But Haman son of Hammedatha, a Bougean, who was in great honor with the king, determined to injure Mordecai and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “eunuch” in English is translated in Low German as “man (or: person) who does not have male strength” (Minsch, de ehr Mannskraft nicht hebt) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006). Similarly, in the German Luther Bible it is translated as Entmannter or “de-masculated.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
When the mentioning of “eunuch” does not play an important part of the story, such as in Esther 2:3 or Esther 1:15, the Elhomwe translation uses “servant or “someone working at the palace” “because otherwise element of being castrated too much emphasis.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”
In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”
The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the Icelandic patronymic or matronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)
The name that is transliterated as “Haman” in English means “alone,” “solitary,” “well disposed,” “a rioter,” “rager.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
The name that is transliterated as “Mordecai” in English means “little man,” “bitter bruising,” “bitterly reduced,” “bitterness of my oppression.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting the tearing of clothes, referring to Esther 4:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
[Today’s English Version A.17; Revised Standard Version 12.6]
Here Haman is introduced to the reader of the Greek version of Esther for the first time, and his importance is briefly alluded to. Enough is said, however, to create anticipation of conflict to come.
Here and in 3.1 the Greek text refers to Haman as a Bougaean. The meaning of this word is uncertain. Scholars have suggested four different explanations of the term: (1) Possibly it is a nickname meaning “Braggart” (so the marginal note in Bible en français courant and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says here “nicknamed Bougaean, that is the Braggart.” (2) The word Bougaean (Greek Bougaios) may be a scribal error for the word Agagite (Greek agagaios). (3) The word Bougaean may come from a word meaning “god,” specifically the god Mithra. A Bougaean will then be someone who worships the god Mithra. (4) The word Bougaean may be a proper noun. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “son of Hammedatha and descendant of Bougai.”
Most recently a new explanation has been suggested in light of manuscript discoveries at Qumran. In 1991 J. T. Milik published a few fragments from 4Q550, a Qumran scroll written in Aramaic. Although the fragments are small and have many omissions in the text, Milik considered this manuscript to have been a source for the biblical book of Esther; and he called the manuscript “Aramaic Proto-Esther.” The second column of fragment d refers to someone named “Bagoshe,” and it has been suggested that Bagoshe may have been the source of the word Bougaean An English translation of these fragments may be found in Florentino Garcia Martinez, k The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in Englishk* (Leiden: E. J. Brill; and Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans; second edition, 1996), pages 291-292. See also Sidnie White Crawford, “Has Every Book of the Bible Been Found Among the Dead Sea Scrolls?” (k The Bible Reviewk* 12, October 1996, pages 28-33, 56).. But such a suggestion is only speculation.
Since the meaning of this word is not known, it may be better to place the possible meanings in a footnote, as in Bible en français courant and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, rather than in the text, as in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy.
Some translations simply add the Greek Additions to the Hebrew text rather than translate the Greek text in its entirety; they have kept the name “the Agagite” here instead of “a Bougaean,” in order to harmonize the name in the Greek text with the Hebrew name in the rest of Esther (so New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous).
At the time the Additions to Esther were written, the Macedonians were enemies of the Jews, just as the Agagites had been in earlier Jewish history. Since Haman is called a “Macedonian” in the Greek text of 9.24 and in 16.10 (Addition E.10), probably the word “Bougaean” was also a term of reproach.
To injure here means “to cause evil to, to do ill to” Mordecai and his people.
His people refers to “the Jews,” as Today’s English Version makes explicit, and not just to his family members. The Greek word here is laos, a word that is frequently used in the New Testament with reference to the Jews (compare A.6, where ethnos is used).
Because of the two eunuchs is an allusion to the fact that it was because of Mordecai that the two eunuchs lost their lives (see Today’s English Version). It is possible that Haman also was involved in the plot (compare E.12).
Those who translate the LXX in its normal order should continue with the text and discussion on page 16.
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 .
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