Esther 1:2

In those days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa ¹  the citadel, ² 

biblegateway Est 1:2

At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,

biblegateway Est 1:2

in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa,

biblegateway Est 1:2

At that time he ruled his empire from his throne at the fortress of Susa.

biblegateway Est 1:2

King Xerxes ruled from his royal throne in the palace complex of Susa.

SABDAweb Est 1:2

That in those days, when King Ahasuerus was ruling in Shushan, his strong town,

bibleoremus Est 1:2

In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,

biblegateway Est 1:2

in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,

biblegateway Est 1:2

In those days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa ¹  the citadel, ² 

¹ tn Heb “Shushan” (so KJV, ASV). Most recent English versions render this as “Susa.”

¹ sn The city of Susa served as one of several capitals of Persia during this time; the other locations were Ecbatana, Babylon, and Persepolis. Partly due to the extreme heat of its summers, Susa was a place where Persian kings stayed mainly in the winter months. Strabo indicates that reptiles attempting to cross roads at midday died from the extreme heat (Geography 15.3.10-11).

² tn The Hebrew word בִּירָה (birah) can refer to a castle or palace or temple. Here it seems to have in mind that fortified part of the city that might be called an acropolis or citadel. Cf. KJV “palace”; NAB “stronghold”; NASB “capital”; NLT “fortress.”