When the time was fulfilled for Esther daughter of Aminadab, the brother of Mordecai’s father, to go in to the king, she neglected none of the things that the eunuch in charge of the women had commanded. For Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
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 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)
The name that is transliterated as “Esther” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting a star on a crown, referring to her being a queen and her name likely meaning “star” (see here ). (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.”
When the turn came: Revised Standard Version begins a new paragraph with a temporal clause, thereby indicating a new development in the story. If it is difficult to find an equivalent for turn, it may be useful to restate, “When the time [or, day] came for Esther.” This may be restructured in a form of a separate sentence, as Today’s English Version has done.
As in verse 13, the Hebrew does not actually state that Hegai’s advice concerned what Esther wore, though his advice no doubt included suggestions on how to dress (see Today’s English Version: “she wore just what Hegai … advised her to wear”).
Abihail: as in Num 3.35 and 1 Chr 5.14, Abihail is a man’s name; but in 1 Chr 2.29 and 2 Chr 11.18 it is the name of a woman.
Uncle: see comments on 2.7.
The king’s eunuch: see comments on 2.3.
Esther found favor: that this is a key phrase in the Hebrew story of Esther is indicated in the original text by the transitional formula “and it was” (wayyehi) placed at the beginning of this clause, and rendered Now in Revised Standard Version. The Hebrew word translated in some versions as favor (chen) is not the same as that found in verse 9 above. Therefore in this context some translations reflect the attitude of others toward her (New Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version; so also Bible en français courant). Chouraqui translates literally that she was “the bearer of grace in the eyes of all who saw her.” Some languages will have a similar idiom; for example, “everyone saw her with [or, through] good eyes” or “everyone’s heart [or, liver] was good toward her.”
Septuagint 2.15
To mark the beginning of the new episode, the Septuagint uses the conjunction de, which often marks some degree of contrast with what precedes. Here, however, this conjunction simply serves to mark a transition. In some languages it may not even be translated. The Septuagint omits the words “who had adopted her as his own daughter,” omits the name of the eunuch, and calls Esther’s father “Aminadab” as in 2.7. The Greek does not mention the name of the eunuch in this verse. Both New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version have inserted the name from verse 14.
To go in to the king: although the Greek verb used here is different from that in verses 13 and 14 above, the meaning is the same.
Unlike the Hebrew, which says that Esther “did not seek to find anything except what Hegai said [or, suggested],” the Greek says more forcefully that “she neglected nothing of which the eunuch commanded.”
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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