Then thou didst keep in existence two living creatures: Good News Bible renders the Latin verb for didst keep in existence as “singled out,” and New English Bible is similar with “set apart.” However, this verb is better translated “preserved” (Myers; similarly Stone), “protected,” or “kept unchanged.” The Latin word for living creatures (literally “souls”) differs from the one used in verses 47-48, but has the same meaning in this context.

The name of one thou didst call Behemoth and the name of the other Leviathan: The two creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan, are mentioned in the creation stories of the ancient eastern Mediterranean area. A writing from the early second century A.D., 2 Baruch, at 29.4, speaking of the end time, says: “And Behemoth will reveal itself from its place, and Leviathan will come from the sea, the two great monsters which I created on the fifth day of creation…” (Klijn, page 630). Perhaps the writer of 2 Esdras means that Behemoth and Leviathan were created among the other living creatures, but these two God has kept in existence, kept unchanged, since the beginning, to play a part at the end of time. The important thing is that Behemoth and Leviathan are thought of as two individual creatures here, not two species of animal. Leviathan was also known as Rahab (see Job 9.13; 26.12; Psa 74.14; 89.10; 104.26; Isa 27.1; 30.7; 51.9). (Behemoth is different in Job 40.15-24, where it is probably the hippopotamus, and Leviathan is different in Job 41.1-34, where it is probably the crocodile.)

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• Of all those living things you created, you have kept two particular ones in existence. You named one Behemoth, and the other Leviathan.

• You created many living creatures. But from all those you have kept two….

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.