14Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a pole fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hung on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits.” This advice pleased Haman, and he had the pole made.
The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Similarly, in Akoose, the translation is “arm distance.” (Source: Joseph Nkwelle Ngome and Marlie van Rooyen & Jacobus A. Naudé in Communicatio 2009, p. 251ff.)
In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm). (Source: Don Slager)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Mordecai” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting the tearing of clothes, referring to Esther 4:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Haman” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “stuck up,” exemplified in Esther 5:11. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, 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 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.”
Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation reflect two different styles and, by implication, two different settings. Revised Standard Version presents family and friends offering counsel, while Good News Translation depicts the giving of casual advice. The translator needs to be consistent in the style that is adopted.
On gallows and hanged see comments on 2.23. The gallows that Haman built was fifty cubits high. A cubit is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, or about forty-five to fifty centimeters (about eighteen inches). The gallows was therefore about twenty-five meters high (seventy-five feet).
Tell the king: the Hebrew says literally “tell the king,” but many versions render it “ask the king” (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible).
In today’s English merrily suggests childish behavior. Other translations express a similar idea: “gaily” (New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant); “without a care in the world” (New Jerusalem Bible). But the basic meaning of the Hebrew word is “joyful, rejoicing, happy.” Haman is an important person and he will accompany the king to a dinner prepared by the queen. He should not be described in frivolous terms. His wife and friends give him advice so that he can go to the dinner “in good spirits” (New Revised Standard Version), “happy” (Good News Translation, New International Version), or “joyful” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
This counsel: literally “the word,” davar. Good News Translation states in idiomatic language “Haman thought this [suggestion] was a good idea.” The contrast between the tragic fate that is being planned for Mordecai and Haman’s selfish joy is very apparent in this verse.
He had the gallows made: literally “he built the gallows.” Since Haman would not have built the gallows with his own hands, Revised Standard Version restructures and uses a causative construction. Other languages may do the same, perhaps specifying that “he caused his servants to build the gallows.”
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 .
a gallows…Mordecai hanged on it: See note on 2:23b. The pole, or some kind of structure made of wood, was to be very tall (75 feet or 25 meters) so that everybody would see Mordecai’s dead body.
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