Ester 1:19

1:19 If the king is so inclined, ¹  let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed, ²  that Vashti ³  may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another ⁴  who is more deserving than she. ⁵ 

Ester 2:3-4

2:3 And let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the attractive young women to Susa the citadel, to the harem ⁶  under the authority of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who oversees the women, and let him provide whatever cosmetics they desire. ⁷  2:4 Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive ⁸  become queen in place of Vashti.” This seemed like a good idea to the king, ⁹  so he acted accordingly.

Ester 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ¹⁰  and she found favor with him. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her rations; he also provided her with the seven specially chosen ¹¹  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ¹² 

Ester 2:12

2:12 At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women, ¹³  when the turn of each young woman arrived to go to King Ahasuerus – for in this way they had to fulfill their time of cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfume and various ointments used by women –

Ester 4:14

4:14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew ¹⁴  who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear ¹⁵  from another source, ¹⁶  while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be ¹⁷  that you have achieved royal status ¹⁸  for such a time as this!”

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).

[1:19]  ¹ sn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.” Deferential language was common in ancient Near Eastern court language addressing a despot; it occurs often in Esther.

[1:19]  ² sn Laws…that cannot be repealed. On the permanence of the laws of Media and Persia see also Esth 8:8 and Dan 6:8, 12, 15.

[1:19]  ³ sn Previously in this chapter the word “queen” accompanies Vashti’s name (cf. vv. 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17). But here, in anticipation of her demotion, the title is dropped.

[1:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “her neighbor”; NIV “someone else.”

[1:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “who is better than she.” The reference is apparently to worthiness of the royal position as demonstrated by compliance with the king’s wishes, although the word טוֹב (tob, “good”) can also be used of physical beauty. Cf. NAB, NASB, NLT “more worthy than she.”

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 9, 11, 13, and 14.

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “their ointments”; cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “beauty treatments.”

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “who is good in the eyes of the king.”

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “the matter was good in the eyes of the king.” Cf. TEV “The king thought this was good advice.”

[2:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

[2:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

[2:9]  ¹² tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

[2:12]  ¹³ tc The LXX does not include the words “that were required for the women.”

[2:12]  tn Heb “to be to her according to the law of the women”; NASB “under the regulations for the women.”

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

[4:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”

[4:14]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.

[4:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”