Discovery BoxEsther 2:8 
Context2:8 It so happened that when the king’s edict and his law became known 1 many young women were taken to Susa the citadel to be placed under the authority of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the royal palace 2 to be under the authority of Hegai, who was overseeing the women.
Esther 5:1
Context5:1 It so happened that on the third day Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace, 3 opposite the king’s quarters. 4 The king was sitting on his royal throne in the palace, opposite the entrance. 5
Esther 6:13
Context6:13 Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, 6 along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, “If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, 7 you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!”
Esther 9:27
Context9:27 Therefore, because of the account found in this letter and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews established as binding on themselves, their descendants, and all who joined their company that they should observe these two days without fail, just as written and at the appropriate time on an annual basis.
1 tn Heb “were heard” (so NASB); NRSV “were (had been NIV) proclaimed.”
2 tn Heb “the house of the king.” So also in vv. 9, 13. Cf. NLT “the king’s harem.”
3 tn Heb “of the house of the king”; NASB, NRSV “of the king’s palace.”
4 tn Heb “the house of the king”; NASB “the king’s rooms”; NIV, NLT “the king’s hall.” This expression is used twice in this verse. In the first instance, it is apparently the larger palace complex that is in view, whereas in the second instance the expression seems to refer specifically to the quarters from which the king governed.
5 tn Heb “the entrance of the house” (so ASV).
6 tc Part of the Greek tradition and the Syriac Peshitta understand this word as “friends,” probably reading the Hebrew term רֲכָמָיו (rakhamayv, “his friends”) rather than the reading of the MT חֲכָמָיו (hakhamayv, “his wise men”). Cf. NLT “all his friends”; the two readings appear to be conflated by TEV as “those wise friends of his.”
7 tn Heb “from the seed of the Jews”; KJV, ASV similar.
