Ester 9:10

9:10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not confiscate their property.

Ester 5:13

5:13 Yet all of this fails to satisfy me so long as I have to see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

Ester 1:12

1:12 But Queen Vashti refused ¹  to come at the king’s bidding ²  conveyed through the eunuchs. Then the king became extremely angry, and his rage consumed ³  him.

Ester 1:17

1:17 For the matter concerning the queen will spread to all the women, leading them to treat their husbands with contempt, saying, ‘When King Ahasuerus gave orders to bring Queen Vashti into his presence, she would not come.’

Ester 2:22

2:22 When Mordecai learned of the conspiracy, ⁴  he informed Queen Esther, ⁵  and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s behalf. ⁶ 

Ester 9:15

9:15 The Jews who were in Susa then assembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they killed three hundred men in Susa. But they did not confiscate their property.

Ester 4:4

4:4 When Esther’s female attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai’s behavior, ⁷  the queen was overcome with anguish. Although she sent garments for Mordecai to put on so that he could remove his sackcloth, he would not accept them.

Ester 3:2

3:2 As a result, ⁸  all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. However, Mordecai did not bow, ⁹  nor did he pay him homage.

Ester 9:25

9:25 But when the matter came to the king’s attention, the king ¹⁰  gave written orders that Haman’s ¹¹  evil intentions that he had devised against the Jews should fall on his own head. He and his sons were hanged on the gallows.

Ester 5:9

Haman Expresses His Hatred of Mordecai

5:9 Now Haman went forth that day pleased and very much encouraged. ¹²  But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, and he did not rise nor tremble in his presence, ¹³  Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

Ester 9:16

9:16 The rest of the Jews who were throughout the provinces of the king assembled in order to stand up for themselves and to have rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand ¹⁴  of their adversaries, but they did not confiscate their property.

Ester 7:4

7:4 For we have been sold ¹⁵  – both I and my people – to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation! If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king.”

Ester 3:4

3:4 And after they had spoken to him day after day ¹⁶  without his paying any attention to them, they informed Haman to see whether this attitude on Mordecai’s part would be permitted. ¹⁷  Furthermore, he had disclosed to them that he was a Jew. ¹⁸ 

Ester 4:14

4:14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew ¹⁹  who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear ²⁰  from another source, ²¹  while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be ²²  that you have achieved royal status ²³  for such a time as this!”

Ester 4:13

4:13 he ²⁴  said to take back this answer to Esther:

Ester 9:17

9:17 All of this happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. They then rested on the fourteenth day and made it a day for banqueting and happiness.

Ester 1:16

1:16 Memucan then replied to the king and the officials, “The wrong of Queen Vashti is not against the king alone, but against all the officials and all the people who are throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

Ester 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. ²⁵ 

Ester 4:10

4:10 Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai:

Ester 6:12

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.

Ester 9:12

9:12 Then the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman! What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? What is your request? It shall be given to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done.”

Ester 5:10

5:10 But Haman restrained himself and went on to his home.

He then sent for his friends to join him, ²⁶  along with his wife Zeresh.

Ester 9:7

9:7 In addition, they also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

Ester 10:1

Mordecai’s Fame Increases

10:1 King Ahasuerus then imposed forced labor on the land and on the coastlands of the sea.

Ester 3:6

3:6 But the thought of striking out against ²⁷  Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed ²⁸  of the identity of Mordecai’s people. ²⁹  So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) ³⁰  who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Ester 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, ³¹  opposite the king’s quarters. ³²  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the palace, opposite the entrance. ³³ 

Ester 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).

Ester 3:15

3:15 The messengers ³⁴  scurried forth ³⁵  with the king’s order. ³⁶  The edict was issued in Susa the citadel. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar! ³⁷ 

Ester 9:18

The Origins of the Feast of Purim

9:18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and rested on the fifteenth, making it a day for banqueting and happiness.

Ester 3:5

3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he ³⁸  was filled with rage.

Ester 9:5

9:5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, bringing death and destruction, and they did as they pleased with their enemies.

Ester 4:17

4:17 So Mordecai set out to do everything that Esther had instructed him.

Ester 1:8

1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, ³⁹  for the king had instructed all of his supervisors ⁴⁰  that they should do as everyone so desired. ⁴¹ 

Ester 1:15

1:15 The king asked, ⁴²  “By law, ⁴³  what should be done to Queen Vashti in light of the fact that she has not obeyed the instructions of King Ahasuerus conveyed through the eunuchs?”

Ester 3:3

3:3 Then the servants of the king who were at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you violating the king’s commandment?”

Ester 4:11

4:11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable ⁴⁴  to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court – that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. ⁴⁵  Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days!”

Ester 3:13

3:13 Letters were sent by the runners to all the king’s provinces stating that ⁴⁶  they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, ⁴⁷  on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day ⁴⁸  of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions.

Ester 2:14

2:14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to a separate part ⁴⁹  of the harem, to the authority of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch who was overseeing the concubines. She would not go back to the king unless the king was pleased with her ⁵⁰  and she was requested by name.

Ester 7:7-8

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, ⁵¹  for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him. ⁵² 

7:8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down ⁵³  on the couch where Esther was lying. ⁵⁴  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.

Ester 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.

Ester 9:1-2

The Jews Prevail over Their Enemies

9:1 In the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), on its thirteenth day, the edict of the king and his law were to be executed. It was on this day that the enemies of the Jews had supposed that they would gain power over them. But contrary to expectations, the Jews gained power over their enemies. 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.

[1:12]  ¹ sn Refusal to obey the king was risky even for a queen in the ancient world. It is not clear why Vashti behaved so rashly and put herself in such danger. Apparently she anticipated humiliation of some kind and was unwilling to subject herself to it, in spite of the obvious dangers. There is no justification in the biblical text for an ancient Jewish targumic tradition that the king told her to appear before his guests dressed in nothing but her royal high turban, that is, essentially naked.

[1:12]  ² tn Heb “at the word of the king”; NASB “at the king’s command.”

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “burned in him” (so KJV).

[2:22]  ⁴ sn The text of Esther does not disclose exactly how Mordecai learned about the plot against the king’s life. Ancient Jewish traditions state that Mordecai overheard conspiratorial conversation, or that an informant brought this information to him, or that it came to him as a result of divine prompting. These conjectures are all without adequate support from the biblical text. The author simply does not tell the source of Mordecai’s insight into this momentous event.

[2:22]  ⁵ tc The LXX simply reads “Esther” and does not include “the queen.”

[2:22]  ⁶ tc The LXX adds here “the things concerning the plot.”

[2:22]  tn Heb “in the name of Mordecai” (so NRSV); NIV “giving credit to Mordecai.”

[4:4]  ⁷ tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NIV, NLT “about Mordecai”; TEV, CEV “what Mordecai was doing.”

[3:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). Other modern English versions leave the conjunction untranslated here (NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[3:2]  ⁹ sn Mordecai did not bow. The reason for Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman is not clearly stated here. Certainly the Jews did not refuse to bow as a matter of principle, as though such an action somehow violated the second command of the Decalogue. Many biblical texts bear witness to their practice of falling prostrate before people of power and influence (e.g., 1 Sam 24:8; 2 Sam 14:4; 1 Kgs 1:16). Perhaps the issue here was that Haman was a descendant of the Amalekites, a people who had attacked Israel in an earlier age (see Exod 17:8-16; 1 Sam 15:17-20; Deut 25:17-19).

[9:25]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:25]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Haman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:9]  ¹² tn Heb “happy and good of heart”; NASB “glad and pleased of heart”; NIV “happy and in high spirits.”

[5:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “tremble from before him”; NIV “nor showed fear in his presence”; TEV “or show any sign of respect as he passed.”

[9:16]  ¹⁴ tc For this number much of the Greek MS tradition reads “fifteen thousand.” The Lucianic Greek recension reads “70,100.”

[7:4]  ¹⁵ sn The passive verb (“have been sold”) is noncommittal and nonaccusatory with regard to the king’s role in the decision to annihilate the Jews.

[3:4]  ¹⁶ sn Mordecai’s position in the service of the king brought him into regular contact with these royal officials. Because of this association the officials would have found ample opportunity to complain of Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman by bowing down before him.

[3:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Will the matters of Mordecai stand?”; NASB “to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand.”

[3:4]  ¹⁸ sn This disclosure of Jewish identity is a reversal of the practice mentioned in 1:10, 20.

[4:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”

[4:14]  ²⁰ tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”

[4:14]  ²¹ 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.

[4:14]  ²² tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.

[4:14]  ²³ tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”

[4:13]  ²⁴ 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.

[8:15]  ²⁵ tn Heb “shouted and rejoiced.” The expression is a hendiadys (see the note on 5:10 for an explanation of this figure).

[5:10]  ²⁶ tn Heb “sent and brought.” The expression is probably a hendiadys (a figure of speech in which a single idea is expressed through two words or phrases), in which case the two verbs could be translated simply as “summoned” (so NAB) or “sent for” (NASB).

[3:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”

[3:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.

[3:6]  ²⁹ tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.

[3:6]  ³⁰ 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.

[5:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “of the house of the king”; NASB, NRSV “of the king’s palace.”

[5:1]  ³² 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.

[5:1]  ³³ tn Heb “the entrance of the house” (so ASV).

[3:15]  ³⁴ tn Heb “runners.” So also in 8:10, 14. Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “couriers.”

[3:15]  ³⁵ tn Or “went forth in haste” (so ASV).

[3:15]  ³⁶ tn Heb “with the word of the king.”

[3:15]  ³⁷ sn The city of Susa was in an uproar. This final statement of v. 15 is a sad commentary on the pathetic disregard of despots for the human misery and suffering that they sometimes inflict on those who are helpless to resist their power. Here, while common people braced for the reckless loss of life and property that was about to begin, the perpetrators went about their mundane activities as though nothing of importance was happening.

[3:5]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Haman.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. Repeating the proper name here is redundant according to contemporary English style, although the name is repeated in NASB and NRSV.

[1:8]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”

[1:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”

[1:15]  ⁴² tn These words are not present in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT, all of which supply similar phrases).

[1:15]  ⁴³ tc The location of the prepositional phrase “according to law” is somewhat unusual in the Hebrew text, but not so much so as to require emendation. Some scholars suggest deleting the phrase as an instance of dittography from the final part of the immediately preceding word in v. 14. Others suggest taking the phrase with the end of v. 14 rather than with v. 15. Both proposals, however, lack adequate justification.

[4:11]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law”

[4:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.”

[3:13]  ⁴⁶ tn The words “stating that” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “children and women.” The translation follows contemporary English idiom, which reverses the order.

[3:13]  ⁴⁸ tc The LXX does not include the words “on the thirteenth day.”

[2:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “second.” The numerical adjective שֵׁנִי (sheniy, “second”) is difficult here. As a modifier for “house” in v. 14 the word would presumably refer to a second part of the harem, one which was under the supervision of a separate official. But in this case the definite article would be expected before “second” (cf. LXX τὸν δεύτερον, ton deuteron). Some scholars emend the text to שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”), but this does not completely resolve the difficulty since the meaning remains unclear. The translation adopted above follows the LXX and understands the word to refer to a separate group of women in the king’s harem, a group housed apparently in a distinct part of the residence complex.

[2:14]  ⁵⁰ tc The LXX does not include the words “was pleased with her.”

[7:7]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² 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.”

[7:8]  ⁵³ tn Heb “falling”; NAB, NRSV “had (+ just TEV) thrown himself (+ down TEV).”

[7:8]  ⁵⁴ 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.”