1tn 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. 2tn Heb “great.” 3tn Heb “reached” (so NAB, NLT); KJV, NASB, NIV “came”; TEV “wherever the king’s proclamation was made known.” 4tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the Jews went into deep mourning.” 5sn Although prayer is not specifically mentioned here, it is highly unlikely that appeals to God for help were not a part of this reaction to devastating news. As elsewhere in the book of Esther, the writer seems deliberately to keep religious actions in the background. 6tn Heb “were spread to many”; KJV, NIV “many (+ people NLT) lay in sackcloth and ashes.” 7tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NIV, NLT “about Mordecai”; TEV, CEV “what Mordecai was doing.” 8tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.” 9tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.” 10tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.” 11tn Heb “the words of Mordecai” (so KJV); NIV, NRSV, CEV “what Mordecai had said”; NLT “with Mordecai’s message.” 12tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law” 13tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.” 14tn Heb “the words of Esther”; TEV, NLT “Esther’s message.” 15tn 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. 16tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.” 17tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.” 18tn 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. 19tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9. 20tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.” 21tn Heb “I and my female attendants.” The translation reverses the order for stylistic reasons. 22tn Heb “which is not according to the law” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “contrary to the law.”
1tn 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.
2tn Heb “great.”
3tn Heb “reached” (so NAB, NLT); KJV, NASB, NIV “came”; TEV “wherever the king’s proclamation was made known.”
4tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the Jews went into deep mourning.”
5sn Although prayer is not specifically mentioned here, it is highly unlikely that appeals to God for help were not a part of this reaction to devastating news. As elsewhere in the book of Esther, the writer seems deliberately to keep religious actions in the background.
6tn Heb “were spread to many”; KJV, NIV “many (+ people NLT) lay in sackcloth and ashes.”
7tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NIV, NLT “about Mordecai”; TEV, CEV “what Mordecai was doing.”
8tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.”
9tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”
10tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.”
11tn Heb “the words of Mordecai” (so KJV); NIV, NRSV, CEV “what Mordecai had said”; NLT “with Mordecai’s message.”
12tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law”
13tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.”
14tn Heb “the words of Esther”; TEV, NLT “Esther’s message.”
15tn 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.
16tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”
17tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”
18tn 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.
19tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
20tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”
21tn Heb “I and my female attendants.” The translation reverses the order for stylistic reasons.
22tn Heb “which is not according to the law” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “contrary to the law.”