Esther 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ¹  and she found favor with him. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her rations; he also provided her with the seven specially chosen ²  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ³ 

Esther 4:14

4:14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew ⁴  who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear ⁵  from another source, ⁶  while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be ⁷  that you have achieved royal status ⁸  for such a time as this!”

Esther 2:4

2:4 Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive ⁹  become queen in place of Vashti.” This seemed like a good idea to the king, ¹⁰  so he acted accordingly.

Esther 6:8

6:8 let them bring royal attire which the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden – one bearing the royal insignia! ¹¹ 

Esther 7:8

7:8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down ¹²  on the couch where Esther was lying. ¹³  The king exclaimed, “Will he also attempt to rape the queen while I am still in the building!”

As these words left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Esther 1:14

1:14 Those who were closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were the seven officials of Persia and Media who saw the king on a regular basis ¹⁴  and had the most prominent offices ¹⁵  in the kingdom.

Esther 2:17

2:17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval ¹⁶  more than all the other young women. ¹⁷  So he placed the royal high turban on her head and appointed her queen ¹⁸  in place of Vashti.

Esther 2:8

2:8 It so happened that when the king’s edict and his law became known ¹⁹  many young women were taken to Susa the citadel to be placed under the authority of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the royal palace ²⁰  to be under the authority of Hegai, who was overseeing the women.

Esther 1:1

The King Throws a Lavish Party

1:1 ²¹ The following events happened ²²  in the days of Ahasuerus. ²³  (I am referring to ²⁴  that Ahasuerus who used to rule over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces ²⁵  extending all the way from India to Ethiopia. ²⁶ )

Esther 3:1

Haman Conspires to Destroy the Jews

3:1 Some time later ²⁷  King Ahasuerus promoted ²⁸  Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position ²⁹  above that of all the officials who were with him.

Esther 8:12

8:12 This was to take place on a certain day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus – namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar).

Esther 4:5

4:5 So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been placed at her service, ³⁰  and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai’s behavior. ³¹ 

Esther 4:7

4:7 Then Mordecai related to him everything that had happened to him, even the specific amount of money that Haman had offered to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews to be destroyed.

Esther 6:11

6:11 So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai. He led him about on the horse throughout the plaza of the city, calling before him, “So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!”

Esther 9:19

9:19 This is why the Jews who are in the rural country – those who live in rural cities – set aside the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a holiday for happiness, banqueting, holiday, and sending gifts to one another.

Esther 10:2

10:2 Now all the actions carried out under his authority and his great achievements, along with an exact statement concerning the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

Esther 1:19

1:19 If the king is so inclined, ³²  let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed, ³³  that Vashti ³⁴  may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another ³⁵  who is more deserving than she. ³⁶ 

Esther 2:3

2:3 And let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the attractive young women to Susa the citadel, to the harem ³⁷  under the authority of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who oversees the women, and let him provide whatever cosmetics they desire. ³⁸ 

Esther 5:1

Esther Appeals to the King for Help

5:1 It so happened that on the third day Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace, ³⁹  opposite the king’s quarters. ⁴⁰  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the palace, opposite the entrance. ⁴¹ 

Esther 6:13

6:13 Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, ⁴²  along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, “If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, ⁴³  you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!”

Esther 7:9

7:9 Harbona, ⁴⁴  one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Indeed, there is the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke out in the king’s behalf. It stands near Haman’s home and is seventy-five feet ⁴⁵  high.”

The king said, “Hang him on it!”

¹ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

² tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

³ tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

⁴ tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”

⁵ tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”

⁶ tn Heb “place” (so KJV, NIV, NLT); NRSV “from another quarter.” This is probably an oblique reference to help coming from God. D. J. A. Clines disagrees; in his view a contrast between deliverance by Esther and deliverance by God is inappropriate (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther [NCBC], 302). But Clines’ suggestion that perhaps the reference is to deliverance by Jewish officials or by armed Jewish revolt is less attractive than seeing this veiled reference as part of the literary strategy of the book, which deliberately keeps God’s providential dealings entirely in the background.

⁷ tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.

⁸ tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”

⁷ tn Heb “who is good in the eyes of the king.”

⁸ tn Heb “the matter was good in the eyes of the king.” Cf. TEV “The king thought this was good advice.”

¹⁰ tc The final comment (“one on whose head the royal crown has been”) is not included in the LXX.

¹³ tn Heb “falling”; NAB, NRSV “had (+ just TEV) thrown himself (+ down TEV).”

¹⁴ tn Heb “where Esther was” (so KJV, NASB). The term “lying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “was reclining.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “seers of the face of the king”; NASB “who had access to the king’s presence.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “were sitting first”; NAB “held first rank in the realm.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “grace and loyal love.” The expression is probably a hendiadys.

²⁰ tc The LXX does not include the words “more than all the other young women.”

²¹ tn Heb “caused her to rule.”

²² tn Heb “were heard” (so NASB); NRSV “were (had been NIV) proclaimed.”

²³ tn Heb “the house of the king.” So also in vv. 9, 13. Cf. NLT “the king’s harem.”

²⁵ sn In the English Bible Esther appears adjacent to Ezra-Nehemiah and with the historical books, but in the Hebrew Bible it is one of five short books (the so-called Megillot) that appear toward the end of the biblical writings. The canonicity of the book was questioned by some in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. It is one of five OT books that were at one time regarded as antilegomena (i.e., books “spoken against”). The problem with Esther was the absence of any direct mention of God. Some questioned whether a book that did not mention God could be considered sacred scripture. Attempts to resolve this by discovering the tetragrammaton (YHWH) encoded in the Hebrew text (e.g., in the initial letters of four consecutive words in the Hebrew text of Esth 5:4) are unconvincing, although they do illustrate how keenly the problem was felt by some. Martin Luther also questioned the canonicity of this book, objecting to certain parts of its content. Although no copy of Esther was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, this does not necessarily mean that the Qumran community did not regard it as canonical. It is possible that the absence of Esther from what has survived at Qumran is merely a coincidence. Although the book does not directly mention God, it would be difficult to read it without sensing the providence of God working in powerful, though at times subtle, ways to rescue his people from danger and possible extermination. The absence of mention of the name of God may be a deliberate part of the literary strategy of the writer.

²⁶ tn Heb “it came about”; KJV, ASV “Now it came to pass.”

²⁷ tn Where the Hebrew text has “Ahasuerus” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) in this book the LXX has “Artaxerxes.” The ruler mentioned in the Hebrew text is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.), and a number of modern English versions use “Xerxes” (e.g., NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).

²⁸ tn Heb “in the days of Ahasuerus, that Ahasuerus who used to rule…” The phrase “I am referring to” has been supplied to clarify the force of the third person masculine singular pronoun, which is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun.

²⁹ sn The geographical extent of the Persian empire was vast. The division of Xerxes’ empire into 127 smaller provinces was apparently done for purposes of administrative efficiency.

³⁰ tn Heb “Cush” (so NIV, NCV; KJV “Ethiopia”) referring to the region of the upper Nile in Africa. India and Cush (i.e., Ethiopia) are both mentioned in a tablet taken from the foundation of Xerxes’ palace in Persepolis that describes the extent of this empire. See ANET 316-17.

²⁸ tn Heb “after these things” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV “After these events.”

²⁹ tn Heb “made great”; NAB “raised…to high rank”; NIV “honored.”

³⁰ tn Heb “chair”; KJV, NRSV “seat”; NASB “established his authority.”

³¹ tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.”

³² tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”

³⁴ sn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.” Deferential language was common in ancient Near Eastern court language addressing a despot; it occurs often in Esther.

³⁵ sn Laws…that cannot be repealed. On the permanence of the laws of Media and Persia see also Esth 8:8 and Dan 6:8, 12, 15.

³⁶ sn Previously in this chapter the word “queen” accompanies Vashti’s name (cf. vv. 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17). But here, in anticipation of her demotion, the title is dropped.

³⁷ tn Heb “her neighbor”; NIV “someone else.”

³⁸ tn Heb “who is better than she.” The reference is apparently to worthiness of the royal position as demonstrated by compliance with the king’s wishes, although the word טוֹב (tob, “good”) can also be used of physical beauty. Cf. NAB, NASB, NLT “more worthy than she.”

³⁷ tn Heb “the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 9, 11, 13, and 14.

³⁸ tn Heb “their ointments”; cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “beauty treatments.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “of the house of the king”; NASB, NRSV “of the king’s palace.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “the house of the king”; NASB “the king’s rooms”; NIV, NLT “the king’s hall.” This expression is used twice in this verse. In the first instance, it is apparently the larger palace complex that is in view, whereas in the second instance the expression seems to refer specifically to the quarters from which the king governed.

⁴² tn Heb “the entrance of the house” (so ASV).

⁴³ tc Part of the Greek tradition and the Syriac Peshitta understand this word as “friends,” probably reading the Hebrew term רֲכָמָיו (rakhamayv, “his friends”) rather than the reading of the MT חֲכָמָיו (hakhamayv, “his wise men”). Cf. NLT “all his friends”; the two readings appear to be conflated by TEV as “those wise friends of his.”

⁴⁴ tn Heb “from the seed of the Jews”; KJV, ASV similar.

⁴⁶ sn Cf. 1:10, where Harbona is one of the seven eunuchs sent by the king to summon Queen Vashti to his banquet.

⁴⁷ tn Heb “fifty cubits.” See the note on this expression in Esth 5:14.