Esther’s response is as dramatic as the king’s questions in verse 5. The first part of her answer (A foe and enemy!) is a reply to the king’s first question: “Who is he?” The second part of her answer (This wicked Haman!) replies to the king’s second question: “Where is he?” If a distinction is intended between the words foe and enemy, it may be that the first suggests one’s conduct and the second suggests one’s attitude. The first may suggest an adversary (so New International Version), the second may refer to hatred. This wicked Haman translates three alliterative Hebrew words that all begin with the syllable ha. In translation it may be necessary to restructure Esther’s answer to conform to grammatical and stylistic requirements of the receptor language (compare Today’s English Version, and New Jerusalem Bible “The adversary and enemy,” replied Esther, “is this evil Haman!”).

In terror: though nearly all interpreters consider the Hebrew word here to mean “be terrified,” some understand it to mean “be taken by surprise” (so Anchor Bible and New English Bible: “dumbfounded”) or “overcome” emotionally (LSR).

Before the king: the Hebrew simply means is “before” or “in front of.” It does not necessarily indicate, as Today’s English Version does, that he was actually facing toward them, only that he was in front of them. Would Haman dare to “face” the king if he was in terror? It may be best to translate as Revised Standard Version has done.

Septuagint 7.6

The Greek is nearly identical to the Hebrew in this verse, except that the Greek omits the word “a foe” at the beginning of the verse. The language is very strong. Haman is identified as a “hated [hateful] man” and a “wicked man.” The Greek word translated as terrified has a wide range of meaning. Its basic meaning is “to be thrown into confusion,” and it occurs a number of times in the Greek text (see Septuagint 3.15). Revised English Bible (“Haman stood dumbfounded”) and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (“Haman was upset [distressed]”) are also acceptable translations.

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 .