3:1 Some time later 3 King Ahasuerus promoted 4 Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position 5 above that of all the officials who were with him.
4:1 Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he 10 tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud 11 and bitter voice.
6:10 The king then said to Haman, “Go quickly! Take the clothing and the horse, just as you have described, and do as you just indicated to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Don’t neglect 17 a single thing of all that you have said.”
8:3 Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews. 18
8:11 The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves – to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, 19 and to confiscate their property.
1 sn That Esther was able so effectively to conceal her Jewish heritage suggests that she was not consistently observing Jewish dietary and religious requirements. As C. A. Moore observes, “In order for Esther to have concealed her ethnic and religious identity…in the harem, she must have eaten…, dressed, and lived like a Persian rather than an observant Jewess” (Esther [AB], 28.) In this regard her public behavior stands in contrast to that of Daniel, for example.
2 tc The LXX adds the words “to fear God.”
3 tn Heb “after these things” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV “After these events.”
4 tn Heb “made great”; NAB “raised…to high rank”; NIV “honored.”
5 tn Heb “chair”; KJV, NRSV “seat”; NASB “established his authority.”
5 tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”
6 tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.
7 tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.
8 tc This parenthetical phrase is not included in the LXX. Some scholars emend the MT reading עַם (’am, “people”) to עִם (’im, “with”), arguing that the phrase is awkwardly placed and syntactically inappropriate. While there is some truth to their complaint, the MT makes sufficient sense to be acceptable here, and is followed by most English versions.
7 tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
8 tn Heb “great.”
9 tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.”
11 tn Heb “she obtained grace in his eyes”; NASB “she obtained favor in his sight”; NIV “he was pleased with her”; NLT “he welcomed her.”
13 tn Heb “if upon the king it is good.” Cf. the similar expression in v. 4, which also occurs in 7:3; 8:5; 9:13.
14 tn Heb “and tomorrow” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “and then.”
15 tn Heb “I will do according to the word of the king,” i.e., answer the question that he has posed. Cf. NCV “Then I will answer your question about what I want.”
15 tn Heb “do not let fall”; NASB “do not fall short.”
17 sn As in 7:4 Esther avoids implicating the king in this plot. Instead Haman is given sole responsibility for the plan to destroy the Jews.
19 tn Heb “children and women.” As in 3:13, the translation follows contemporary English idiom, which reverses the order.
21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Haman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.