Ester 3:6

3:6 But the thought of striking out against ¹  Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed ²  of the identity of Mordecai’s people. ³  So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) ⁴  who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Ester 3:9

3:9 If the king is so inclined, ⁵  let an edict be issued ⁶  to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver ⁷  to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”

Ester 5:2

5:2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she met with his approval. ⁸  The king extended to Esther the gold scepter that was in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.

[3:6]  ¹ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”

[3:6]  ² tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.

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

[3:6]  ⁴ 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.

[3:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.”

[3:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “let it be written” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “let it be decreed.”

[3:9]  ⁷ sn The enormity of the monetary sum referred to here can be grasped by comparing this amount (10,000 talents of silver) to the annual income of the empire, which according to Herodotus (Histories 3.95) was 14,500 Euboic talents. In other words Haman is offering the king a bribe equal to two-thirds of the royal income. Doubtless this huge sum of money was to come (in large measure) from the anticipated confiscation of Jewish property and assets once the Jews had been destroyed. That such a large sum of money is mentioned may indicate something of the economic standing of the Jewish population in the empire of King Ahasuerus.

[5:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “she obtained grace in his eyes”; NASB “she obtained favor in his sight”; NIV “he was pleased with her”; NLT “he welcomed her.”