This verse is difficult to interpret. The first part says that drinking was according to the law. This is the first occurrence of one of the terms used in the book for “law” or “command.” It is the Hebrew word dat translated law in Revised Standard Version. Probably this law was not an existing law about drinking but rather a rule that the king established for this banquet. In other contexts it may mean that, whenever the king drank, everyone drank, and such an interpretation receives support from ancient historians. But this interpretation contradicts the next part of the verse, no one was compelled, and therefore does not seem to fit this context.
One solution to this difficulty is to follow the Septuagint, which has a negative in the first half of this verse. Anchor Bible, for example, says “The drinking was not according to the law: no one was constrained.”
Another solution to this problem takes the verb compelled to mean “constrain” or “restrain.” The meaning is then that no one was limited in the amount he drank. Today’s English Version so interprets this verse, expressing it in the form of a modern English idiom: “there were no limits on the drinks.” New American Bible states “By ordinance of the king the drinking was unstinted.” New Jerusalem Bible also follows this interpretation: “And the rule for the drinking was, ‘No restrictions!’ ” Other translations agree with Revised Standard Version: no one was compelled, that is, no one was forced to drink more than he wanted (Nueva Biblia Española, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The New International Version translation (“each guest was allowed to drink in his own way”) is ambiguous, meaning either that no one was compelled or forced to drink, or that no one was limited in the amount he was allowed to drink. Translators should choose the interpretation that seems most probable to them in the context.
In some languages it is necessary to specify what was drunk. Here the context indicates that it was wine (see also 3.15; 4.16; 7.2).
Similarities in sound between the Hebrew words “drinking” mishte at the beginning of this verse and the name “Vashti” at the beginning of verse 9 may be an intentional wordplay to make a link between the banquet, or the drinking, and the misfortune that befalls Vashti.
Septuagint 1.8
The Greek clearly says that drinking was not according to a fixed rule, which probably means that normal court rules restricting drinking were not being followed. The Greek word translated rule is nomos (see comments on dat above). This is the normal Greek word for “law, rule, principle, custom.” Unlike the Hebrew version, which uses a variety of words referring to the concept of law in the book of Esther, this is the only word that is used in the Greek version.
But the king wished to have it so: these words do not mean that the king wished to have a fixed rule. Rather “not having a fixed rule” was what the king wished.
Stewards translates a Greek word meaning “one who manages a household.” The Today’s English Version translation “palace servants” is perhaps too general (also Bible en français courant). If a more specific word such as “steward” or “head waiter” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “maîtres d’hôtel”) exists in the receptor language, such a word should be used.
To comply with his pleasure and with that of the guests is literally “to do his will and that of the men [people],” in other words, the men whom he had invited to his party.
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 .