Ester 2:7

2:7 Now he was acting as the guardian ¹  of Hadassah ²  (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, for neither her father nor her mother was alive. ³  This young woman was very attractive and had a beautiful figure. ⁴  When her father and mother died, Mordecai had raised her ⁵  as if she were his own daughter.

Ester 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ⁶  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 ⁷  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ⁸ 

Ester 2:15

2:15 When it became the turn of Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai (who had raised her as if she were his own daughter ⁹ ) to go to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who was overseer of the women, had recommended. Yet Esther met with the approval of all who saw her.

Ester 2:17

2:17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval ¹⁰  more than all the other young women. ¹¹  So he placed the royal high turban on her head and appointed her queen ¹²  in place of Vashti.

Ester 3:13

3:13 Letters were sent by the runners to all the king’s provinces stating that ¹³  they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, ¹⁴  on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day ¹⁵  of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions.

[2:7]  ¹ tn According to HALOT 64 s.v. II אמן the term אֹמֵן (’omen) means: (1) “attendant” of children (Num 11:12; Isa 49:23); (2) “guardian” (2 Kgs 10:1, 5; Esth 2:7); (3) “nurse-maid” (2 Sam 4:4; Ruth 4:16); and (4) “to look after” (Isa 60:4; Lam 4:5). Older lexicons did not distinguish this root from the homonym I אָמַן (’aman, “to support; to confirm”; cf. BDB 52 s.v. אָמַן). This is reflected in a number of translations by use of a phrase like “brought up” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NIV) or “bringing up” (NASB).

[2:7]  ² sn Hadassah is a Jewish name that probably means “myrtle”; the name Esther probably derives from the Persian word for “star,” although some scholars derive it from the name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Esther is not the only biblical character for whom two different names were used. Daniel (renamed Belteshazzar) and his three friends Hananiah (renamed Shadrach), Mishael (renamed Meshach), and Azariah (renamed Abednego) were also given different names by their captors.

[2:7]  ³ tn Heb “for there was not to her father or mother.” This is universally understood to mean Esther’s father and mother were no longer alive.

[2:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “beautiful of form.” The Hebrew noun תֹּאַר (to’ar, “form; shape”) is used elsewhere to describe the physical bodily shape of a beautiful woman (Gen 29:17; Deut 21:11; 1 Sam 25:3); see BDB 1061 s.v. Cf. TEV “had a good figure.”

[2:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “had taken her to him.” The Hebrew verb לָקַח (laqakh, “to take”) describes Mordecai adopting Esther and treating her like his own daughter: “to take as one’s own property” as a daughter (HALOT 534 s.v. I לקח 6).

[2:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

[2:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

[2:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

[2:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “who had taken her to him as a daughter”; NRSV “who had adopted her as his own daughter.”

[2:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “grace and loyal love.” The expression is probably a hendiadys.

[2:17]  ¹¹ tc The LXX does not include the words “more than all the other young women.”

[2:17]  ¹² tn Heb “caused her to rule.”

[3:13]  ¹³ tn The words “stating that” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “children and women.” The translation follows contemporary English idiom, which reverses the order.

[3:13]  ¹⁵ tc The LXX does not include the words “on the thirteenth day.”