EST 3:6 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) But Haman despised the idea of just punishing Mordekai because he’d been told that Mordekai didn’t bow to him because Mordekai was a Jew. So Haman decided to annihilate all of Mordekai’s people, i.e., all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

3:6 Note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And it was despised in his eyes to stretch out a hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him the people of Mordecai. And Haman sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

UST The other servants told Haman that Mordecai was not bowing down to him because Mordecai was a Jew. So Haman decided it would not be enough just to kill Mordecai alone. Haman decided that he would try to kill all the Jews in the entire empire of Ahasuerus.

BSB And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of [fn] laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.

OEB But it seemed to him beneath his dignity to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai’s people were. Instead Haman sought to destroy all the people of Mordecai, all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

WEBBE But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But the thought of striking out against Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed of the identity of Mordecai’s people. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

LSV and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeks to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

FBV Having found out who Mordecai's people were, he dismissed the idea of just killing Mordecai. He decided to kill every Jew in the whole Persian Empire—all of Mordecai's people!

T4T After he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided that it would not be enough to get rid of only Mordecai. He decided to kill all the Jews in all the area that Xerxes ruled.

LEB But he considered it beneath him[fn] to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai’s people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

3:6 Literally “he despised it in his eyes”

BBE But it was not enough for him to make an attack on Mordecai only; for they had made clear to him who Mordecai's people were; so Haman made it his purpose to put an end to all the Jews, even Mordecai's people, through all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Moff No Moff EST book available

JPS But it seemed contemptible in his eyes to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai; wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

ASV But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

DRA And he counted it nothing to lay his hands upon Mardochai alone: for he had heard that he was of the nation of the Jews, and he chose rather to destroy all the nation of the Jews that were in the kingdom of Assuerus.

YLT and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeketh to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus — the people of Mordecai.

Drby But he scorned to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus — the people of Mordecai.

RV But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Wbstr And he scorned to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shown him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

KJB-1769 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
(And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had showed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. )

KJB-1611 And hee thought scorne to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Iewes, that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahasuerus, euen the people of Mordecai.
(And he thought scorne to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had showed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Yewes, that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.)

Bshps And thought it to litle to lay handes onely on Mardocheus, for they had shewed him the nation of Mardocheus: wherefore he sought to destroy all the Iewes that were throughout the whole empire of Ahasuerus, and that were of the nation of Mardocheus.
(And thought it to little to lay hands only on Mordecai, for they had showed him the nation of Mordecai: wherefore he sought to destroy all the Yews that were throughout the whole empire of Ahasuerus, and that were of the nation of Mordecai.)

Gnva Now he thought it too litle to lay hands onely on Mordecai: and because they had shewed him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Iewes, that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahashuerosh, euen the people of Mordecai.
(Now he thought it too little to lay hands only on Mordecai: and because they had showed him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Yewes, that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahashuerosh, even the people of Mordecai. )

Cvdl that he shulde laye hondes onely on Mardocheus: for they had shewed him ye people of Mardocheus, but he sought to destroye the people of Mardocheus, and all the people that were in the whole empyre of Ahasuerus.
(that he should lay hands only on Mordecai: for they had showed him ye/you_all people of Mordecai, but he sought to destroy the people of Mordecai, and all the people that were in the whole empyre of Ahasuerus.)

Wycl and he ledde for nouyt to sette hise hondis on Mardochee aloone; for he hadde herd, that Mardochee was of the folc of Jewis, and more he wolde leese al the nacioun of Jewis, that weren in the rewme of Assuerus.
(and he led for nought/nothing to set his hands on Mordecai alone; for he had herd, that Mordecai was of the folc of Yewis, and more he would lose all the nacioun of Yewis, that were in the realm of Assuerus.)

Luth Und verachtete es, daß er an Mardachai allein sollte die Hand legen, denn sie hatten ihm das Volk Mardachais angesagt; sondern er trachtete, das Volk Mardachais, alle Juden, so im ganzen Königreich Ahasveros waren, zu vertilgen.
(And verachtete es, that he at Mardachai alone sollte the hand legen, because they/she/them hatten him the people Mardachais angesagt; rather he trachtete, the people Mardachais, all Yuden, so in_the entire kingreich Ahasveros were, to vertilgen.)

ClVg et pro nihilo duxit in unum Mardochæum mittere manus suas: audierat enim quod esset gentis Judææ; magisque voluit omnem Judæorum, qui erant in regno Assueri, perdere nationem.
(and for nihilo duxit in one Mardochæum mittere hands suas: audierat because that was gentis Yudææ; magisque voluit omnem Yudæorum, who they_were in regno Assueri, perdere nationem. )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Ethnic Hatred

Selfish pride, a desire to maintain power, and hatred for those who stand in the way have often been the basis for the persecution of racial or religious groups. Many people have died through the centuries because of such hatred.

In the book of Esther, Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down as everyone else did when Haman passed by (Esth 3:1-5). Haman thus despised a man of integrity who would not obey laws that were against his convictions. This personal hatred of Mordecai the Jew developed into a murderous desire to destroy all Jews (3:6). His charge against the Jewish people was what he hated in Mordecai: They did not assimilate with other people, they had unique laws and customs, and they did not obey some of the laws of the king (3:8).

The Spanish Inquisition (1400s) and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany (1930s–40s) were other terrible attempts to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth. Religious and ethnic hatred still leads to diabolical plans today.

God disapproves of such hatred against any ethnic or religious group, and he will eventually hold accountable those who attempt to carry out such plots (see Deut 30:7; Pss 21:7-11; 34:19-21; 44:7). God has repeatedly saved the Jewish people and defeated their enemies, for God is faithful to all his promises (see Rom 9–11). He will similarly preserve his church through all persecution (see Matt 16:18; Rom 8:26-39).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 46:33-34; Deut 7:1-6; 23:3-8; Esth 3:1-9; Matt 15:22-28; Luke 4:27; Acts 10:34-35; Rom 9:1–11:36; Gal 3:26-29; Eph 2:14

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וַ⁠יִּ֣בֶז בְּ⁠עֵינָ֗י⁠ו

and,thought_~_beneath in/on/at/with,eyes_of,him

You can say this with an active form, and you can say who did the action. Alternate translation: “Haman considered that it was not enough”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ⁠יִּ֣בֶז בְּ⁠עֵינָ֗י⁠ו

and,thought_~_beneath in/on/at/with,eyes_of,him

Haman probably decided to go to such extremes because he was so angry. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say that explicitly.

וַ⁠יִּ֣בֶז

and,thought_~_beneath

Despise in this context means not to hate but to think little of or think something is too small. This expression means that Haman decided it would not be enough just to kill Mordecai alone.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְּ⁠עֵינָ֗י⁠ו

in/on/at/with,eyes_of,him

Here, eyes stand for “seeing,” and in this case “seeing” means judgment. This phrase means in Haman’s judgment. Alternate translation: “as he saw it”

לִ⁠שְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙ בְּ⁠מָרְדֳּכַ֣י לְ⁠בַדּ֔⁠וֹ

to,lay hands in/on/at/with,Mordecai for=him/it=being_alone

Alternate translation: “he rejected the idea of killing only Mordecai” or “he decided to kill more than just Mordecai” or “he decided that it would not be enough to get rid of only Mordecai”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

לִ⁠שְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙

to,lay hands

As in 2:21, the expression to stretch out a hand means to cause someone physical harm with the intention of killing them.

כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖⁠וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מָרְדֳּכָ֑י

that/for/because/then/when told to=him/it DOM people Mārəddəkay's

They means the other royal officials. Him refers to Haman. The people of Mordecai means the Jews. Mordecai had told these officials that he would not bow down to Haman because Jews worshiped only God. So this means that the other officials had told Haman that Mordecai was not bowing down to him because he was a Jew.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וַ⁠יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְ⁠הַשְׁמִ֧יד

and=he/it_sought Haman to,destroy

Here, seeking means trying to do something. In this context, it means that Haman decided that he would try to kill all the Jews.

בְּ⁠כָל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ

in=all kingdom ʼAḩashəvērōshz

This means in the entire empire that King Ahasuerus ruled.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

הַ⁠יְּהוּדִ֛ים & עַ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי

the,Jews & people Mārəddəkay

These two phrases refer to the same group of people. The repetition emphasizes how great the threat was to their existence. You could combine them as UST does and say something like “all of the Jews.” Alternate translation: “Mordecai’s people, the Jews”

Parallel EST 3:6