[Today’s English Version C.14; Revised Standard Version 14.3]

Esther prayed to the Lord God of Israel, that is, to the God whom Israel worshiped. Her prayer follows in the form of direct quotation.

O my Lord, thou only art King: in the Greek, Esther addresses the Lord in the vocative, literally “Lord of me the king of us you are only [or, alone].” This may be interpreted several ways, depending on how it is punctuated. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible follows the Greek very closely, “My Lord, our King, you, you are the Only One,” while Bible en français courant expands slightly, “Lord my God, King of my people, you are the only Lord.”

Esther’s prayer is poetic in its form. It uses chiastic structure in parallel phrases:

[you] help me the one [who is] alone
and [the one] not having help if not you

The first word of the plea is addressed to God, “Help me,” and the last words are an affirmation describing God, “if not you.” In between the two references to God are two references to herself. She is “the one who is alone,” and she is “the one not having help.” Translators may find similar patterns of repetition in praise poetry or in laments and dirges that may serve as models for translation.

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 .