[Today’s English Version B.7; Revised Standard Version 13.7]
In the preceding verse the king pronounced sentence upon the Jews as a judge pronounces judgement. In this verse he cites the anticipated results of the judgment.
The words those who … are now hostile refer to the Jewish people. The Greek does not state to whom the Jews were hostile, but the context of verse 5 makes it clear that they are thought to be hostile toward the government. The translator may need to make this explicit; for example, “for those who have been and who are against us” or “for those who have wanted and who want bad things to come to [or, upon] our rule.”
In one day: most versions translate these words literally, or with a slight variation, “in a single day” (Today’s English Version). The meaning is perhaps slightly metaphorical; that is, it emphasizes again the rapidity and the thoroughness of the destruction that is planned for the Jews. La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous renders it “at one time.”
Go down in violence to Hades: Hades was the place in Greek thought where the dead went. The Greek concept of Hades corresponded closely to the Hebrew concept of Sheol; and in the Septuagint Sheol is usually translated as Hades. Hades was believed to be under the earth, hence the dead “go down” to Hades. To “go down to Hades” was “to die” (so Today’s English Version) or to “go to the place of the dead” (so La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous).
In going down to Hades, those who were charged with being hostile in the past and in the present will no longer be opposing the government, and this will allow stability and calm to exist on the earth in the future and always. The stability is that mentioned in verse 5 above, and the calm, or absence of confusion, anticipates the state of affairs that will result from the king’s decree. However, the actual result will be just the opposite of what the king hoped for!
And leave our government completely secure and untroubled hereafter: in keeping with its use of the first person singular in this section, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy renders this clause “and I will be able from now on to rule in peace and tranquility.” The word untroubled is from the same Greek root as the verb rendered “thrown into confusion” in Septuagint 3.15 and “was deeply troubled” in Septuagint 4.4, but with the negative prefix un- attached.
Those who translate the LXX in its normal order should continue with the text and discussion on page 111.
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 .