OET interlinear EST 2:19

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential

וּ⁠בְ⁠הִקָּבֵ֥ץ בְּתוּל֖וֹת שֵׁנִ֑ית

and,when,were_gathered virgins second

Since this happened some time after Esther’s Feast, you can show this by using a connecting phrase such as “some time later.”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וּ⁠בְ⁠הִקָּבֵ֥ץ בְּתוּל֖וֹת שֵׁנִ֑ית

and,when,were_gathered virgins second

The most likely explanation for this is that Ahasuerus decided he would like to have more concubines. you could say this explicitly if it will help the readers to understand the story. He probably believed that having a large number of concubines was another thing that would show he was a great king. To do so, you could add: “because Ahasuerus decided that he would like to have more concubines.”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וּ⁠בְ⁠הִקָּבֵ֥ץ בְּתוּל֖וֹת שֵׁנִ֑ית

and,when,were_gathered virgins second

You can say this with an active form, and you can say who did the action. For example, you can say, “at the time when the king’s officers were gathering virgins for a second time.”

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous

וּ⁠בְ⁠הִקָּבֵ֥ץ בְּתוּל֖וֹת שֵׁנִ֑ית וּ⁠מָרְדֳּכַ֖י

and,when,were_gathered virgins second and,Mordecai

This indicates that the information about Mordecai explains what he was doing at this same time. You can use a phrase such as “during this time” to indicate this.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וּ⁠מָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּ⁠שַֽׁעַר־הַ⁠מֶּֽלֶךְ

and,Mordecai was_sitting at,the_gate_of of,the_king

Possible meanings are: (1) Sitting at the king’s gate is an idiom meaning that Mordecai worked for the king in some capacity and was stationed at the gate. (2) Mordecai sat there so he could hear about how Esther was doing from the many people who passed through the gate.

בְּ⁠שַֽׁעַר־הַ⁠מֶּֽלֶךְ

at,the_gate_of of,the_king

Alternate translation: [the gate to the king’s house] or [the gate to the king’s palace]