The first sentence of this verse contains four pairs of near synonyms: province–city; command–edict; gladness–joy; feast–holiday. The author surely intended to use this stylistic pattern of repetition, but the translator will need to decide how it can be represented in the receptor language. Today’s English Version has restated to express the meaning of the words, while changing the form to have only two pairs of near synonyms.
A holiday is literally “a good day.” Here, as in later Hebrew, these words indicate a religious festival. Many languages will say “festival day,” although this must not be so culturally restricted as to make the reader or the listener associate this Jewish holiday with a specific holiday in one’s own culture.
The phrase many from the peoples of the country refers to “the peoples of the world” (Revised English Bible), “people of other nationalities” (New International Version). These were non-Jews who lived throughout the Persian Empire. Moffatt says “many pagans.” These people declared themselves Jews, that is, they “became Jews” (Today’s English Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible), for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them. The fear of the Jews is not fear of what the Jews feared; rather these peoples of the world were afraid of the Jews. Some interpreters, however, understand the fear in this verse to be “religious awe.” That is, the people became Jews, not because they were afraid of the Jewish people, but because they had seen the power of the God of the Jews. Against this latter interpretation is the use of “fear” in 9.2 in the sense of “to be afraid of.”
The Hebrew masculine plural participle “the ones becoming Jews” is variously interpreted in the versions. The participle is in the hithpael form; and as Waltke and O’Connor state, “the Hithpael may denote esteeming or presenting oneself in a state, sometimes without regard to the question of truthfulness” (pages 430-431). Revised Standard Version leaves a certain ambiguity as to whether they merely declared themselves Jews or actually became Jews. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible expresses the same ambiguity in a footnote, stating that the Hebrew may mean either “pretending to become Jews” or “converting to Judaism.” New Jerusalem Bible says that they “professed to be Jews,” implying that it was in name only. Even stronger than New Jerusalem Bible is Gordis, “pretended to be Jews.” Many versions, however, understand that they “made themselves Jews” indeed (so LSR and Bible en français courant; compare New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). This interpretation is supported by 9.27. The translator should follow this latter interpretation.
Septuagint 8.17
As in the Hebrew, four descriptions of the event as it relates to the Jews are given; they are literally “[there was] joy and celebration for the Jews, a drinking cup and celebration.” Note that the word “celebration” is repeated twice, although both New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version interpret it differently: Though the Greek word translated as banquet (New Revised Standard Version) may be translated as “feasting” (Revised English Bible), it more likely carries the specific sense of “drunkenness” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “they celebrated the event with festive drinking-bouts.” Translators should select a word or expression that indicates that the banquet involved much drinking of wine.
Gentiles is used here in both Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version for “non-Jews.” These were the ethnē, “nations,” in the Greek. They were often contrasted with the laos, “people,” who were the Jews (see Addition A.6, 17). While the Hebrew says that people became Jews, the Septuagint adds that they were circumcised. For the Jews the rite of circumcision was a sign of the covenant relationship between God and his people (compare Addition C.26). Where circumcision is known, there is usually an acceptable way to speak about it. Where it is unknown, a paraphrase such as “cutting a part of one’s self” or “cutting one’s skin” may need to be used. A footnote or glossary entry will then be needed to explain that it is the foreskin of the male organ which is cut off, and to explain the significance of circumcision for the Jews in the Old Testament.
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 .