Ester 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ¹  and she found favor with him. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her rations; he also provided her with the seven specially chosen ²  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ³ 

Ester 3:15

3:15 The messengers ⁴  scurried forth ⁵  with the king’s order. ⁶  The edict was issued in Susa the citadel. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar! ⁷ 

Ester 8:1

The King Acts to Protect the Jews

8:1 On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the estate ⁸  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.

[2:9]  ¹ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

[2:9]  ² tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

[2:9]  ³ tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “runners.” So also in 8:10, 14. Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “couriers.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Or “went forth in haste” (so ASV).

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “with the word of the king.”

[3:15]  ⁷ sn The city of Susa was in an uproar. This final statement of v. 15 is a sad commentary on the pathetic disregard of despots for the human misery and suffering that they sometimes inflict on those who are helpless to resist their power. Here, while common people braced for the reckless loss of life and property that was about to begin, the perpetrators went about their mundane activities as though nothing of importance was happening.

[8:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV; also in vv. 2, 7). Cf. TEV “all the property.”