[Today’s English Version D.2-3; Revised Standard Version 15.2-3]

Majestically adorned interprets the Greek in terms of Esther’s dress and appearance, while other translations emphasize her royal bearing (Today’s English Version) or personal radiance (New Jerusalem Bible).

Invoking the aid … God: Today’s English Version makes clear that this means that Esther “prayed … to her God” but seems to miss the element of asking God for help (see 4.11, which mentions the danger of appearing before the king).

The all-seeing God and Savior is translated by Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente as “God who watches over all people and saves them” (so also Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). In classical literature “watcher” or “overseer” is the meaning often associated with the epithet translated by Revised Standard Version as all-seeing. Other translations, however, interpret all-seeing as “the one who sees everything” (Today’s English Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Chouraqui). Savior occurs here for the first time in the book, although the verb “to deliver, to save” and the noun “deliverance, safety” have occurred a number of times. Today’s English Version writes “savior” with a lowercase “s” to indicate that this is not used with the New Testament meaning of “Savior.” The Greek states that God is a savior but does not state whom he saves. The Greek is ambiguous and may mean “God who watches over all people and saves them [all people]” or “God who sees all people and saves [some] people.”

Today’s English Version makes explicit what is implied in the original text, namely, that Esther “left her room” or “went out of her room.”

The Greek noun rendered maids is better translated “favorite slaves” or “faithful slaves.”

The Greek says literally that Esther “leaned delicately on one of the maids.” Today’s English Version understands this to mean that she was “walking like a queen,” her arm being held by the maid. She was walking daintily as a well-bred woman of that era was expected to walk. Nueva Biblia Española, following this understanding, says “leaning softly with a delicate elegance.” The precise sense of the word translated delicately in Revised Standard Version is debated. Some interpreters take the Greek here to mean that she walked “languishingly” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade), meaning that she appeared weak and had an expression of grief that would appeal to the king’s sympathy. Others understand the sense to be that Esther leaned “voluptuously” (sensuously) in order to appeal to the sexual desires of the king (so Osty-Trinquet). Either interpretation is possible, and translators must simply chose one of the two possible meanings.

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 .