Esther 1:11

1:11 to bring Queen Vashti into the king’s presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive. 1 

Esther 1:15-16

1:15 The king asked, 2  “By law, 3  what should be done to Queen Vashti in light of the fact that she has not obeyed the instructions of King Ahasuerus conveyed through the eunuchs?”

1:16 Memucan then replied to the king and the officials, “The wrong of Queen Vashti is not against the king alone, but against all the officials and all the people who are throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

Esther 1:18

1:18 And this very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard the matter concerning the queen will respond in the same way to all the royal officials, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger!

Esther 2:4

2:4 Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive 4  become queen in place of Vashti.” This seemed like a good idea to the king, 5  so he acted accordingly.

Esther 5:2

5:2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she met with his approval. 6  The king extended to Esther the gold scepter that was in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.

Esther 7:3

7:3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have met with your approval, 7  O king, and if the king is so inclined, grant me my life as my request, and my people as my petition.

Esther 7:7

7:7 In rage the king arose from the banquet of wine and withdrew to the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman stood to beg Queen Esther for his life, 8  for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him. 9 

Esther 8:1

The King Acts to Protect the Jews

8:1 On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the estate 10  of Haman, that adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Now Mordecai had come before the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her.

Esther 8:7

8:7 King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Look, I have already given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he has been hanged on the gallows because he took hostile action 11  against the Jews.

Esther 9:31

9:31 to establish these days of Purim in their proper times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established, and just as they had established both for themselves and their descendants, matters pertaining to fasting and lamentation.

1 tn Heb “was good of appearance”; KJV “was fair to look on”; NAB “was lovely to behold.”

2 tn These words are not present in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT, all of which supply similar phrases).

3 tc The location of the prepositional phrase “according to law” is somewhat unusual in the Hebrew text, but not so much so as to require emendation. Some scholars suggest deleting the phrase as an instance of dittography from the final part of the immediately preceding word in v. 14. Others suggest taking the phrase with the end of v. 14 rather than with v. 15. Both proposals, however, lack adequate justification.

4 tn Heb “who is good in the eyes of the king.”

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

6 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.”

7 tn Heb “If I have found grace in your eyes” (so also in 8:5); TEV “If it please Your Majesty.”

8 sn There is great irony here in that the man who set out to destroy all the Jews now finds himself begging for his own life from a Jew.

9 tn Heb “for he saw that calamity was determined for him from the king”; NAB “the king had decided on his doom”; NRSV “the king had determined to destroy him.”

10 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV; also in vv. 2, 7). Cf. TEV “all the property.”

11 tn Heb “sent forth his hand”; NAB, NIV “attacked”; NLT “tried to destroy.” Cf. 9:2.