Although both the Hebrew and the Greek versions of this verse begin with the conjunction And, this verse provides parenthetical or explanatory information. It is really a continuation of the event recounted in 3.15a above. It is for this reason that Good News Translation begins a new sentence. The translator may need to introduce discourse markers or adverbs to make clear the change in location from where the action in the preceding and following verses takes place. In English a change of this kind can be indicated by expressions like “Meanwhile” or “At the same time.”
The king’s command and his decree refer to the decree of 3.12-13. No real distinction seems to exist between command davar and decree dat, so translators may choose to use one term only, as in Good News Translation (“proclamation”). At the same time the author’s use of two terms, including the formal dat, may serve to emphasize the legality of the decree (see New American Bible “the king’s legal enactment”).
The Jews: see 2.5 and comment.
This verse introduces the element of fasting as an additional sign of sorrow. Fasting is more than merely not eating. It is a deliberate act of denying oneself food because of a particular reason or for a specific purpose. That it is a sign of distress in this context is shown by the three verbs that stand before and after it, namely, mourning, weeping, and lamenting. Note, however, that another purpose will appear in the context of verse 16.
Most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes: the Hebrew is literally “the many.” The use of the definite article seems to require the translation most (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) rather than “many” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Since “the many” in Hebrew may sometimes mean “all,” New American Bible says that “they all slept on sackcloth and ashes” (so also New Jerusalem Bible). It is impossible to know which translation correctly represents the intended meaning. Translators must simply choose one of the three possible meanings.
Most of them lay is literally “sackcloth with ashes was spread out for the many of them.” The image seems to be that the people lay on sackcloth covered with ashes. Though most translations say that the people lay on sackcloth, New American Bible says that they “slept” on sackcloth, which may well be the sense of the words. Similarly Revised English Bible (also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) says that they “lay down on beds of sackcloth and ashes” (compare 2 Sam 21.10; Isa 58.5).
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 .