Ester 1:9

1:9 Queen Vashti ¹  also gave a banquet for the women in King Ahasuerus’ royal palace.

Ester 1:8

1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, ²  for the king had instructed all of his supervisors ³  that they should do as everyone so desired. ⁴ 

Ester 1:5

1:5 When those days ⁵  were completed, the king then provided a seven-day ⁶  banquet for all the people who were present ⁷  in Susa the citadel, for those of highest standing to the most lowly. ⁸  It was held in the court located in the garden of the royal palace.

Ester 6:4

6:4 Then the king said, “Who is that in the courtyard?” Now Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had constructed for him.

Ester 2:8

2:8 It so happened that when the king’s edict and his law became known ⁹  many young women were taken to Susa the citadel to be placed under the authority of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the royal palace ¹⁰  to be under the authority of Hegai, who was overseeing the women.

Ester 7:8

7:8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down ¹¹  on the couch where Esther was lying. ¹²  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 9:4

9:4 Mordecai was of high rank ¹³  in the king’s palace, and word about him was spreading throughout all the provinces. His influence ¹⁴  continued to become greater and greater.

Ester 2:16

2:16 Then Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus at his royal residence in the tenth ¹⁵  month (that is, the month of Tebeth) in the seventh ¹⁶  year of his reign.

Ester 2:13

2:13 the woman would go to the king in the following way: Whatever she asked for would be provided for her to take with her from the harem to the royal palace.

Ester 4:13

4:13 he ¹⁷  said to take back this answer to Esther:

Ester 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ¹⁸  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 ¹⁹  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ²⁰ 

Ester 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, ²¹  for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him. ²² 

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 5:11

5:11 Haman then recounted to them his fabulous wealth, ²³  his many sons, ²⁴  and how the king had magnified him and exalted him over the king’s other officials and servants.

Ester 6:5

6:5 The king’s attendants said to him, “It is Haman who is standing in the courtyard.” The king said, “Let him enter.”

Ester 2:3

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 ²⁵  under the authority of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who oversees the women, and let him provide whatever cosmetics they desire. ²⁶ 

Ester 2:19

Mordecai Learns of a Plot against the King

2:19 Now when the young women were being gathered again, ²⁷  Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. ²⁸ 

Ester 3:2

3:2 As a result, ²⁹  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, ³⁰  nor did he pay him homage.

Ester 8:14

8:14 The couriers who were riding the royal horses went forth with the king’s edict without delay. ³¹  And the law was presented in Susa the citadel as well.

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 ³²  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. ³³  Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days!”

Ester 6:14

6:14 While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived. They quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Ester 2:14

2:14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to a separate part ³⁴  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 ³⁵  and she was requested by name.

Ester 1:1

The King Throws a Lavish Party

1:1 ³⁶ The following events happened ³⁷  in the days of Ahasuerus. ³⁸  (I am referring to ³⁹  that Ahasuerus who used to rule over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces ⁴⁰  extending all the way from India to Ethiopia. ⁴¹ )

Ester 3:15

3:15 The messengers ⁴²  scurried forth ⁴³  with the king’s order. ⁴⁴  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! ⁴⁵ 

Ester 2:12

2:12 At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women, ⁴⁶  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 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 ⁴⁷ ) 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.

Ester 4:2

4:2 But he went no further than the king’s gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.

Ester 4:6

4:6 So Hathach went to Mordecai at the plaza of the city in front of the king’s gate.

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, ⁴⁸  opposite the king’s quarters. ⁴⁹  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the palace, opposite the entrance. ⁵⁰ 

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 2:21

2:21 In those days while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan ⁵¹  and Teresh, ⁵²  two of the king’s eunuchs who protected the entrance, ⁵³  became angry and plotted to assassinate ⁵⁴  King Ahasuerus.

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 6:10

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 ⁵⁵  a single thing of all that you have said.”

Ester 2:5

2:5 Now there happened to be a Jewish man in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai. ⁵⁶  He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

Ester 1:2

1:2 In those days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa ⁵⁷  the citadel, ⁵⁸ 

Ester 5:9

Haman Expresses His Hatred of Mordecai

5:9 Now Haman went forth that day pleased and very much encouraged. ⁵⁹  But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, and he did not rise nor tremble in his presence, ⁶⁰  Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

Ester 9:6

9:6 In Susa the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

Ester 6:2

6:2 it was found written that Mordecai had disclosed that Bigthana ⁶¹  and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted to assassinate ⁶²  King Ahasuerus.

Ester 9:11

9:11 On that same day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was brought to the king’s attention.

Ester 1:4

1:4 He displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his majestic greatness for a lengthy period of time ⁶³  – a hundred and eighty days, to be exact! ⁶⁴ 

Ester 2:11

2:11 And day after day Mordecai used to walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem in order to learn how Esther was doing ⁶⁵  and what might happen to her.

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. ⁶⁶ 

Ester 1:6

1:6 The furnishings included linen and purple curtains hung by cords of the finest linen ⁶⁷  and purple wool on silver rings, alabaster columns, gold and silver couches ⁶⁸  displayed on a floor made of valuable stones of alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stone.

Ester 1:10

Queen Vashti is Removed from Her Royal Position

1:10 On the seventh day, as King Ahasuerus was feeling the effects of the wine, ⁶⁹  he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who attended him, ⁷⁰ 

Ester 4:14

4:14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew ⁷¹  who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear ⁷²  from another source, ⁷³  while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be ⁷⁴  that you have achieved royal status ⁷⁵  for such a time as this!”

Ester 8:7

8:7 King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Look, I have already given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he has been hanged on the gallows because he took hostile action ⁷⁶  against the Jews.

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.”

[1:9]  ¹ sn Vashti is the name of Xerxes’ queen according to the Book of Esther. But in the Greek histories of this period the queen’s name is given as Amestris (e.g., Herodotus, Histories 9.108-13). The name Vashti does not seem to occur in the nonbiblical records from this period. Apparently the two women are not to be confused, but not enough is known about this period to reconcile completely the biblical and extrabiblical accounts.

[1:8]  ² tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”

[1:8]  ³ tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”

[1:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”

[1:5]  ⁵ tc The Hebrew text of Esther does not indicate why this elaborate show of wealth and power was undertaken. According to the LXX these were “the days of the wedding” (αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου, Jai Jhmerai tou gamou), presumably the king’s wedding. However, a number of scholars have called attention to the fact that this celebration takes place just shortly before Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. It is possible that the banquet was a rallying for the up-coming military effort. See Herodotus, Histories 7.8. There is no reason to adopt the longer reading of the LXX here.

[1:5]  ⁶ tc The LXX has ἕξ ({ex, “six”) instead of “seven.” Virtually all English versions follow the reading of the MT here, “seven.”

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “were found.”

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “from the great and unto the small.”

[2:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “were heard” (so NASB); NRSV “were (had been NIV) proclaimed.”

[2:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the house of the king.” So also in vv. 9, 13. Cf. NLT “the king’s harem.”

[7:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “falling”; NAB, NRSV “had (+ just TEV) thrown himself (+ down TEV).”

[7:8]  ¹² 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.”

[9:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “great”; NRSV “powerful”; NIV “prominent”; NCV “very important.”

[9:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the man Mordecai” (so NASB, NRSV).

[2:16]  ¹⁵ tc The Greek MSS Codex Alexandrinus (A) and Codex Vaticanus (B) read “twelfth” here.

[2:16]  ¹⁶ tc The Syriac Peshitta reads “fourth” here.

[4:13]  ¹⁷ 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.

[2:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

[2:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

[2:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

[7:7]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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.”

[5:11]  ²³ tn Heb “the glory of his riches” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “the splendor of his riches.”

[5:11]  ²⁴ sn According to Esth 9:10 Haman had ten sons.

[2:3]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 9, 11, 13, and 14.

[2:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “their ointments”; cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “beauty treatments.”

[2:19]  ²⁷ tc The LXX does not include the words “Now when the young women were being gathered again.” The Hebrew word שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”) is difficult in v. 19, but apparently it refers to a subsequent regathering of the women to the harem.

[2:19]  ²⁸ sn That Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate apparently means that he was a high-ranking government official. It was at the city gate where important business was transacted. Being in this position afforded Mordecai an opportunity to become aware of the plot against the king’s life, although the author does not include the particular details of how this information first came to Mordecai’s attention.

[3:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). Other modern English versions leave the conjunction untranslated here (NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[3:2]  ³⁰ 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).

[8:14]  ³¹ tn Heb “making haste and hurrying”; KJV, ASV “being hastened and pressed.”

[4:11]  ³² tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law”

[4:11]  ³³ tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.”

[2:14]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ tc The LXX does not include the words “was pleased with her.”

[1:1]  ³⁶ sn In the English Bible Esther appears adjacent to Ezra-Nehemiah and with the historical books, but in the Hebrew Bible it is one of five short books (the so-called Megillot) that appear toward the end of the biblical writings. The canonicity of the book was questioned by some in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. It is one of five OT books that were at one time regarded as antilegomena (i.e., books “spoken against”). The problem with Esther was the absence of any direct mention of God. Some questioned whether a book that did not mention God could be considered sacred scripture. Attempts to resolve this by discovering the tetragrammaton (YHWH) encoded in the Hebrew text (e.g., in the initial letters of four consecutive words in the Hebrew text of Esth 5:4) are unconvincing, although they do illustrate how keenly the problem was felt by some. Martin Luther also questioned the canonicity of this book, objecting to certain parts of its content. Although no copy of Esther was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, this does not necessarily mean that the Qumran community did not regard it as canonical. It is possible that the absence of Esther from what has survived at Qumran is merely a coincidence. Although the book does not directly mention God, it would be difficult to read it without sensing the providence of God working in powerful, though at times subtle, ways to rescue his people from danger and possible extermination. The absence of mention of the name of God may be a deliberate part of the literary strategy of the writer.

[1:1]  ³⁷ tn Heb “it came about”; KJV, ASV “Now it came to pass.”

[1:1]  ³⁸ tn Where the Hebrew text has “Ahasuerus” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) in this book the LXX has “Artaxerxes.” The ruler mentioned in the Hebrew text is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.), and a number of modern English versions use “Xerxes” (e.g., NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).

[1:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “in the days of Ahasuerus, that Ahasuerus who used to rule…” The phrase “I am referring to” has been supplied to clarify the force of the third person masculine singular pronoun, which is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun.

[1:1]  ⁴⁰ sn The geographical extent of the Persian empire was vast. The division of Xerxes’ empire into 127 smaller provinces was apparently done for purposes of administrative efficiency.

[1:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “Cush” (so NIV, NCV; KJV “Ethiopia”) referring to the region of the upper Nile in Africa. India and Cush (i.e., Ethiopia) are both mentioned in a tablet taken from the foundation of Xerxes’ palace in Persepolis that describes the extent of this empire. See ANET 316-17.

[3:15]  ⁴² tn Heb “runners.” So also in 8:10, 14. Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “couriers.”

[3:15]  ⁴³ tn Or “went forth in haste” (so ASV).

[3:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “with the word of the king.”

[3:15]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[2:12]  ⁴⁶ 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.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “who had taken her to him as a daughter”; NRSV “who had adopted her as his own daughter.”

[5:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “of the house of the king”; NASB, NRSV “of the king’s palace.”

[5:1]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the entrance of the house” (so ASV).

[2:21]  ⁵¹ tn This individual is referred to as “Bigthana,” a variant spelling of the name, in Esth 6:2.

[2:21]  ⁵² tc The LXX does not include the names “Bigthan and Teresh” here.

[2:21]  ⁵³ tn Heb “guarders of the threshold”; NIV “who guarded the doorway.”

[2:21]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “sought to send a hand against”; CEV “decided to kill.”

[6:10]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “do not let fall”; NASB “do not fall short.”

[2:5]  ⁵⁶ sn Mordecai is a pagan name that reflects the name of the Babylonian deity Marduk. Probably many Jews of the period had two names, one for secular use and the other for use especially within the Jewish community. Mordecai’s Jewish name is not recorded in the biblical text.

[1:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Shushan” (so KJV, ASV). Most recent English versions render this as “Susa.”

[1:2]  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).

[1:2]  ⁵⁸ 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.”

[5:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “happy and good of heart”; NASB “glad and pleased of heart”; NIV “happy and in high spirits.”

[5:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “tremble from before him”; NIV “nor showed fear in his presence”; TEV “or show any sign of respect as he passed.”

[6:2]  ⁶¹ tn This individual is referred to as “Bigthan,” a variant spelling of the name, in Esth 2:21.

[6:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “to send a hand against”; NASB “had sought to lay hands on.”

[1:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “many days” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “for many days.”

[1:4]  ⁶⁴ tn The words “to be exact!” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation to bring out the clarifying nuance of the time period mentioned. Cf. KJV “even an hundred and fourscore days.”

[2:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “to know the peace of Esther.”

[8:15]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “shouted and rejoiced.” The expression is a hendiadys (see the note on 5:10 for an explanation of this figure).

[1:6]  ⁶⁷ sn The finest linen was byssus, a fine, costly, white fabric made in Egypt, Palestine, and Edom, and imported into Persia (BDB 101 s.v. בּוּץ; HALOT 115-16 s.v. בּוּץ).

[1:6]  ⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew noun מִטָּה (mittah) refers to a reclining couch (cf. KJV “beds”) spread with covers, cloth and pillow for feasting and carousing (Ezek 23:41; Amos 3:12; 6:4; Esth 1:6; 7:8). See BDB 641-42 s.v.; HALOT 573 s.v.

[1:10]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “as the heart of the king was good with the wine.” Here the proper name (King Ahasuerus) has been substituted for the title in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:10]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “King Ahasuerus”; here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. similarly NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT “King Xerxes.”

[4:14]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”

[4:14]  ⁷² tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”

[4:14]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.

[4:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”

[8:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “sent forth his hand”; NAB, NIV “attacked”; NLT “tried to destroy.” Cf. 9:2.