OET interlinear EST 9:30

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַ֨ח סְפָרִ֜ים

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

While this says “he,” in context it refers to the letter that Esther wrote with Mordecai’s help. Alternate translation: [they sent copies of this second letter] or [Mordecai ordered messengers to take copies of the letter]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

אֶל־כָּל־הַ⁠יְּהוּדִ֗ים אֶל־שֶׁ֨בַע וְ⁠עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּ⁠מֵאָה֙ מְדִינָ֔ה מַלְכ֖וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ

to/towards to/towards (Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

These three phrases all mean the same thing. The repetition emphasizes that Esther and Mordecai sent this second letter out comprehensively throughout the empire. Alternate translation: [to all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Ahasuerus]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

שֶׁ֨בַע וְ⁠עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּ⁠מֵאָה֙ מְדִינָ֔ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

The letter was not sent to the provinces as geographical territories, but to the Jews who lived in them. The Jews are being described by something associated with them, the places where they lived.

Note 4 topic: translate-numbers

שֶׁ֨בַע וְ⁠עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּ⁠מֵאָה֙ מְדִינָ֔ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

Alternate translation: [one hundred and twenty-seven provinces]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

דִּבְרֵ֥י שָׁל֖וֹם וֶ⁠אֱמֶֽת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

The abstract nouns peace and truth can be expressed in other ways. Alternate translation: [encouraging the Jews that they are now safe and can live peacefully]

דִּבְרֵ֥י שָׁל֖וֹם וֶ⁠אֱמֶֽת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent letters to/towards all/each/any/every the,Jews to/towards seven and=twenty and,one_hundred provinces kingdom_of ʼAḩashvērōsh words_of peace and,truth )

The Hebrew word translated as truth here also refers to things that are “sure” or “secure.” When “peace” and “truth” are paired together, they can refer to a peaceful, stable political environment, as in 2 Kings 20:19 and Jeremiah 33:6. Alternate translation: [with a message that assured them of their peaceful and stable situation]