Esther 2:17

2:17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval ¹  more than all the other young women. ²  So he placed the royal high turban on her head and appointed her queen ³  in place of Vashti.

Esther 3:1

Haman Conspires to Destroy the Jews

3:1 Some time later ⁴  King Ahasuerus promoted ⁵  Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position ⁶  above that of all the officials who were with him.

Esther 4:13

4:13 he ⁷  said to take back this answer to Esther:

Esther 8:13

8:13 A copy of the edict was to be presented as law throughout each and every province and made known to all peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that ⁸  day to avenge themselves from their enemies.

Esther 9:4

9:4 Mordecai was of high rank ⁹  in the king’s palace, and word about him was spreading throughout all the provinces. His influence ¹⁰  continued to become greater and greater.

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¹ tn Heb “grace and loyal love.” The expression is probably a hendiadys.

² tc The LXX does not include the words “more than all the other young women.”

³ tn Heb “caused her to rule.”

⁴ tn Heb “after these things” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV “After these events.”

⁵ tn 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.

⁶ tn Heb “chair”; KJV, NRSV “seat”; NASB “established his authority.”

⁷ tn 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.

⁸ tn Heb “this” (so NASB); most English versions read “that” here for stylistic reasons.

⁹ tn Heb “great”; NRSV “powerful”; NIV “prominent”; NCV “very important.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the man Mordecai” (so NASB, NRSV).