[Today’s English Version A.16; Revised Standard Version 12.5]

The king ordered Mordecai to serve in the court: according to the Hebrew text the king rewarded Mordecai much later (see 6.1-11). “To serve in the court” probably means that Mordecai was appointed to a position of authority. New Jerusalem Bible says “the king then appointed Mordecai to an office at court” (so also La Bible Pléiade).

Rewarded is literally “he gave gifts to him” (so Nueva Biblia Española, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Today’s English Version retains “gifts” but makes explicit that they were given “as a reward.” Some languages may say “the king gave him things in return for what he had done.”

These things for which Mordecai was rewarded could possibly refer to Mordecai’s acts of service in the king’s court, but more likely the reference is to his having told the king about the plot against the king’s life.

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 .