[Today’s English Version A.9; Revised Standard Version 11.10]

In some versions the first clause of this verse is attached to the end of the preceding verse.

They cried to God is a literal translation of the Greek. They called to God, or they called upon God. The context indicates that they cried to God for him to help them, as Today’s English Version makes explicit.

From their cry means that the great river came as a response to their cry to God. Revised English Bible says “and in answer.” Today’s English Version adds the words “in the dream their prayer was answered by,” to remind the reader that this verse is still part of Mordecai’s dream, and to make explicit that the appearance of the great river was in response to their having cried to God that is, it was an answer to “their prayer.”

The author maintains the dramatic language of the dream by making a comparison. The river, described by another occurrence of the word “great,” is contrasted with a little source, a small fountain from which it seems to come (see Bible en français courant). In apposition to the “great river” is “much water.”

Addition F.3 (10.6) identifies the tiny spring and the great river as Queen Esther.

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 .