Esther 2:2

2:2 The king’s servants who attended him said, “Let a search be conducted in the king’s behalf for attractive young women. ¹ 

Esther 2:23

2:23 The king then had the matter investigated and, finding it to be so, had the two conspirators ²  hanged on a gallows. ³  It was then recorded in the daily chronicles in the king’s presence.

Esther 2:21

2:21 In those days while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan ⁴  and Teresh, ⁵  two of the king’s eunuchs who protected the entrance, ⁶  became angry and plotted to assassinate ⁷  King Ahasuerus.

Esther 3:6

3:6 But the thought of striking out against ⁸  Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed ⁹  of the identity of Mordecai’s people. ¹⁰  So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) ¹¹  who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Esther 4:8

4:8 He also gave him a written copy of the law that had been disseminated ¹²  in Susa for their destruction so that he could show it to Esther and talk to her about it. He also gave instructions that she should go to the king to implore him and petition him on behalf of her people.

Esther 6:2

6:2 it was found written that Mordecai had disclosed that Bigthana ¹³  and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted to assassinate ¹⁴  King Ahasuerus.

Esther 7:7

7:7 In rage the king arose from the banquet of wine and withdrew to the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman stood to beg Queen Esther for his life, ¹⁵  for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him. ¹⁶ 

Esther 9:2

9:2 The Jews assembled themselves in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike out against those who were seeking their harm. No one was able to stand before them, for dread of them fell on all the peoples.

Esther 2:15

2:15 When it became the turn of Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai (who had raised her as if she were his own daughter ¹⁷ ) to go to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who was overseer of the women, had recommended. Yet Esther met with the approval of all who saw her.

[2:2]  ¹ tn Heb “young women, virgins, good of form.” The same phrase also occurs in v. 3.

[2:23]  ² tn Heb “they both were hanged.” The referent (the two eunuchs who conspired against the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ³ tn Or “on a pole”; KJV, ASV “on a tree.”

[2:21]  ³ tn This individual is referred to as “Bigthana,” a variant spelling of the name, in Esth 6:2.

[2:21]  ⁴ tc The LXX does not include the names “Bigthan and Teresh” here.

[2:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “guarders of the threshold”; NIV “who guarded the doorway.”

[2:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “sought to send a hand against”; CEV “decided to kill.”

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”

[3:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.

[3:6]  ⁶ tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.

[3:6]  ⁷ 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.

[4:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.”

[6:2]  ⁶ tn This individual is referred to as “Bigthan,” a variant spelling of the name, in Esth 2:21.

[6:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; NASB “had sought to lay hands on.”

[7:7]  ⁷ sn There is great irony here in that the man who set out to destroy all the Jews now finds himself begging for his own life from a Jew.

[7:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “for he saw that calamity was determined for him from the king”; NAB “the king had decided on his doom”; NRSV “the king had determined to destroy him.”

[2:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “who had taken her to him as a daughter”; NRSV “who had adopted her as his own daughter.”