For Ezra possessed great knowledge: The conjunction For indicates that what follows gives the reason for a statement just made. The question is just what that statement is. The most likely answer is that this conjunction introduces the reason for the Lord’s keeping the Jews safe during their journey. The Lord did so because Ezra understood the Law well. So we may render this clause as “because Ezra knew the Law of the Lord perfectly” or “because Ezra knew everything that the Law of the Lord commanded.”

So that he omitted nothing from the law of the Lord or the commandments, but taught all Israel all the ordinances and judgments means that Ezra forgot nothing in the Law while teaching it to all the Jews. The past tense of the verbs omitted and taught is used from the point of view of the narrator, for whom Ezra is a figure of the past. Within the narrative itself, the verbs refer to events that are still future; Ezra must arrive in Jerusalem before he can teach the Jews. It may be helpful for this to be made clear in translation (see the model below). The Greek words for law, commandments, ordinances, and judgments are near synonyms for the Law of God. Together they refer to the totality of the Law. The word for law is a general term. The word for commandments refers to God’s commands in the Law. The word for ordinances refers to basic provisions of the Law, usually understood as divine decrees, while the word for judgments points to legal judgments based on those provisions. Many languages will combine some of these words (see the model below).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• because Ezra knew the Law of the Lord perfectly. He would [or, was going to] teach all the Jewish people to obey every command and regulation in the Law, and would forget nothing.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.