The verse opens with wayyehi, “and it came to pass,” just as the first verse of the book (see comments on 1.1). It is in this verse that the two men are openly placed in opposition to each other.
He would not listen to them means that Mordecai would not do what the others said he should do; he would not give homage to Haman.
To see whether Mordecai’s words would avail: literally “to see if Mordecai’s words would stand [firm]”; this phrase is ambiguous and its relation to the following clause can be taken two different ways. This is because the Hebrew word can be translated words or “actions.” The first interpretation is: would his words be vindicated or would he be destroyed? Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “They denounced him to Haman to see if this excuse was valid.” Though Today’s English Version is not a literal translation, it seems to follow this same interpretation: “wondering if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct.” A second interpretation is that of Bible en français courant and New Jerusalem Bible, and footnotes in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “to see whether he would persist in his conduct.”
The translator may wish to give a footnote to explain alternative interpretations, but explanation within the text should be avoided. “To see whether Mordecai’s words would stand” or “to see whether Mordecai’s words had a basis” may be possible translations of the Hebrew text.
For he had told them that he was a Jew may imply that as a Jew he could bow before no one but God. But in light of verse 1, which identifies Haman as the son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag, it is more probable that these words mean that as a Jew Mordecai could not bow down before an Agagite (see comments on 3.1). This is the interpretation of Today’s English Version.
In the original text for he had told them that he was a Jew is an explanation that is consistent with the author’s style. It is a report of speech in indirect speech. Today’s English Version restates to highlight what would have been the original words in the form of direct quotation.
Septuagint 3.4
Whereas the Hebrew says only that the king’s officials “told Haman,” the Greek makes explicit what they told Haman: that Mordecai was resisting the king’s command. Literally he was “resisting the words of the king,” or as Revised English Bible says, “defying the king’s order.”
Mordecai had told them: the Greek may be translated as “Mordecai told them,” that is, he told them that he was a Jew after they had told Haman that Mordecai disobeyed the king’s command. But since verse 6 indicates that Haman wanted to kill all the Jews, it seems better to translate the verb as had told. That is, Mordecai told them that he was Jewish before they informed Haman about Mordecai’s disobedience. As in the translation of the Hebrew version, Today’s English Version restructures to render Mordecai’s statement as a direct quotation while also making explicit what is implicit in the original, namely, that he cannot pay homage to Haman because Mordecai is a Jew.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .