Esther 3:10

3:10 So the king removed his signet ring ¹  from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, who was hostile toward the Jews.

Esther 3:12

3:12 So the royal scribes ²  were summoned in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month. Everything Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps ³  and governors who were in every province and to the officials of every people, province by province according to its script and people by people according to its language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

Esther 6:7-12

6:7 So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor, 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! ⁴  6:9 Then let this clothing and this horse be given to one of the king’s noble officials. Let him ⁵  then clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead him about through the plaza of the city on the horse, calling ⁶  before him, ‘So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!’”

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 ⁷  a single thing of all that you have said.”

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!”

6:12 Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

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 8:8

8:8 Now you write in the king’s name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king’s signet ring. Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded.

Esther 8:10

8:10 Mordecai ⁸  wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. He then sent letters by couriers on horses, who rode royal horses that were very swift.

Esther 8:15

8:15 Now Mordecai went out from the king’s presence in purple and white royal attire, with a large golden crown and a purple linen mantle. The city of Susa shouted with joy. ⁹ 

Esther 10:3

10:3 Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was the highest-ranking ¹⁰  Jew, and he was admired by his numerous relatives. ¹¹  He worked enthusiastically ¹²  for the good of his people and was an advocate for the welfare of ¹³  all his descendants. ¹⁴ 

Daniel 2:46-47

2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed down with his face to the ground ¹⁵  and paid homage to Daniel. He gave orders to offer sacrifice and incense to him. 2:47 The king replied to Daniel, “Certainly your God is a God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery!”

Daniel 5:7

5:7 The king called out loudly ¹⁶  to summon ¹⁷  the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed ¹⁸  to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple ¹⁹  and have a golden collar ²⁰  placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel 5:29

5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, ²¹  Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom.

Luke 15:22

15:22 But the father said to his slaves, ²²  ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, ²³  and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger ²⁴  and sandals ²⁵  on his feet!

[3:10]  ¹ sn Possessing the king’s signet ring would enable Haman to act with full royal authority. The king’s ring would be used to impress the royal seal on edicts, making them as binding as if the king himself had enacted them.

[3:12]  ² tn Or “secretaries” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[3:12]  ³ tn Or “princes” (so NLT); CEV “highest officials.”

[6:8]  ⁴ tc The final comment (“one on whose head the royal crown has been”) is not included in the LXX.

[6:9]  ⁵ tc The present translation reads with the LXX וְהִלְבִּישׁוֹ (vÿhilbisho, “and he will clothe him”) rather than the reading of the MT וְהִלְבִּישׁוּ (vÿhilbishu, “and they will clothe”). The reading of the LXX is also followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV, and NLT. Likewise, the later verbs in this verse (“cause him to ride” and “call”) are better taken as singulars rather than plurals.

[6:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and let them call” (see the previous note).

[6:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “do not let fall”; NASB “do not fall short.”

[8:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “He”; the referent (Mordecai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “shouted and rejoiced.” The expression is a hendiadys (see the note on 5:10 for an explanation of this figure).

[10:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “great among the Jews” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “preeminent among the Jews”; NRSV “powerful among the Jews.”

[10:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “brothers”; NASB “kinsmen”; NIV “fellow Jews.”

[10:3]  ¹² tn Heb “he was seeking”; NAB “as the promoter of his people’s welfare.”

[10:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “he was speaking peace to”; NRSV “and interceded for the welfare of.”

[10:3]  ¹⁴ sn A number of additions to the Book of Esther appear in the apocryphal (or deuterocanonical) writings. These additions supply further information about various scenes described in the canonical book and are interesting in their own right. However, they were never a part of the Hebrew Bible. The placement of this additional material in certain Greek manuscripts of the Book of Esther may be described as follows. At the beginning of Esther there is an account (= chapter 11) of a dream in which Mordecai is warned by God of a coming danger for the Jews. In this account two great dragons, representing Mordecai and Haman, prepare for conflict. But God responds to the prayers of his people, and the crisis is resolved. This account is followed by another one (= chapter 12) in which Mordecai is rewarded for disclosing a plot against the king’s life. After Esth 3:13 there is a copy of a letter from King Artaxerxes authorizing annihilation of the Jews (= chapter 13). After Esth 4:17 the account continues with a prayer of Mordecai (= part of chapter 13), followed by a prayer of Esther (= chapter 14), and an account which provides details about Esther’s appeal to the king in behalf of her people (= chapter 15). After Esth 8:12 there is a copy of a letter from King Artaxerxes in which he denounces Haman and his plot and authorizes his subjects to assist the Jews (= chapter 16). At the end of the book, following Esth 10:3, there is an addition which provides an interpretation to Mordecai’s dream, followed by a brief ascription of genuineness to the entire book (= chapter 11).

[2:46]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “fell on his face.”

[5:7]  ¹⁶ tn Aram “in strength.”

[5:7]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “cause to enter.”

[5:7]  ¹⁸ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[5:7]  ¹⁹ sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.

[5:7]  ²⁰ tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).

[5:29]  ²¹ tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”

[15:22]  ²² tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

[15:22]  ²³ sn With the instructions Hurry! Bring the best robe, there is a total acceptance of the younger son back into the home.

[15:22]  ²⁴ tn Grk “hand”; but χείρ (ceir) can refer to either the whole hand or any relevant part of it (L&N 8.30).

[15:22]  ²⁵ sn The need for sandals underlines the younger son’s previous destitution, because he was barefoot.