Discovery BoxEzra 10:2-3 
Context10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, 1 addressed Ezra:
“We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying 2 foreign women from the local peoples. 3 Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. 4 10:3 Therefore let us enact 5 a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, 6 and that of those who respect 7 the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.
1 tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
2 tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.
3 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
4 tn Heb “upon this.”
5 tn Heb “cut.”
6 tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.
7 tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
