¹tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name would appear redundant here in terms of contemporary English style.
²tn Heb “great.”
³tn Heb “reached.”
⁴tn Heb “great.”
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, the writer seems deliberately to keep religious actions in the background.
⁶tn Heb “were spread to.”
⁷tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity.
⁸tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her.”
⁹tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”
¹⁰tn Heb “given.”
¹¹tn Heb “the words of Mordecai.”
¹²tn Heb “one is his law.”
¹³tn Heb “and he will live.”
¹⁴tn Heb “the words of Esther.”
¹⁵tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name would appear redundant here in terms of contemporary English style.
¹⁶tn Heb “from all the Jews.”
¹⁷tn Heb “stand.”
¹⁸tn Heb “place.” This is probably an oblique reference to help coming from God. D. J. A. Clines, however, does not think so. In his view a contrast between deliverance by Esther and deliverance by God is inappropriate (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther [NCBC], 302). But his 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 keeps God’s providential dealings entirely in the background.
¹⁹tn Heb “And who knows whether.” The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
²⁰tn Heb “have come to the kingdom.”
²¹tn Heb “I and my female attendants.”
²²tn Heb “which is not according to the law.”