OET interlinear EST 4:11

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / merism

כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַ⁠מֶּ֡לֶךְ וְ⁠עַם־מְדִינ֨וֹת הַ⁠מֶּ֜לֶךְ יֽוֹדְעִ֗ים

all/each/any/every servants_of the=king and,people_of provinces_of the=king know

All the servants of the king refers to the royal officials in the palace. The people of the provinces refers to those living out in the empire. So this phrase means something like “those both near and far.” Esther is using a figure of speech to refer to something by speaking of two extreme parts of it in order to include everything in between those parts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these phrases and say something like, “everyone in the whole empire knows.” Alternate translation: “all the king’s officials and all the people in the empire know this law”

כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַ⁠מֶּ֡לֶךְ וְ⁠עַם־מְדִינ֨וֹת הַ⁠מֶּ֜לֶךְ יֽוֹדְעִ֗ים

all/each/any/every servants_of the=king and,people_of provinces_of the=king know

Esther says this to show that there is no uncertainty about this being the law. You can put this information after the description of the law itself, If it would be helpful in your language, so that it can serve to emphasize how definite the law is that was just described.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / merism

כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ וְ⁠אִשָּׁ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר

all/each/any/every all/each/any/every (a)_man and,woman which/who

Here, Esther once again refers to a group by describing two parts of it. She means all of the people whom Ahasuerus rules as king. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these phrases and say something like “anyone”.

Note 3 topic: translate-symaction

יָבֽוֹא־אֶל־הַ⁠מֶּלֶךְ֩ אֶל־הֶ⁠חָצֵ֨ר הַ⁠פְּנִימִ֜ית

goes to/towards the=king to/towards the,court the,inner

As 5:1 makes clear, this refers to a courtyard right outside the room where King Ahasuerus sat on his throne. He could see out of the entrance to the room into the courtyard and tell if anyone came and stood there. Anyone who did that was asking to speak to the king. Alternate translation: “who goes into the inner courtyard of the palace, where the king can see them”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵ֗א

which/who which/who which/who not he/it_will_be_called

If it would help your readers to understand, you could say this with an active form, and you could say who did the action. Alternate translation: “when the king has not summoned that person”

אַחַ֤ת דָּת⁠וֹ֙

one(fs) law_of,he

If it would be helpful in your language, you could put this after the explanation of the law itself. Alternate translation: “this law applies to everyone in the kingdom”

לְ⁠הָמִ֔ית

to,put_to_death

Alternate translation: “that person must be executed” or “the guards will kill that person”

Note 5 topic: translate-symaction

לְ֠⁠בַד מֵ⁠אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֽוֹשִׁיט־ל֥⁠וֹ הַ⁠מֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַ⁠זָּהָ֖ב

to/for,except to,if holds_out to=him/it the=king DOM scepter_of the=gold

If the king pointed his scepter toward a person, that meant that the king was accepting him. Alternate translation: “unless the king extends his golden scepter towards him”

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַ⁠זָּהָ֖ב

DOM scepter_of the=gold

A scepter was an ornamental staff or wand that rulers carried or held as a symbol of their authority. According to this, the scepter of King Ahasuerus was made of gold. Alternate translation: “golden scepter”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠חָיָ֑ה

and,live

This means that the guards will not kill this person and he can proceed to speak to the king. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “then the guards will not kill him and he can speak to the king”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ⁠אֲנִ֗י לֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֨אתי֙ לָ⁠ב֣וֹא אֶל־הַ⁠מֶּ֔לֶךְ זֶ֖ה שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים יֽוֹם

and,I not called to,come to/towards the=king this thirty day

Esther is saying by implication that she cannot speak to the king as Mordecai has requested because the king has not been calling for her, which would have given her an opportunity to speak to him. If she goes without being summoned, she could be put to death. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this explicitly, as in the UST.

Note 9 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

וַ⁠אֲנִ֗י

and,I

This expression indicates a contrast between Esther’s present situation and the situation she has just described.

זֶ֖ה שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים יֽוֹם

this thirty day

The phrase means that Esther has not been called in the king’s presence for a period of at least 30 days. You could use an equivalent expression in your language that would indicate this is a long enough time that Esther has reason to believe the king is not interested in seeing her. Alternate translation: “in over a month”

Note 10 topic: translate-numbers

זֶ֖ה שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים יֽוֹם

this thirty day

Alternate translation: “thirty days”