The king’s question suggests that he made no connection between “a certain people” of Haman’s request (3.8) and the fate about to befall Esther and her people.

The beginning of this verse in Hebrew is literally “Then King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Queen Esther” (so Segond, Reina-Valera revisada). Some interpreters think that a scribe mistakenly repeated the verb, so they translate only one of the two verbs (so Anchor Bible). Others omit one of the verbs for the sake of style in the receptor language (so Good News Translation). Occasionally the repetition is taken as a strengthened form that may be interpreted “demanded” (New Jerusalem Bible). It is also possible that the writer intended to build suspense, as the reader wonders for an instant whether the king was speaking to Esther or to Haman. Since the same repetition of the verb “he said” occurs in the Hebrew of Ezek 10.2, it is unlikely that it is a scribal mistake in this verse in Esther. Apparently this was an emphatic Hebrew idiom, and Good News Translation renders it by an acceptable English idiom. If repetition of the verb is not natural in the receptor language, translators should find an equivalent that is natural, such as the modern versions quoted here.

The king’s questions are very brusk. They are reported in the form of direct quotation, “Who is this and where is this [one] he who his heart has filled him to do thus?” The Hebrew expression “his heart has filled him” means “to dare, to be so bold as to.”

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 .