The king rose: in some cultures the action of rising may signal judgment, but here it is the movement that will take the king out of the presence of Esther and Haman. Where the Hebrew style is sparse and elliptical, Today’s English Version spells everything out. The Hebrew uses only one verb, “rose … into the garden,” while Today’s English Version says “got up … left … went outside.” The translator should try to convey the anger of the king and his abrupt departure from the scene.
The feast is literally “the feast [or, banquet] of wine.” New Jerusalem Bible says “The king, in his fury, left the wine feast….” New International Version says “The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out….” Neither Revised Standard Version nor Today’s English Version translates the word “wine” here, perhaps assuming that it is not necessary, since verse 2 has already indicated that wine was being drunk at the banquet. Translators, however, are urged to follow the Hebrew here and retain this information in verse 7.
On the palace garden see comments on 1.5.
To beg his life (Revised Standard Version) or “to beg for his life” means “to beg the queen to save his life” (so Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In verse 3 above, Esther is pleading to the king for her nefesh, life; here Haman begs Esther for his nefesh, life.
Evil was determined against him: the Hebrew says raʿah “evil, calamity, wickedness,” which is interpreted by some to mean “fate” in this context (so New English Bible, New International Version). The author makes a play on words here. The same Hebrew word used here with reference to Haman was used by Esther when she described him in verse 6 (“This wicked Haman!”). Some languages may prefer to restructure the sentence and use an active verb, like New Jerusalem Bible, which says “he saw that the king had resolved to destroy him,” or Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, which says “upon realizing that the king had decided to condemn him to death.” Although there is an implication of punishment (compare Today’s English Version), it is not punishment in a strictly legal sense, but more in the sense of vengeance. The emphasis in the following verses is not on Haman’s having broken a law but on the king’s anger over Haman’s actions. Gordis renders these words in idiomatic English as “he saw that his doom was sealed with the king.”
Septuagint 7.7
The Greek formally copies the ellipsis of the Hebrew by omitting a specific verb for went into the garden. However, the single verb with its double prefix may convey the meaning “to arise and depart from.”
In several details the Greek differs from the Hebrew. For instance, the Greek version omits the detail that the king left the room “in a fury” (Today’s English Version). It also omits the detail that Haman “stayed behind.”
Though the Hebrew says that Haman begged for his nefesh, life, the Greek says only that he implored the queen. It is possible that both New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version are based on a Greek manuscript that has the words for his life, but it is more likely that they have simply made explicit that for which Haman begged. Revised English Bible says that Haman began “to plead with the queen” (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
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 .