The king’s signet ring was a ring that had the king’s name or personal insignia engraved on it (see Jer 22.24). The ring was pressed into a substance such as wax on the seal of a document or object in order to show the king’s official signature. Such a ring was a sign of power and authority (see verse 12 below and 8.2, 8, 10). Good News Translation omits the words from his hand, since it is normally understood that when a ring is taken “off,” it is taken off the finger on which it is worn.
Translations such as “the king took off his ring” (Bible en français courant) or “the king removed his ring from his finger” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) fail to indicate the function of the ring. Even if one makes explicit that the ring was the sign of the king’s authority, its function as a seal may still be lost. Segond says “he removed the seal from his finger,” leaving it implicit that the seal was on a ring.
The enemy of the Jews: Haman’s ancestry was cited earlier (see verse 1 and comments), but here his description as the enemy of the Jews is introduced (see also 8.1; 9.10, 24).
Throughout the Book of Esther there are four different Hebrew words that are translated “enemy” or “foe” in Revised Standard Version: (1) The term here is from the root tsrr, meaning “to be hostile toward [someone],” or “to be in a state of conflict.” This same term occurs in 8.1; 9.10, 24. (2) The second term is related to the first and is from the root tsr, which means “oppressor, adversary, enemy.” This term occurs in 7.6, where Revised Standard Version renders it “a foe.” (3) The third term, from the root ʾyb, also occurs in 7.6 (also in 8.13; 9.1, 5, 16, 22) and means “to be an enemy to [someone].” Revised Standard Version translates this verbal form as “enemy” and “enemies.” (4) The fourth term, from the root snʾ, meaning “to hate,” occurs in 9.1, 5, 16, where Revised Standard Version translates as “foes” and “those who hate.” These different Hebrew terms are more or less synonymous, and translators will discover that there is usually an overlap of meaning in English translations. For example, in 9.1 New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible translate both ʾyb and snʾ as “enemies.”
Words in the receptor language referring to the concept of “enmity” may include several components that the translator must be aware of. For instance, being enemies may mean hating each other, or it may mean being at war with each other without personally hating each other. It may also mean that a more powerful people is oppressing a weaker people, and therefore the powerful people are the enemies of the weaker people.
In this verse Haman is described as the enemy of the Jews because he was “the one who hated the Jews” or “the one who wanted to destroy the Jews.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .