Esther 1:8

1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, ¹  for the king had instructed all of his supervisors ²  that they should do as everyone so desired. ³ 

Esther 1:15

1:15 The king asked, ⁴  “By law, ⁵  what should be done to Queen Vashti in light of the fact that she has not obeyed the instructions of King Ahasuerus conveyed through the eunuchs?”

Esther 2:23

2:23 The king then had the matter investigated and, finding it to be so, had the two conspirators ⁶  hanged on a gallows. ⁷  It was then recorded in the daily chronicles in the king’s presence.

Esther 4:5

4:5 So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been placed at her service, ⁸  and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai’s behavior. ⁹ 

Esther 5:4

5:4 Esther replied, “If the king is so inclined, ¹⁰  let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

Esther 6:3

6:3 The king asked, “What great honor ¹¹  was bestowed on Mordecai because of this?” The king’s attendants who served him responded, “Not a thing was done for him.”

Esther 8:2

8:2 The king then removed his signet ring (the very one he had taken back from Haman) and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther designated Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s estate.

Esther 9:24

9:24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised plans against the Jews to destroy them. He had cast pur (that is, the lot) in order to afflict and destroy them.

¹ tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”

² tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”

³ tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”

⁴ tn These words are not present in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT, all of which supply similar phrases).

⁵ tc The location of the prepositional phrase “according to law” is somewhat unusual in the Hebrew text, but not so much so as to require emendation. Some scholars suggest deleting the phrase as an instance of dittography from the final part of the immediately preceding word in v. 14. Others suggest taking the phrase with the end of v. 14 rather than with v. 15. Both proposals, however, lack adequate justification.

⁷ tn Heb “they both were hanged.” The referent (the two eunuchs who conspired against the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Or “on a pole”; KJV, ASV “on a tree.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.”

¹¹ tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”

¹³ tn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; NASB “If it please the king.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “honor and greatness.” The expression is a hendiadys (see the note on 5:10 for an explanation of this figure).