And my mouth was opened, and I began to speak before the Most High, and said: My mouth was opened does not mean that someone or something opened Ezra’s mouth, but this clause does indicate more than the physical act of opening the mouth to speak. There is a hint that what Ezra was about to say he was inspired to say. So this verse may be rendered “I felt that I should speak to God Most High, and this is what I said:….” For the Most High, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.3.

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.