[Today’s English Version A.6; Revised Standard Version 11.7]

At their roaring: Today’s English Version does not translate the final clause in 11.6 (A.5), “and they roared terribly.” Today’s English Version states that information here for the first time, but in so doing it loses the relationship between the roaring of the dragons and the preparations for war. New Jerusalem Bible translates “At the sound of them every nation made ready to wage war.” Instead of repeating the words at their roaring, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “at that signal, every nation prepared for war.”

Every nation: ethnos refers, of course, to non-Jews, but more specifically it refers to nations as political entities, as in Joel 3.2 and Zech 14.2. These are the nations making up the Persian Empire.

The nation of the righteous or “the righteous nation” (New Revised Standard Version) refers to the Jewish people. Here ethnos is applied to them as well (see Septuagint 1.3 and Addition F.6). Today’s English Version makes explicit that the righteous refers to people, and that this people belongs to God. Bible en français courant describes them as a people of faithful ones, or “the faithful people.” New Jerusalem Bible says “the nation of the just.” The Greek word translated righteous means “right, lawful, just,” but in the context of the Old Testament it does not refer primarily to moral, ethical behavior according to some general moral code that all people recognize. Rather, to be righteous was to fulfil one’s duties as required by the covenant made with God. The sense here, then, is not first of all that the Jews were virtuous people, but rather that they were a nation in right relationship to God and belonging to God.

In translation righteous may be expressed idiomatically as “those who do things according to the right way before God,” “those who are straight before God,” or “those who have clean hearts [or, livers].” It should not be translated as “those who are innocent,” or vaguely as “the nation of good 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 .

[Esther 1.22]

He sent letters: Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente supplies the implicit information that the decree was “translated,” that is, “The king had a decree prepared and sent it to every province, translated into the language of every people and written in the local script.” Translators may find this a helpful model in their own language.

All the royal provinces, that is, the 127 provinces (see 1.1).

Every province and every people: the Hebrew uses an idiom that is literally “to province and province … to people and people.” Many languages will have similar idioms that show that every province and people was included, one after the other, with none omitted.

In its own script … in its own language: in the vast Persian Empire, many languages were spoken. The main languages were various dialects of Persian, Elamite, Babylonian, Aramaic, Phoenician, Egyptian, and Greek; and each of these languages had a different script. Letters and other written documents were sent in the various languages spoken in the Empire, using the script of each language, that is, the letters were written in the “way [or, manner]” of each language (see also 3.12; 8.9).

The intention of the king’s decree was that every man be lord in his own house. Although most versions use a noun, to be lord, “master” (Today’s English Version), or “ruler” (New International Version), some languages may prefer to follow the pattern of the Hebrew, which uses a participle, “ruling,” from the verb “to rule, to be master.” House may be translated as “home” (Today’s English Version), “foyer,” or “concession,” depending on cultural context, making it clear that the authority of the husband is not to be exercised merely within the walls of a house, but rather within the social unit which is the family.

The words speak according to the language of his people present a problem both of text and of interpretation. The three words that appear in the Hebrew are absent from the Septuagint. New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Nueva Biblia Española, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follow the Greek text in omitting these words. HOTTP considers the reading of the Septuagint to be a scribal change of the Hebrew text in an attempt to make sense of a difficult text. Of those translations that follow the Hebrew, some translate literally, as Revised Standard Version and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, while others such as Today’s English Version translate the supposed meaning. Probably the sense is that a husband should speak his mother tongue in his home, and not the language of his foreign wife (see Neh 13.23-24). This may mean that he should show his authority over his wife by imposing his language in the home (Bible en français courant: “impose the use of his maternal language there,” so also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). However, according to Revised English Bible, the sense is not that the husband should show his authority by imposing his mother tongue, but rather that “each man, whatever language he spoke, should be master in his own home.” The translations of Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, An American Translation, and Anchor Bible are based on a slight change in the Hebrew text: “should speak whatever seemed proper to him.” The New English Bible translation rests on yet a different alteration of the Hebrew text: “and control all his own womenfolk.”

HOTTP rejects translations based on changes in the Hebrew text with no support by any manuscripts. The recommendation of HOTTP is that the words “and speaking according to the language of his people” be understood, not as part of the content of the king’s decree, but rather as stating the manner in which the king’s command is to be carried out by those officials who deliver the decree. HOTTP gives a “B” evaluation to the Hebrew text, indicating some doubt as to whether this is the correct text (compare Septuagint and footnote in Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and Bible en français courant).

The diversity of interpretations and translations of these final three words makes it difficult to recommend any one of them, but either the solution followed by Bible en français courant or that proposed by HOTTP seems preferable. The New International Version translation agrees with the HOTTP recommendation: “He sent dispatches to all parts of his kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household” (New International Version).

Septuagint 1.22

This verse is shorter in the Greek than in the Hebrew. In elliptical style it says “And he sent into all the provinces of the kingdom, according to their speech [or, language], so that there might be fear toward them in their houses.” The translator will need to make explicit the information that is necessary to achieve clarity and good style, as New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version have done.

To every province in its own language: Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente supplies the implicit information that the decree was “translated into the language of every province” before stating that it was sent throughout the empire. Translators may find this a helpful model in their own language.

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 .

If it please the king: the author maintains the formal style of court language (see comments on 1.19). Although it uses the formal title “Your Majesty,” Today’s English Version‘s style is informal and even casual.

That they be destroyed: Haman avoids saying who should destroy the Jews. In some languages where passive verb constructions are not used, it may be necessary to say that “the people” in general or “the other peoples of your kingdom” should destroy the Jews. In some languages it may be possible to restructure the sentence and use the third person indefinite plural pronoun: “they should destroy this certain people.”

Ten thousand talents of silver represents an enormous sum of money. A talent was about 35 kilograms (75 pounds). Ten thousand talents equals approximately 300 metric tons (see Bible en français courant, Nueva Biblia Española) or 375 tons (Today’s English Version). The text does not say from where Haman was going to obtain this money, whether from his own resources or from the booty that was to be taken from the Jews who were to be killed.

How to express this amount of silver or its value is a decision for the translators to make. The value may be stated in modern terms, but monetary values fluctuate and quickly become out of date. Measuring it in tons may seem incongruous if tons are normally used for the weight of things such as cement. It may be best to maintain the original quantity, using a general term for money, and give a note to explain that this was the largest unit of money at the time and the highest number in the counting system of the time.

Silver is called “white metal” or “white wealth” in some languages. Sometimes a borrowed term is used; for example, “silva” from the English “silver.”

Into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business: literally “into the hands of the ones doing the business [or, work] of the king.” The same expression occurs in 1 Kgs 11.28 and 2 Kgs 12.11 (12.12 in the Hebrew). The precise nature of “the business” is not clear. Gordis says “into the hands of those working on royal projects,” by which he means building projects such as the capital city of Persepolis. FOX translates this clause “to the executive officers” and suggests that these may have been revenue officials. Since the precise nature of their work is unknown, translators should use a general expression such as the king’s business or “the men who carry out this business” (New International Version).

The king’s treasuries were the official state coffers. “Where the king put the money” or “the place for the king’s money” may be said, or an equivalent compound construction. The Hebrew word translated treasuries is a word of Persian origin (see introduction, “Translating the Book of Esther,” B-4, pages 7 and following).

Septuagint 3.9

Haman speaks in the style of the court as he addresses the king in the third person, but he states emphatically about himself “and I myself will pay.” The Greek uses the combined conjunction and full pronoun form kago, “and I,” making it clear that Haman is saying that, if the king does his part, he, Haman, will personally recompense him.

The Hebrew “into the hands of those who carry out the business to put into the treasuries of the king” is longer than the Greek, into the king’s treasury, though the meaning is essentially the same.

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 .

[Today’s English Version C.2; Revised Standard Version 13.9]

The English of Revised Standard Version is a style that is no longer in common use, but it is used here to express humble reverence. Mordecai’s reference to God is translated with the singular second person pronouns, “thou, thee, thy,” with the corresponding verb forms such as “rulest, knowest.” Today’s English Version‘s style is modern but may not be useful for some languages. Appropriate style must be adopted in the receptor language to convey the reverent tone of the prayer.

O Lord, Lord, King: Mordecai addresses his prayer to God, calling “Lord, Lord, King ruling over all.” Like the Greek, the English of Revised Standard Version repeats three vocatives at the beginning of Mordecai’s prayer. The form O that precedes the title Lord is no longer in common use today; it is a vocative marker, that is, it shows that the person is being addressed and calls for that person’s attention. Some languages will have an equivalent emphatic particle, others may have a specific vocative form of the noun. The translator will need to consider how to call upon God in the receptor language and what role the repetition of Lord, Lord should play. For King who rulest over all things, several translations say “King Almighty” (so Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), while Chouraqui identifies this title with “Sabaoth,” traditionally translated “Lord of Hosts.” Today’s English Version has “King of all creation.”

The universe is in thy power is literally “in your power everything is.” That is, everything is subject to the Lord’s authority. Many languages will not have a single word universe and will prefer to remain close to the original text; for example, “everything is under your power.” Today’s English Version has “everything obeys your commands,” but this changes the emphasis from authority to obedience.

If it is thy will to save Israel: the Greek does not question whether or not it is God’s will to deliver Israel, but says rather “there is not one opposing you in your willing to save Israel” (similarly Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, “and there is no one who can withstand you in your determination to save Israel”). In some languages it may be necessary to state what it is that God can save Israel from. A prepositional phrase such as “from danger” or “from destruction” may be supplied (see 13.15-16 [C.8-9] below).

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 .

[Today’s English Version D.7; Revised Standard Version 15.7]

Lifting his face means that he looked toward her, he gave her his attention, and his face was literally, “burning with glory.” The author is consciously contrasting the description of Esther in verse 5 above with the king, who is now before her. If she had the look of one in love, he looked at her in the “bloom” or “height” of anger. The writer uses very vivid language to portray the scene at hand and to heighten the drama.

Faltered: literally “she fell.” The following words, however, clearly indicate that she did not fall completely to the floor. Perhaps this verb anticipates Esther falling on the head of the slave in front of her. To avoid giving the wrong impression that she fell twice, it may be best to state here that she “slumped” or “staggered” (New American Bible). Contrary to most translations, New Jerusalem Bible says that the queen “sank to the floor,” and then continues by stating that “her head fell against the lady-in-waiting beside her.” But the Greek is clear that Esther fell on the head of the lady-in-waiting, not that Esther’s head fell against the woman with her.

Turned pale and faint: literally “the color of her skin [complexion] changed in [or, because of] faintness.” The first adjective describes Esther’s appearance. This may be expressed as “her face became pale” or “her face became white.” The second adjective describes Esther’s state. In the king’s presence she became dizzy and weak; she may have temporarily lost consciousness, or “almost” done so (Today’s English Version). New Jerusalem Bible provides an idiomatic rendering in English: “As she fainted, the colour drained from her face.” A possible translation may be “her face became without color, and the bones of her body softened.”

Collapsed upon the head of the maid: the verb rendered collapsed means “to bow down upon.” Revised English Bible uses the idiomatic expression “she swooned,” which reinforces the idea of being faint or dizzy. It is not clear how Esther can lean against her slave’s head if Esther has bowed down. For this reason some translations say that she leaned her head on the attendant’s shoulder (so Today’s English Version, Revised English Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant). These words should not be translated in a way that presents an impossible image of Esther falling all the way to the floor and then falling on top of her slave’s head. Regarding the meaning of the word rendered maid, see the comments on verse 2.

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 .

Haman’s friends and his wise men are most likely the same group of people. Today’s English Version helps maintain the identity by repeating the word “friends,” that is, “Then she and those wise friends of his.” This interpretation also makes explicit an element of irony. Probably his wise men were advisers similar to those that the king had (1.13). Indeed, Revised English Bible and New Revised Standard Version use the word “advisers” rather than wise men. Most likely these were the same friends mentioned in 5.10, 14. HOTTP gives the reading his wise men a “B” evaluation. Some translations follow the reading “his friends” instead of his wise men. Translators are encouraged to follow the recommendation of HOTTP here, but for translation purposes it may be helpful to follow the model of Today’s English Version and insert the word “friends” to help maintain the identity.

Zeresh’s words, If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail …, must be understood against the background of biblical passages that speak of the ultimate victory of the Jews over the Amalekites (see comments on 3.1). Since Haman had already told his wife and friends that Mordecai was a Jew (see 5.13), the word If does not indicate doubt (see Today’s English Version). It rather expresses a condition: if this is true, then that is inevitable.

Of the Jewish people means “of Jewish origin” (New International Version). It may be easier and more accurate for the translator to follow the Hebrew, which says “If Mordecai is of the seed [offspring] of the Jews.”

Fall … prevail: these verbs suggest two images, that of physically falling down and that of a contest between persons. Haman is warned that he has already begun to fall before Mordecai, and that he will not be able to do anything against Mordecai (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), he will not be able “to stand against him” (New International Version). Using very forceful language his wife and his friends state their conclusion that Haman will surely fall before him. This is the Hebrew infinitive absolute that Chouraqui translates with repetition, “Yes, you will fall, you will fall before him.” However, the Hebrew form is similar to a pattern found in many African languages that may be translated “[as for] falling, you will fall before him.”

A literal translation of the words of Haman’s wise men and his wife reads “If from the seed [or, descendants] of the Jews Mordecai whom you began to fall before him, you will not be able against him. Truly to fall you will fall before him.” Today’s English Version has restructured considerably, and Revised Standard Version has done so to a lesser degree. Compare also Revised English Bible: “If you have begun to fall before Mordecai, and he is a Jew, you cannot get the better of him; your downfall before him is certain.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente restructures as follows: “[This is a] bad sign! With Mordecai you are now losing, and since he is a Hebrew, you will not succeed in winning out. For you, this is the end.” Translators need to be sure that this quotation is expressed in a clear manner in the receptor language.

Septuagint 6.13

Zosara, the name of Haman’s wife, is added in the Greek. Instead of the words “his wise men,” the Greek says his friends.

What had befallen him: the Greek does not specify “all the things” that had come upon him. Today’s English Version harmonizes and explicitly repeats “everything” from the Hebrew.

The words of Haman’s wife and friends are translated fairly literally by New Revised Standard Version: to be humiliated … fall … to defend yourself. Today’s English Version interprets and restates on the basis of the Hebrew, to make the meaning clearer in the context.

You will surely fall: using an emphatic construction similar to the Hebrew infinitive absolute (see above), the Greek says literally “having fallen you will fall.”

The Greek adds the words because the living God is with him at the end of verse 13. On the expression the living God, see comments on Addition E.16.

Today’s English Version, as well as some other translations such as New American Bible and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, begins a new section at 6.14. Others begin a new section at the beginning of the next verse, 7.1. For comments on verse 14 see the beginning of the next section.

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 .

[Today’s English Version E.10; Revised Standard Version 16.10]

The king has spoken in a general way; now he will give a specific example. The Greek begins the new sentence: “For thus Haman….” Today’s English Version sets off this new information with a new paragraph and with an imperative verb, “Consider, for example, the case of Haman.” Today’s English Version‘s command draws the attention of the reader to what will follow. Other languages will use their own discourse markers to indicate the new development in the king’s letter, “And thus it was that Haman” (compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous), or “It was in this way that Haman….”

Haman is called a Macedonian in the Greek, unlike the Hebrew (see comments on “Macedonian” in LXX 9.24 and 12.6 [A.17]). The note in New American Bible says that the term “Macedonian” is used here and in verse 14 “to express, after Macedonia’s conquest of Persia, the most odious [contemptible] kind of man that a Persian ruler could be supposed to think of.” See comments on verse 14. A Macedonian may be translated as “he comes from Macedonia” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) or “a son of Macedonia.”

An alien to the Persian blood means that Haman is not a Persian; he is “a foreigner” (Today’s English Version). Some receptor languages may restate to say “there is no trace of Persian blood in him” (see New Jerusalem Bible), or even “he is in no way a Persian descendant.” Some languages will say “he is not a son of the land.” Revised Standard Version puts this comment in parentheses as a kind of editorial comment, but most translations only set it off by commas. Today’s English Version restructures and makes a separate explanatory sentence.

Quite devoid of our kindliness … our guest: the king continues to present contrasts. Haman was “much lacking in our goodness,” that is, Haman was not at all characterized by the goodness that the king associated with himself. Perhaps this may be stated as “he is a person that our way of doing good things is not in him even a little.” Nevertheless “he was received hospitably by us.” Today’s English Version understands the plural pronouns here to be the plural of majesty (see verse 8).

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 .

That this verse is important in the author’s story is made clear by the number of keywords and expressions that it contains, including the final clause, which has already occurred twice before (see verses 10 and 15 above).

The relationship of the action in this verse to the action in verse 15 needs to be made clear. Verse 16 does not continue the action in linear fashion from verse 15. Rather verse 16 returns to the time of action found in verses 2-5. In English a pluperfect verb form may be used to indicate that the action in verse 16 comes before the action in verse 15: “Now the rest of the Jews in the king’s provinces had gathered” (FOX). Other languages will have their own ways of indicating previous action or previous time.

Now does not specify time but serves as a transitional marker shifting the scene from Susa to the provinces.

The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces also gathered …: as verse 17 makes clear, this verse refers to the action of the Jews outside of Susa, who defended themselves on the thirteenth day of Adar. Translators may want to bring the information regarding the date into verse 16 from verse 17 in order to avoid giving the impression that the time in verse 16 (thirteenth Adar) is the same day as the time of verse 15 (fourteenth Adar). For caution in regard to Today’s English Version‘s “organized” as the translation of gathered, see the comments on 8.11.

Following a slight change in the Hebrew text, New English Bible reads that the Jews “took vengeance on their enemies” rather than got relief from their enemies. Though this proposed change makes good sense of the verse, it has no support in the textual tradition and should be rejected, as Revised English Bible has done. HOTTP gives the Hebrew text an “A” evaluation, indicating that the reading in the Hebrew should not be altered. It is not clear whether the translation “They disposed of their enemies” in New Jerusalem Bible is based on the proposed change in the consonants of the Hebrew verb, or whether the verb “got relief” is interpreted to mean “they disposed of their enemies and therefore had relief from them.”

There is an apparent problem of the order in which the events happened, if “they got relief from their enemies” precedes “they killed those who hated them.” Today’s English Version and Bible en français courant resolve the contradiction by taking the second of the two statements as explaining how the first was accomplished. A number of other versions break the verse into two parts, the first giving the purpose of the Jews in assembling together, and the second stating what they did. New International Version, LSR, and Maredsous translate similarly: “The other Jews … gathered to defend themselves and to get relief from their enemies. They killed…, but they did not lay hands on plunder.”

Seventy-five thousand: for comment on writing numbers see 1.1-2.

Septuagint 9.16

The Septuagint expresses the events of this verse with a series of verbs linked by the conjunctions “and,” “for,” and finally “and” or “but”: “the Jews … assembled … and defended themselves … and got relief…; for they killed … but they looted nothing.” Both New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version have structured their translation of the Greek to be in harmony with their translation of the Hebrew.

The Greek says that the Jews destroyed fifteen thousand of their enemies. For comment on writing numbers see 1.1-2. The Septuagint here uses a new word for “enemies” that refers to adversaries in the context of fighting. The Greek also states explicitly in this verse that this happened “on the thirteenth day of Adar” (Today’s English Version, Revised English Bible), though New Revised Standard Version does not translate these words.

The final clause is the same in the Greek as in the preceding verse, “but [they] took no plunder,” although New Revised Standard Version modifies the translation slightly.

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 .