[Today’s English Version E.14; Revised Standard Version 16.14]

This verse is interpreted two ways: (1) Haman thought he would find the king alone and without anyone to defend him or to fight on his behalf (so Revised Standard Version, Chouraqui, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous), or (2) Haman thought he would “leave” the king isolated and without support (so Today’s English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The first may be translated “His thoughts said that in this way he would surprise us that there would be no one to stand behind us,” while the second may be said as “His thoughts were to leave us alone with no one to help us in order for….” One translation has said “His heart said that since we would get some people beside our body to help us not, then he would take the country [of the Persians] from our hands and give it to the people of Macedonia.”

Us is a plural of majesty according to Anchor Bible, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente (see comments on verse 1).

Transfer means to “convey” or to “hand over.” Haman intended to take the kingdom and give it to the Macedonians. Some languages will use a special combination of verbs called serial verbs to express this act. Haman’s intention was to “take-give” the kingdom.

The Macedonians: Macedonia was a region in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula. Philip the Macedonian and his son Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. extended their rule over the former Persian empire. This reference in the Greek text is anachronistic. It is out of place historically, since the Macedonians were not a threat to the Persians at the time of Xerxes, who died in 465 B.C. For comments on Macedonians and Persians, see verse 10.

Even though this verse is out of place historically, it is part of the story and must not be omitted.

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 .