This verse repeats and expands on 3.15a (see comments on 3.15 and on verse 10 above). However, as made clear by the Revised Standard Version translation, this verse emphasizes the speed with which the messengers carried out their task. New International Version translates “The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on….” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says the couriers “went out in all haste, in all speed.” Because of the complexity of the sentence, it may be helpful to restructure as Today’s English Version has done.
On Susa the capital see comments on 1.2. The Today’s English Version translation as “Susa, the capital city” is misleading, since the acropolis is meant here and not the city itself.
Though “also” is not in the Hebrew text, Today’s English Version has added it here for the same reason that the Greek translators did (see Septuagint below).
Septuagint 8.14
Messengers is simply “horsemen” in the Greek, but they are obviously messengers in this context. The Greek word rendered with all speed is the basic form of the word that describes the action of the messengers who hurried Haman off to Esther’s second banquet (Septuagint 6.14). The translator should express the meaning that the messengers went “with great speed,” “extremely fast,” “in a great hurry,” or “in all haste” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
The Greek adds the word also to make explicit that the prostagma, “decree,” was issued in Susa in addition to other places throughout the kingdom.
The Greek omits the words “the citadel” before Susa.
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 .