea behind this word with a phrase such as “be merciful.” Alternate translation: “Yahweh our God has been merciful to us” or “Yahweh our God has been gracious to us”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵ⁠אֵ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗י⁠נוּ

she/it_was grace by, YHWH God,our

Ezra speaks here of favor or mercy as if it could travel from Yahweh to the Jews. Alternate translation: “Yahweh our God has been merciful to us”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵ⁠אֵ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗י⁠נוּ

she/it_was grace by, YHWH God,our

Ezra is speaking to Yahweh in prayer, and accordingly, he addresses him in the second person in 9:6 and in 9:10–15. But here he speaks of God in the third person to show humility and respect, as people of this time did when speaking to superiors. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words in the second person. Alternate translation: “you, Yahweh our God, have been merciful to us”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠לָ⁠תֶת־לָ֥⁠נוּ יָתֵ֖ד

and,to,give to/for=us stake

Ezra speaks of the Jews’ current situation of safety and security in their homeland as if it were a peg or “stake,” such as one would pound securely into the ground in order to fasten the cords of a tent to it, or such as one would fasten to a wall in order to hang utensils on it safely and securely. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with a different metaphor that conveys this sense of stability and security, or express this plainly. Alternate translation: “and to bring us into a safe situation”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בִּ⁠מְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑⁠וֹ

in/on/at/with,place holy,his

Here the word holy means “set apart for a special purpose.” The temple was God’s holy place because it was set apart for his worship. Alternate translation: “in his temple”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

בִּ⁠מְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑⁠וֹ

in/on/at/with,place holy,his

Here again Ezra speaks of God in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words in the second person. Alternate translation: “in your temple.”

בִּ⁠מְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑⁠וֹ

in/on/at/with,place holy,his

Ezra speaks of the peg as if it were in God’s temple, likely because God was considered to be present there. Alternate translation: “in your presence”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בִּ⁠מְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑⁠וֹ

in/on/at/with,place holy,his

Ezra may be speaking of the presence of God by association to mean the protection of God. Alternate translation: “under your protection”

Note 10 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

לְ⁠הַשְׁאִ֥יר לָ֨⁠נוּ֙ פְּלֵיטָ֔ה

to,leave to/for=us remnant

This phrase starts with to, which indicates here that the phrase that follows is a result of the phrase that came before. In fact, there are four results in this verse of receiving favor from God. Each result begins with the word to. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that these are results of receiving favor from God.

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

לְ⁠הָאִ֤יר & אֱלֹהֵ֔י⁠נוּ

to=give_light & God,our

Here again Ezra speaks of God in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words in the second person. Alternate translation: “for you, our God, to bring light to”

Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

לְ⁠הָאִ֤יר עֵינֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֔י⁠נוּ וּ⁠לְ⁠תִתֵּ֛⁠נוּ מִֽחְיָ֥ה מְעַ֖ט בְּ⁠עַבְדֻתֵֽ⁠נוּ

to=give_light eyes,our God,our and,to,grant,us relief little in/on/at/with,bondage,our

These two phrases mean similar things. Ezra uses the repetition to emphasize how merciful God has been to the community of returned exiles. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “and for our God to enable our community to thrive a little even under foreign domination” However, there is a slight difference in meaning, and you could also choose to bring that out in your translation. The second phrase says more specifically how God has accomplished what the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: “for our God to give us new vitality by giving us greater freedom even though we are under foreign domination”

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לְ⁠הָאִ֤יר עֵינֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֔י⁠נוּ

to=give_light eyes,our God,our

To brighten the eyes of a person means to give them new life and vitality in the sense of restoring someone's happiness or well-being. Alternate translation: “for our God to give us new vitality”

Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וּ⁠לְ⁠תִתֵּ֛⁠נוּ מִֽחְיָ֥ה מְעַ֖ט בְּ⁠עַבְדֻתֵֽ⁠נוּ

and,to,grant,us relief little in/on/at/with,bondage,our

Since Ezra says that God has made the community more alive in our slavery, he seems to be referring implicitly to the greater measure of freedom that King Artaxerxes has allowed them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “by giving us greater freedom even though we are under foreign domination”