4:1 Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he 6 tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud 7 and bitter voice.
2:8 It so happened that when the king’s edict and his law became known 8 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 9 to be under the authority of Hegai, who was overseeing the women.
75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,
or from the wilderness. 10
75:7 For God is the judge! 11
He brings one down and exalts another. 12
113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 13
113:8 that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
17:24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.
I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.
I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.
I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’”
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 14
For 15 from now on 16 all generations will call me blessed, 17
1:49 because he who is mighty 18 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 19 generation to generation he is merciful 20 to those who fear 21 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 22 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 23 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 24 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 25
1 tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”
2 tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”
3 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.
4 tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
5 tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”
6 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.
7 tn Heb “great.”
8 tn Heb “were heard” (so NASB); NRSV “were (had been NIV) proclaimed.”
9 tn Heb “the house of the king.” So also in vv. 9, 13. Cf. NLT “the king’s harem.”
10 tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.
11 tn Or “judges.”
12 tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.
13 sn The language of v. 7 is almost identical to that of 1 Sam 2:8.
14 tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.
15 tn Grk “for behold.”
16 sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).
17 sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
18 tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”
19 tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.
20 sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.
21 tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
22 tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.
23 tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.
24 tn Or “rulers.”
25 tn Or “those of humble position”