translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EST

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “after these things” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV “After these events.”


text: Heb “made great”; NAB “raised…to high rank”; NIV “honored.” sn The promotion of Haman in 3:1 for reasons unexplained contrasts noticeably with 2:19-23 , where Mordecai’s contribution to saving the king’s life goes unnoticed. The irony is striking.


text: Heb “chair”; KJV, NRSV “seat”; NASB “established his authority.”


text: Heb “and” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). Other modern English versions leave the conjunction untranslated here (NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).


text: Heb “Will the matters of Mordecai stand?”; NASB “to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand.”


text: 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.


text: Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”


text: Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.


label: NET textual note

text: The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.


text: 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.


text: The term פּוּר ( pur , “lot”) is an Akkadian loanword; the narrator therefore explains it for his Hebrew readers (“that is, the lot”). It is from the plural form of this word (i.e., Purim ) that the festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jews takes its name (cf. 9:24, 26, 28, 31 ).


text: The LXX adds the following words: “in order to destroy in one day the race of Mordecai, and the lot fell on the fourteenth day of the month.” The LXX reading is included by NAB. tn Heb “from day to day and from month to month” (so KJV, NASB).


text: Since v. 7 seems to interrupt the flow of the narrative, many scholars have suggested that it is a late addition to the text. But there is not enough evidence to warrant such a conclusion. Even though its placement is somewhat awkward, the verse supplies to the reader an important piece of chronological information.


text: Heb “one people.” Note the subtle absence at this point of a specific mention of the Jewish people by name.


text: Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “nations”


text: Heb “to cause them to rest”; NASB “to let them remain”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “to tolerate them.”


text: Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.”


text: Heb “let it be written” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “let it be decreed.”


text: Heb “the silver is given to you”; NRSV “the money is given to you”; CEV “You can keep their money.” C. A. Moore ( Esther [AB], 40) understands these words somewhat differently, taking them to imply acceptance of the money on Xerxes’ part. He translates, “Well, it’s your money.”


text: Heb “according to what is good in your eyes”; NASB “do with them as you please.”


text: Or “secretaries” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).


text: Or “princes” (so NLT); CEV “highest officials.”


text: The words “stating that” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “children and women.” The translation follows contemporary English idiom, which reverses the order.


text: The LXX does not include the words “on the thirteenth day.”


text: Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NRSV).


text: Heb “runners.” So also in 8:10, 14 . Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “couriers.”


text: Or “went forth in haste” (so ASV).


text: Heb “with the word of the king.”