translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EST

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “after these things” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). The expression is very vague from a temporal standpoint, not indicating precisely just how much time might have elapsed. Cf. v. 21 .


text: Or “decreed” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); TEV “and about his proclamation against her.”


text: Heb “young women, virgins, good of form.” The same phrase also occurs in v. 3 .


text: Heb “the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 9, 11, 13, and 14 .


text: Heb “their ointments”; cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “beauty treatments.”


text: Heb “who is good in the eyes of the king.”


text: Heb “the matter was good in the eyes of the king.” Cf. TEV “The king thought this was good advice.”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: According to HALOT 64 s.v. II אמן the term אֹמֵן (’ omen ) means: (1) “attendant” of children ( Num 11:12 ; Isa 49:23 ); (2) “guardian” ( 2 Kgs 10:1, 5 ; Esth 2:7 ); (3) “nurse-maid” ( 2 Sam 4:4 ; Ruth 4:16 ); and (4) “to look after” ( Isa 60:4 ; Lam 4:5 ). Older lexicons did not distinguish this root from the homonym I אָמַן (’ aman , “to support; to confirm”; cf. BDB 52 s.v. אָמַן ). This is reflected in a number of translations by use of a phrase like “brought up” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NIV) or “bringing up” (NASB).


text: Heb “for there was not to her father or mother.” This is universally understood to mean Esther’s father and mother were no longer alive.


text: Heb “beautiful of form.” The Hebrew noun תֹּאַר ( to ’ ar , “form; shape”) is used elsewhere to describe the physical bodily shape of a beautiful woman ( Gen 29:17 ; Deut 21:11 ; 1 Sam 25:3 ); see BDB 1061 s.v. Cf. TEV “had a good figure.”


text: Heb “had taken her to him.” The Hebrew verb לָקַח ( laqakh , “to take”) describes Mordecai adopting Esther and treating her like his own daughter: “to take as one’s own property” as a daughter ( HALOT 534 s.v. I לקח 6).


text: Heb “were heard” (so NASB); NRSV “were (had been NIV) proclaimed.”


text: Heb “the house of the king.” So also in vv. 9, 13 . Cf. NLT “the king’s harem.”


text: Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”


text: Heb “being looked at (with favor).”


text: Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14 .


text: Cf. v. 20 , where the same phrase occurs but with the word order reversed.


text: Heb “that she not tell” (NRSV similar); NASB “that she should not make them known.”


text: Heb “to know the peace of Esther.”


label: NET textual note

text: The LXX does not include the words “that were required for the women.” tn Heb “to be to her according to the law of the women”; NASB “under the regulations for the women.”


text: 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.


text: The LXX does not include the words “was pleased with her.”


text: Heb “who had taken her to him as a daughter”; NRSV “who had adopted her as his own daughter.”


text: The Greek MSS Codex Alexandrinus (A) and Codex Vaticanus (B) read “twelfth” here.


text: The Syriac Peshitta reads “fourth” here.


text: Heb “grace and loyal love.” The expression is probably a hendiadys.


text: The LXX does not include the words “more than all the other young women.”


text: Heb “caused her to rule.”


text: The LXX does not include the words “and he provided for offerings at the king’s expense.”


text: 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.


text: The LXX adds the words “to fear God.”


text: This individual is referred to as “Bigthana,” a variant spelling of the name, in Esth 6:2 .


text: The LXX does not include the names “Bigthan and Teresh” here.


text: Heb “guarders of the threshold”; NIV “who guarded the doorway.”


text: Heb “sought to send a hand against”; CEV “decided to kill.”


text: The LXX simply reads “Esther” and does not include “the queen.”


text: Heb “they both were hanged.” The referent (the two eunuchs who conspired against the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “on a pole”; KJV, ASV “on a tree.”