[Today’s English Version C.13; Revised Standard Version 14.2]

Splendid apparel is literally, “garments of her glory,” and these are contrasted with garments of distress and mourning. The two nouns distress and mourning reveal Esther’s inner state and her outward act. They indicate that in accordance with Jewish custom she put on sackcloth as a sign of her grief (see 4.1 for comments on sackcloth).

Covered her head with ashes and dung: covering one’s head with ashes was a common gesture to express grief and mourning (see 4.1 on ashes), while use of dung was a more extreme practice to express great humiliation (see Mal 2.3). Although some languages may wish to employ a euphemism in this context, the dramatic impact of Esther’s extreme self-humiliation should not be glossed over.

Humbled her body: the Greek verb translated humbled is the same verb found elsewhere in the Old Testament to translate the expression “afflict your soul” (Lev 16.29, 31; 23.27, 32). In light of the way this word is used elsewhere, the sense is probably not simply that Esther neglected her outward appearance (so Today’s English Version, Bible en français courant), but that she also practiced self-denial, perhaps by fasting (see Dan 9.3). Today’s English Version‘s description is not strong enough, although it is stronger than humbled in Revised Standard Version. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous say “she severely mistreated her body” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and New American Bible). A possible alternative is “she did suffering to herself.”

Every part that she loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair: Esther let her hair fall uncombed and uncared for over her neck and shoulders. The Greek may be understood to mean that she cut her hair or tore it out, letting it fall. Compare New Jerusalem Bible: “and the former scenes of her happiness and elegance were now littered with tresses torn from her hair.” In many cultures, disheveled hair is a sign of distress and grief.

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 .