[Today’s English Version E.13; Revised Standard Version 16.13]

The king continues his litany of contrasts, here again focusing on deception (see verse 6). Intricate is from a word whose basic meaning is “much tangled, twisting,” as of a serpent with many coils or a creature with many arms. The word for craft means a plan, a system, a way of accomplishing something, and thus may be something clever. Deceit is simply untruth, lies. Chouraqui says “with tortuous and deceitful words,” while New Jerusalem Bible says “by tortuous wiles and arguments.” It some languages it may be helpful to use an ideophone to describe words that are tangled or deceitful; for example, “wél-wèl-wél words,” that is, words that flow in all directions.

Our savior: Today’s English Version and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translate this as “saved my life,” understanding this to be a plural of majesty (see comments on “our government” in E.1). For comments on savior see D.2-3.

Perpetual benefactor: on benefactor see verse 2. The king had earlier alluded to himself as a benefactor. Here he applies the term to Mordecai, saying that he was a “perpetual” benefactor. This means that Mordecai “always supported” the king, though here no thought of financial aid is intended.

Esther is described as “blameless companion [or, partner] of the kingdom.” Esther is “faultless,” there are “no words on her head.” She is “the perfect companion of my reign” (Bible en français courant and similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Together with their whole nation: the word their refers to Mordecai and Esther. The nation, ethnos, is “the Jewish people.”

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 .