Translation commentary on Esther 6:10   

Make haste: the king orders Haman to “hurry” (Good News Translation; “Quick!” says Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Some versions introduce a verb to which the adverbial notion of speed may be attached, “Go at once” (New International Version, Bible en français courant). The king’s insistence on quick action needs to be prominent in the translation. This wish to have what should be done carried out quickly is consistent with the theme of speed found elsewhere in the book of Esther (compare 3.15; 5.5; 6.14; 8.10).

The robes and the horse: the English definite article “the” makes it clear that the robes and the horse mentioned here are the same ones that Haman spoke of. Other languages may not use a definite article in the same way as English, but they will have their own ways of referring to something that has been previously mentioned.

As you have said: the king makes it very clear that Haman is to follow the instructions that Haman himself gave. Good News Translation has combined this phrase with the final command that nothing should be left out, but it is preferable to retain the equivalent of as you have said in the main part of the command.

On sits at the king’s gate, see 2.19 and comments. If the interpretation of these words that was suggested at 2.19 is correct, translators may choose to follow the example of Revised English Bible: “and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who is present at court.” The haste with which Haman is to act implies that Mordecai is present at the palace entrance at that very moment (so Good News Translation). There is clearly irony in the repetition of this information about Mordecai, since it is because of these very things that Haman has come to see the king.

Leave out nothing: the Hebrew text says literally “Do not let fall one davar [word] of all you said” (see comment on davar at 1.12). This use of a negative command may be more emphatic than a positive command like Good News Translation‘s “Do everything.” New Jerusalem Bible restates the command to say “Omit nothing.” By recording the king’s command that nothing should be left undone, the author subtly reminds the reader of the importance in his story of doing everything according to the law.

That you have mentioned: here the king refers to the contents of verses 8-9 above.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Esther 9:7 - 9:10

Verses 7 through 10 are clearly a unit. Syntactically they begin with a conjunction and together with the Hebrew direct object marker ʾeth followed by ten names. Only after identifying the father of the ten people cited does the author provide the verb, “they [the Jews] killed.” Most versions bring the verb forward from verse 10 to verse 7; New Jerusalem Bible even adds a footnote explaining that this is done for the sake of clarity. Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch also bring forward the information that these were Haman’s sons, and number the verses as a group (7-10). If translators wish to keep the order of the Hebrew and present the name of Haman after the names of his sons, they may restate verse 10 slightly to say “those were the ten sons of Haman…” (for comments on Haman’s identity see 3.1, 10).

The ten names are all Persian and occur only here in the Old Testament. Translators will need to transliterate and adapt to the sound system of the receptor language. In the Hebrew text the names of the ten sons are listed in columns, but the reason for that format is not known. The names consist of three groups of three names, plus one extra name. The first name of each group begins with the letter “P” and the last name of each group begins with the letter “A.” Though Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (1980 edition) copies the traditional Hebrew form by placing the names in columns, few other translations follow the Hebrew. Since the reasons for the Hebrew form are not known, and since the use of columns would have no meaning for readers today, translators will probably want to place the names in regular paragraph form. However, appropriate conjunctions must be used in citing a list of ten names.

A very striking clause brings this syntactic unit to a close. Though the edict allowed the Jews to plunder (8.11), they laid no hand on the plunder. The Hebrew reads literally “and [or, but] on [the] plunder not they extended [or, laid] the hand of them.” No reason is given to explain why no looting occurred, but that fact seems to be significant, since it is repeated again in verses 15 and 16. Perhaps the writer is alluding to the story of 1 Sam 15, in which King Saul’s fall from divine favor came when he took the best of the plunder and did not totally destroy Agag and the Amalekites as God had commanded (see comments on 3.1).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .