Discovery BoxEsther 2:3 
Context2:3 And let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the attractive young women to Susa the citadel, to the harem 1 under the authority of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who oversees the women, and let him provide whatever cosmetics they desire. 2
Esther 3:8
Context3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people 3 that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants 4 throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them. 5
1 tn Heb “the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 9, 11, 13, and 14.
2 tn Heb “their ointments”; cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “beauty treatments.”
3 tn Heb “one people.” Note the subtle absence at this point of a specific mention of the Jewish people by name.
4 tn Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “nations”
5 tn Heb “to cause them to rest”; NASB “to let them remain”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “to tolerate them.”
