c-c Moved up from v. 6 for clarity.
d Meaning of verse uncertain. Emendation yields “Much brooding results in dreams; and much talk in futilities”; cf. v. 2.
e I.e., the high official profits from the labor of others; but meaning of verse uncertain.
f Some ancient versions have “slave’s.”
g-g Moved up from v. 15 for clarity.
h-h Septuagint reads “are [spent] in darkness and mourning.”
i The thought of which is depressing; see v. 16.
a Stillbirths were cast into pits or hidden in the ground in no recognizable graves; cf. v. 4 end.
b Cf. Prov. 16.26.
c-c Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “And if the gullet is not sated, 8what advantage has the wise man over the fool, he who knows how to get on in life over the pauper?”
d Meaning of first half of verse uncertain.
e Lit. “according to the shadow that”; cf. Qumran Aramaic betel and Syriac mettol; and see 8.13.
a The author now offers a number of practical maxims, which, however, he concludes (vv. 23–24) are of limited value.
b Until a man dies, there is always danger that he may forfeit his good name.
c For empty revelry precludes real happiness; cf. 2.2.
d Emendation yields “praise” (shbh).
e This section, to end of verse 7, is apparently a continuation of the thought in vv. 11–12 and 19.
f Emendation yields “riches.”
g Lit. “caution”; cf. postbiblical mathun, “cautious.”
h Emendation yields “For the possessor of wisdom becomes a possessor of money.”
i Vv. 13–14 continue the thought of v. 10.
j So Rashi; cf. the same thought in Job 1.22; 2.10.
k Cf. postbiblical yasa yede.
l-l Emendation yields “the riches of the magnates”; cf. Prov. 18.11.
m Apparently continuing the thought of v. 16.
n Refers back to 6.12.
o The same idiom occurs again in 8.5.
a-a Some ancient versions read “Who here is wise.”
b Lit. “face”; cf. 1 Sam. 1.18; Job 9.27.
c-c Moved up from v. 3 for English word order.
d The answer to the inquiry about the implications of the proverb in v. 1 is given in the form of another proverb, of which only the first half is relevant and is enlarged upon.
e-e Or “Give ground before him; do not resist.”
f The same idiom as in 7.22.
g Lit. “time and doom”; cf. the synonymous “time of misfortune,” lit. “time and misfortune,” 9.11.
h Still another term for death; cf. “the time of calamity” for “the hour of death,” 9.12.
i From leaving the body when the time comes; see 12.7; cf. Ps. 104.29; 146.4.
j Emendation yields “riches.”
k-k Meaning uncertain; emendation yields “approaching [to minister]. They would come and profane the Holy Site.”
l See note on 6.12.
a Meaning of verb uncertain; construction as in Hos. 12.3; Ezra 3.12.
b-b Emendation yields “Even love, even hate, no man can know in advance. All 2are insignificant.”
c I.e., those who observe the laws of ritual purity.
d Cf. 4.17.
e I.e., to God; cf. 2.26; 7.26.
f Cf. 8.2.
g-g Lit. “joined to all.”
h Emendation yields “hope.”
i Cf. 2.24–25; 3.13; 5.18.
j Euphemism for death.
k I.e., the insignificant duration of life renders all successes illusory; cf. 4.15–16.
l-l Others “who saved.”
m Verses 9.17–10.19 constitute a group of loosely connected aphorisms.
n-n Lit. “than the scream of a lord in [the manner of] the fools.”
o-o Emendation yields “everything precious.”
a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b I.e., a wise man’s mind brings him good luck; a fool’s brings him bad luck.
c Emendation yields “hope.”
d-d Lit. “abatement (2 Chron. 36.16) remits grave offenses.” For hinniah, “to remit,” cf. Abodah Zarah 13a; cf. hanahah, “remission of taxes,” Esth. 2.18.
e-e Emendation yields “profit … shall make use of.”
f Meaning of verse uncertain.
g The thought of this sentence is resumed at v. 20.
h This verse continues the thought of v. 3.
i I.e., the ministers of v. 16.
j Others “thoughts”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a-a Emendation yields, “if a thunderbolt (lit. arrow, cf., e.g., 2 Sam. 22.15) falls … where the thunderbolt falls, only there will it strike.”
b So many mss. and Targum; most mss. read “like.”
a Cf. postbiblical bori; others “Remember thy Creator.”
b I.e., the arms.
c I.e., the legs.
d I.e., the teeth.
e I.e., the eyes.
f I.e., the ears.
g-g Exact meaning of Heb. uncertain.
h Cf. 2 Sam. 19.36.
i-i Emendation yields “The squill (postbiblical Heb. hasab) resume its burden,” i.e., its blossomstalk and its leaves.
j These plants, after seeming dead for part of the year, revive, unlike man; cf. Job 14.7–10.
k So in Punic; others “wheel.”
l Poetic figure for the end of life.
m A noun, like dibber (Jer. 5.13), which occurs in such postbiblical phrases as shanim kethiq(qe)nan, “normal years” (lit. “years according to their propriety”).
n Wekhathub is equivalent to wekhathob, an infinitive employed as in Esth. 9.16 and elsewhere.
o-o Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Others “are those that are composed in collections.”
p-p Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “They are accounted as a sharp ax goad” (post-biblical mardea’).
q-q Emendation yields “Slow, there!” Cf. Arabic mah and mah mah; so also mah (meh) in Prov. 31.2.
r Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
s-s Emendation yields “all their conduct.”
Esther
1 It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. 2In those days, when King Ahasuerus occupied the royal throne in the fortressa Shushan, 3in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all the officials and courtiers—the administration of Persia and Media, the nobles and the governors of the provinces in his service. 4For no fewer than a hundred and eighty days he displayed the vast riches of his kingdom and the splendid glory of his majesty. 5At the end of this period, the king gave a banquet for seven days in the court of the king’s palace garden for all the people who lived in the fortress Shushan, high and low alike. 6b[There were hangings of] white cotton and blue wool, caught up by cords of fine linen and purple wool to silver rods and alabaster columns; and there were couches of gold and silver on a pavement of marble, alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mosaics. 7Royal wine was served in abundance, as befits a king, in golden beakers, beakers of varied design. 8And the rule for the drinking was, “No restrictions!” For the king had given orders to every palace steward to comply with each man’s wishes. 9In addition, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for women, in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
10On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs in attendance on King Ahasuerus, 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal diadem, to display her beauty to the peoples and the officials; for she was a beautiful woman. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command conveyed by the eunuchs. The king was greatly incensed, and his fury burned within him.
13Then the king consulted the sages learned in procedure.c (For it was the royal practice [to turn] to all who were versed in law and precedent. 14His closest advisers were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven ministers of Persia and Media who had access to the royal presence and occupied the first place in the kingdom.) 15“What,” [he asked,] “shall be done, according to law, to Queen Vashti for failing to obey the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs?”
16Thereupon Memucan declared in the presence of the king and the ministers: “Queen Vashti has committed an offense not only against Your Majesty but also against all the officials and against all the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17For the queen’s behavior will make all wives despise their husbands, as they reflect that King Ahasuerus himself ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come. 18This very day the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the queen’s behavior, will cite it to all Your Majesty’s officials, and there will be no end of scorn and provocation!
19“If it please Your Majesty, let a royal edict be issued by you, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it cannot be abrogated, that Vashti shall never enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. And let Your Majesty bestow her royal state upon another who is more worthy than she. 20Then will the judgment executed by Your Majesty resound throughout your realm, vast though it is; and all wives will treat their husbands with respect, high and low alike.”
21The proposal was approved by the king and the ministers, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22Dispatches were sent to all the provinces of the king, to every province in its own script and to every nation in its own language, that every man should wield authority in his home and speak the language of his own people.
2 Some time afterward, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought of Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2The king’s servants who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for Your Majesty. 3Let Your Majesty appoint officers in every province of your realm to assemble all the beautiful young virgins at the fortress Shushan, in the harem under the supervision of Hege, the king’s eunuch, guardian of the women. Let them be provided with their cosmetics. 4And let the maiden who pleases Your Majesty be queen instead of Vashti.” The proposal pleased the king, and he acted upon it.
5In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. 6[Kish] had been exiled from Jerusalem in the group that was carried into exile along with King Jeconiah of
