21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry and conspired to kill King Ahasuerus.
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).
The name that is transliterated as “Bigthan” in English means “gift of fortune,” “giving meat,” “A giver of pastry,” “in their winepress.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that shows that he is an officer of the king (why the signal was made at the shoulder); the X shape reflects this character’s wickedness; and the circular motion is inspired by the meaning of the name: “in the winepress.” (Source: Missão Kophós )
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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 2:21:
Kupsabiny: “In those days, there were some two people who were guarding the king’s home. One of them was called Bigthana and the other one was Teresh. There was a time when those people became annoyed and wanted to kill the king. Those things happened when Mordecai was in the council room doing his work.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “One day when Mordecai was standing at the main gate of the royal palace. Two of the king’s gate guards, Bigthana and Teresh, being dissatisfied with the king, conspired to kill the king.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “During the time that Mordecai was already an officer who had-positioned in the entrance/gate of the palace, there were two officers of the king that their names were Bigtana and Teres. They were- the ones-guarding the door of the king’s room. Now, they became-angry with King Ahasuerus and they plotted to kill him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru: “But when Mordecai was sitting guarding the door of the king’s house, there were two assistants to the king by the name of Bigthan and Teresh who guarded the door to the king’s bedroom. They hated the king and they plotted to kill King Xerxes.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
English: “One day when Mordecai was doing his work in the palace, two of the king’s officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who stood outside the king’s own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could assassinate/kill him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.”
A duplicate version of the incident recounted here in 2.21-23 occurs with some differences in the Septuagint at the beginning of the book of Esther (Addition A).
In those days refers to the time setting described in verse 19. Some languages will need to make the opening clause less ambiguous, perhaps using an expression similar to Good News Translation, “At the time that…,” or simply “When….”
Regarding the meaning and translation of sitting at the king’s gate, see comments on verse 19.
Bigthan and Teresh are mentioned again in 6.2.
On eunuchs see 1.10. These two eunuchs guarded the threshold, that is, they guarded the entrance to the king’s private living quarters in the palace. Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente say that they guarded the entrance to “the royal apartments.” An equivalent expression may be “the sleeping place of the king.” The Greek states why the two guards became angry, but since the Hebrew does not, translators should not attempt to provide a reason here.
The words “to lay hands on someone” mean in this context “to kill someone” (see 3.6; Gen 37.22). Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version both say “to assassinate,” a technical term referring to premeditated murder, usually of an important person. An idiom equivalent to “lay hands on” may be used, or the intent to kill the king may be stated explicitly.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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