Discovery BoxEsther 1:7-8 
Context1:7 Drinks 1 were served in golden containers, all of which differed from one another. Royal wine was available in abundance at the king’s expense. 1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, 2 for the king had instructed all of his supervisors 3 that they should do as everyone so desired. 4
Esther 5:13
Context5:13 Yet all of this fails to satisfy me so long as I have to see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
Esther 9:5
Context9:5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, bringing death and destruction, and they did as they pleased with their enemies.
Esther 9:30
Context9:30 Letters were sent 5 to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the empire of Ahasuerus – words of true peace 6 –
1 tn Heb “to cause to drink” (Hiphil infinitive construct of שָׁקָה, shaqah). As the etymology of the Hebrew word for “banquet” (מִשְׁתֶּה, mishteh, from שָׁתָה, shatah, “to drink”) hints, drinking was a prominent feature of ancient Near Eastern banquets.
2 tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”
3 tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”
4 tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”
5 tc The present translation is based on the Niphal form וַיּשָּׁלַח (vayyishalakh, “were sent”; so also NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT) rather than the reading of the MT וַיּשְׁלַח (vayyishlakh, Qal, “and he sent”). The subject of the MT verb would have to be Mordecai (cf. NAB, NIV, NCV), but this is problematic in light of v. 29, where both Esther and Mordecai are responsible for the letters.
6 tn Heb “peace and truth.” The expression is probably a hendiadys (see the note on 5:10 for an explanation of this figure).
