SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2000 – Page 19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 4:12

-13

Paragraph 4:12–14

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 7:4

7:4a

have been sold out: This could refer to the money Haman offered to the king (see note on 3:9b) or as a way of saying “betrayed” or “handed over to.” It is probably the latter.

destruction, death, and annihilation: These are translated from the same three Hebrew verbs as in 3:13b. See the note on that verse. Even if you do not use three words in your translation, be sure to use language that is very strong and includes the idea of no Jew being left alive.

7:4c

no such distress would justify burdening the king: The meaning of this clause in Hebrew is not clear because several of the words have more than one meaning. The two most likely meanings are:

(1) If Haman had intended only to sell the Jews as slaves, that would not have been sufficient reason to trouble the king with the problem.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word)

(2) The word translated distress in the Berean Standard Bible can also mean “enemy” and the verb translated burdening can also mean “compensate.” So the expression means that no enemy would be able to compensate for the loss to the king caused by the death of so many of the people in the empire.

(New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation.

© 2000 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 9:12

9:12a

In the citadel of Susa: See note on 1:2.

9:12b

What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces?: This is a rhetorical question. It means that if the Jews had killed 500 people in just one city, they must have killed many more than 500 in all the towns throughout the kingdom.

9:12c

These words are similar to what the king said in 5:6 and 7:2. See the notes for those verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 1:13

1:13a

the wise men who knew the times: There is a textual problem with this verse, in particular with the word translated times by the Berean Standard Bible. The two possibilities are:

(1) The text has the Hebrew word ʿitîm “times.” This is the text followed by the majority of the translations. This means the phrase could refer to astrologers, but here it probably refers to men who were experts in legal matters. For example, the Good News Translation has:

his advisers, who would know what should be done

(2) The text has ḏaṯîm, the plural of the word the Berean Standard Bible translates “law” in 1:13b. For example, the New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible have:

who knew the laws

It is recommended that you follow the first option like the Good News Translation.

1:13b

law and justice: The Hebrew words daṯ and dîn, translated law and justice in the Berean Standard Bible, go together. The second one probably refers to legal procedures.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 3:3

3:3a

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

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 5:8

5:8a

if it pleases the king: See note on 1:19a.

5:8b

banquet: See note on 1:9.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 8:5

8:5a

This part of the verse contains four main clauses:

1. If it pleases the king

2. and if I have found favor in his sight

3. and the matter seems proper to the king

4. and I am pleasing in his sight

Clause 1, If it pleases the king, is similar in meaning to clause 3, and the matter seems proper to the king, and clause 2, and if I have found favor in his sight, is similar in meaning to clause 4, and I am pleasing in his sight.

You need to decide in your translation whether you should translate each clause separately or whether you should combine clauses. Any of these ways is acceptable, so you can choose the one that can be most easily translated into your language. Good News Translation has translated clauses 1 and 3 separately but combined 2 and 4. You could also combine 1 and 3, then combine 2 and 4, as in the Contemporary English Version:

I know you will do the right thing, and that you really love me

8:5b

letters: See note on 1:22a.

Agagite: See note on 3:1a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 9:24

9:24a

For: This introduces a summary of the first eight chapters of Esther. It gives once more the reason for the festival of Purim and why it had that name. It may be what Mordecai wrote in his account (see 9:20).

Agagite: See note on 3:1a.

9:24b

Pur: See note on 3:7b.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2000