SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2000

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 1:12

1:12b

became furious, and his anger burned within him: The Hebrew uses two expressions to show how very angry the king was. You need to decide whether you should use two expressions in your language or just one very strong expression to show the same thing.

Paragraph 1:13–15

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 3:2

3:2a

royal servants: See note on “official” at 1:3a.

at the king’s gate: See note on 2:19b.

bowed down: Literally “prostrate oneself,” that is, a person knelt on the ground and bent forward until his head touched the ground. It was a common way of showing respect to someone very important. If such actions in your culture do not mean showing respect, you will have to add this implicit information or state the information in a footnote.

3:2b-c

The text does not explain why Mordecai refused to bow down. The only clue given is 3:4, where he seems to have told the other servants that it was because he was a Jew. Perhaps he refused to bow down because he thought this would be disobeying the second commandment (Exodus 20:4).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 5:7

5:7

This is my petition and my request: As mentioned in the note on 5:6b, these words mean the same thing.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 8:4

8:4

extended the gold scepter: By doing this, the king was permitting Esther to speak.

the gold scepter: See note on 4:11b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 9:22

-23

9:22a

gained rest from their enemies: See note on 9:16b.

9:22b

their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday: There are two parallel expressions in the Hebrew:

their sorrow wa

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2:1

Section 2:1–18

The king chose a new queen

Some time later the king decided to choose a new queen to replace Vashti. Many beautiful girls were brought to the palace and Esther was among them. When her turn came to go to the king, he liked her better than any other girl, so he chose her to be his new queen.

Paragraph 2:1–4

2:1

Some time later: This is a vague term. It may have been three or four years after the events of chapter 1, and after the king had returned from a war with Greece, since 2:16 states that Esther went to the king in the seventh year of Xerxes’ reign.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 3:14

3:14a

edict: See note on 1:20a.

was to be issued: The edict was to be made public, so that everybody would know about it and know that it was a law that must be obeyed. Probably when the document arrived in each town, officials would go to different parts of the area and read it aloud. It is also possible (though less likely) that it was displayed in a public place for people to read.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 6:4

-5

6:4b

Now: This word here does not mean “at the present time.” The Berean Standard Bible has added this word to show that this piece of information is a sort of parenthesis. It is something which has already happened or has j

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2000