Chapter Overview
Summary
The king's sleepless night and Haman's humiliation. The LXX follows the MT closely in this chapter. The pivotal irony — Haman advising his own public honor for Mordecai — is preserved in both versions. The LXX adds that God caused the king's sleeplessness.
Notable Variants
The LXX attributes the king's insomnia to divine action: 'the Lord removed sleep from the king.' The MT simply states that sleep fled the king. This is the most significant theological addition in this chapter.
Structural Notes
Both versions have 14 verses.
That night, sleep fled from the king. He ordered the book of records, the royal chronicles, to be brought, and they were read aloud before him.
Masoretic (WLC)
נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ
sleep fled from the king
Septuagint (LXX)
ὁ δὲ κύριος ἀπέστησεν τὸν ὕπνον ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως
the Lord removed sleep from the king
The MT's masterful ambiguity — is the insomnia coincidence or providence? — is resolved by the LXX which explicitly names 'the Lord' (ho kyrios) as the agent. This is characteristic of the LXX Esther's theological program: making explicit what the MT leaves implicit.
It was found recorded that Mordecai had reported on Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs from the threshold guards, who had plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus.
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
The king asked, "What honor or recognition has been given to Mordecai for this?" The king's attendants who served him answered, "Nothing has been done for him."
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on the stake he had prepared for him.
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
The king's attendants said to him, "Haman is standing in the court." The king said, "Let him come in."
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Haman entered, and the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king wishes to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Haman said to the king, "For the man the king wishes to honor:
Masoretic (WLC)
מָה יַעֲשֶׂה יְקָר וּגְדוּלָּה
what shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?
Septuagint (LXX)
τί ποιήσω τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὃν ἐγὼ θέλω δοξάσαι
what shall I do for the man whom I wish to glorify?
The LXX has the king speak in first person ('whom I wish'), while the MT uses third person ('whom the king wishes'). Both versions set up the devastating irony.
let them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn, and a horse that the king himself has ridden, with a royal crown placed on its head.
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man the king wishes to honor, lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: 'This is what is done for the man the king wishes to honor!'"
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
The king said to Haman, "Hurry! Take the robe and the horse, just as you have described, and do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. Do not leave out a single detail of what you have proposed."
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Haman took the robe and the horse, dressed Mordecai, led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "This is what is done for the man the king wishes to honor!"
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, mourning, his head covered.
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.
Haman recounted to his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisors and his wife Zeresh said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him. You will surely fall before him."
Masoretic (WLC)
חֲכָמָיו וְזֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ
his wise men and Zeresh his wife
Septuagint (LXX)
οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ Ζωσαρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ
his friends and Zosara his wife
The LXX renders Zeresh as Zosara and changes 'wise men' to 'friends.' The ominous warning — 'if Mordecai is of Jewish descent, you will surely fall' — is preserved in both versions.
While they were still speaking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet Esther had prepared.
No significant variant between the LXX and the MT for this verse.