Esther’s response begins with the same conditions she set forth in 5.8 above. In the second part, her plea parallels the structure of the king’s double question and promise. Her petition is for her nefesh, life, her request is for her people. The word nefesh occurs frequently in the Old Testament with a range of meanings, “breath, soul, the seat of emotions, oneself.” In this context most versions say “life.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “my own life,” and Chouraqui says “my being.” In many languages life is not an object to be given or taken. It may be necessary to restate Esther’s request to say “that I may [continue to] live” or “that I not be killed.”

At my petition means “in response to my petition” and may be translated “My petition is that you allow me to live.” At my petition and at my request may also be combined and translated as in Good News Translation.

The words and my people at my request are elliptical in Hebrew, that is, words are missing that must be supplied to complete the meaning. This is part of the poetic form of the story. Esther is not asking that her people be given to her, but that “the deliverance of” her people be granted to her. Revised English Bible restructures in prose form to make the meaning clear, but in doing so it loses dramatic impact: “what I ask is that my own life and the lives of my people be spared.”

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 .