DailyHebrew.com

If you have missed the last two translations from the third chapter of Esther in recognition of Purim, see them below or click on Esther 3:1-4 and Esther 3:5-7. Also, BE SURE to check out the NY Times article entitled "The Ghost of Purim Past" (thanks to Michael Halton).

Daily translations will resume Wednesday (3/15).

????????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????????????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ??????? 6 ????????? ??????????? ????????? ???? ?????????????? ????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????? ??????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????? ??????????????? ???? ???????????? 7 ?????????? ??????????? ???????????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ??????????????? ???????? ?????? ????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ? ??????? ??????????? ????????? ??????????????? ???????????? ??????? ?  

Vocabulary

Verse 5

            ???  verb (Qal participle ms): “bow down” (BDB, 502)

            ???  noun: “rage, anger”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The preposition, ??, is in the place of the object marking the object clause.

Vocabulary

Verse 6

            ???  verb: “despise” (BDB, 102)

            ??  “alone”

            ????  verb (Hiphil infinitive construct): “annihilate, exterminate”

            ?????  name: “Jews”

            ?????????  name: “Xerxes” (king of Persia)

Verse 7

            ????  name (of the first month): “Nisan”

            ???  noun: “lot” (BDB, 807)

            ????  “lot”

            ???  name (of month): “Adar”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 6

• The final he of ??? apocopated because of the stress retraction.
• The final phrase, ???? ???????????, is in apposition to ??????.

Verse 7

• The year (????) was ????????? ????????? “two-ten” that is the “twelfth year of King Xerxes.”
• The word, ???, from which Purim is taken is found only here and in Esther 9:24.  In both occurrences it is explained as being a ???? “lot.”
• The phrase ??? ???? “daily” (cf. 3:4) is adverbial.  Also, ???? ????? means “monthly.”
• The LXX reads: επεσεν ο κληρος εις την τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατην του μηνος ος εστιν Αδαρ “the lot fell on the fourteenth day of the month which is Adar.”

In observance of Purim, today and tomorrow’s posts will cover readings from the Book of Esther (chapter 3).  Traditionally, the entire book is read as part of the festival.

?????? ? ???????????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ??????????????? ?????????? ????????????????? ?????????? ????????????????? ??????????? ????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????? ???????? 2 ?????????????? ?????????? ????????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? 3 ????????????? ???????? ?????????? ????????????????? ?????????? ????????????? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???????? ??????????? 4 ???????? [??????????] ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ????????????? ???????? ????????? ????????????? ????????? ??????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? 

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            ???  verb (Piel perfect 3ms): “make great, powerful”

            ?????????  name: “Ahasuerus” (i.e. Xerxes, king of Persia)

            ???  name: “Haman”

            ?????  name: “Hammedatha”

            ?????  name (with gentilic suffix): “Agagite”          

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The idiom, ??? ?????? ????, serves as a temporal marker of undesignated length meaning “after these things” (see Genesis 15:1; 22:1; 39:7; 40:1; 1 Kings 17:17; 21:1; Esther 2:1; 3:1).  Often it is preceded by ????.
• The king of Persia ????????????????? (Piel waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms with 3ms suffix) meaning “he established (his power).”
• The noun ??? “throne” is used figuratively to mean power or rule.
• The final ?? is used as the preposition “with” not the direct object marker.

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            ????  “gate”

            ???  verb (Qal participle mpl): “bow” (BDB, 502)

            ???????  verb (participle mpl): “prostrate, worship, pay homage”

            ?????  name: “Mordecai”

Verse 3

            ????  enclitic (interrogative): “on what account?  Why?”

            ????  noun (fs construct): “commandment”

Verse 4

            ?????  name (gentilic suffix): “Jew”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The verb, ???, plus ? means to “give charge to someone” or “command to.”
• Disjunctive waw, ??????????????, shows the distinction of this servant from the rest; “but Mordecai did not bow down.”  This distinction is heightened by the negative ?? placed before each of the verbs.  As in English one negative would suffice for both verbal ideas, “He did not bow down or worship,” but the text emphasizes Mordecai’s behavior by saying: “He did NOT bow down and did NOT prostrate himself.”

Verse 3

• The word ??? “cross over” is used figuratively to mean “transgress.”  The participle is spelled plene with the historically long vowel, holem-waw ??.

Verse 4

• The idiom, ??? ????, functions adverbially meaning “daily.”
• Qere: ???????????.  The kaf and beth prepositions both could function as the temporal marker “when.”
• The word ????? is the infinitive construct of ???.
• The phrase, ????????????? ????????? ???????????, begins with the interrogative he.
• Notice the double entendre (pun) concerning Mordecai’s deviant activity.  The other servants asked concerning matter or reason that he took his stand.  The Hebrew word, ???, can mean literally standing (i.e. not sitting) or figuratively to stand on a principle.
• The final ???? is explanative—“because.”