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Glite Dictionary
2 Esdras

2 Esdras

9.9
A religious book of visions from angels sometimes included with the Old Testament
  • noun
translation icon : 2 Esdras
  • The book of 2 Esdras contains many angelic revelations.

Examples

  • The visions described in 2 Esdras have influenced Christian and Jewish thought for centuries.

  • She referenced 2 Esdras in her research on apocalyptic literature.

  • Many scholars debate whether 2 Esdras should be considered canonical scripture.

  • Have you ever read 2 Esdras?

  • The visions described in 2 Esdras have influenced Christian and Jewish thought for centuries.

  • Many scholars debate whether 2 Esdras should be considered canonical scripture.

  • The book of 2 Esdras contains many angelic revelations.

Synonyms

II Esdras
vs2 Esdras
9.9

An old religious book with visions from angels sometimes included in some Bibles

is specifically placed in the Old Testament apocrypha by certain Christian traditions

Surface Forms

2 Esdras singular

Morphology

2 + Esdras

The form is a straightforward numeral + proper name naming convention: '2' signals the second book or volume and 'Esdras' is a title, so a learner who knows the constituents will understand it denotes the second book called Esdras. This ordinal+title pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g. 1 Samuel, 2 Kings), making the compound compositionally transparent even though specific apocryphal content cannot be inferred from the parts.

Etymology

2 Esdras takes its name from Esdras, the Latin form of the Hebrew figure 'Ezra'. The '2' shows it was treated as a second book linked to him by old church writers, so the title means 'the second book connected to Ezra' and that is why this religious book is called 2 Esdras today.