Now does not literally mean “the present time.” It is an English discourse marker that serves to introduce the statement that follows. The first part of the verse is a series of temporal clauses that may need to be restructured in the receptor language (compare Today’s English Version, Bible en français courant).

A time lapse of some nine months occurs between the events of chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9. On Adar see 3.7. On the thirteenth day of the same: that is, on the thirteenth day of Adar.

Two royal edicts have been issued, the one by Haman and the one by Mordecai. Executed here means “done,” “obeyed,” “carried out.” The king’s command and edict which were about to be executed probably are the edict by Haman (chapter 3) commanding the destruction of the Jews. Some interpreters, however, understand the reference to be to the edict of Mordecai issued in chapter eight. The preferred meaning is that, when Haman’s edict was “to be done, to be carried out,” or “to come into effect” (Today’s English Version), something quite the opposite took place.

The enemies of the Jews hoped, that is, they “expected” or they “thought” they would get the mastery over them. The same word for enemies occurs in 8.13. The Hebrew verb shalat, get the mastery, means “to rule, to have power over, to have dominion over.” The earlier context has revealed that the enemies of the Jews intended not merely to get the upper hand but to annihilate the Jews. Today’s English Version therefore translates the first occurrence of the verb fairly literally. However, when the same verb is used for the Jews, Today’s English Version loses the effect of reversal when it says “the Jews triumphed over them.” Foes is literally “the ones hating them” (see comment at 3.10).

The dramatic shift in events can be portrayed by restructuring such as “but instead, it was the Jews who overcame their enemies” or “but what happened was….” Moffatt (and similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) says “the very day when the enemies of the Jews expected to get the upper hand of them, it proved exactly the reverse; the Jews got the upper hand of their adversaries.”

Septuagint 9.1

The Greek text of this verse is considerably shorter than the Hebrew. The Greek says that the decree … arrived (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), literally “the writings … arrived.” It does not say that the time had arrived, as the Hebrew says. New Revised Standard Version should be followed here rather than Today’s English Version. The announcement of the decree arrived in the various provinces to which it was sent, on the same day that it was to take effect, according to 8.12, or on the day before, according to Septuagint 3.7.

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 .