Targum Sheni on Esther

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

Targum Sheni 8:13 reproduces Addition E clause by clause in the Greek's order (review §3); verbatim under the written standard.

On the Day of Atonement they curse the king and pray outright for his death and the breaking of his rule -- a specific escalation beyond MT's general 'do not keep the king's laws,' matching Addition B's charge that this nation continually disregards royal ordinances.

On the Fast of Gedaliah they curse the king and pray for his death and the breaking of his rule -- the concrete sedition behind Addition B's charge that the nation works evils against the kingdom's stability.

The Passover liturgy Haman reports -- 'as leaven is swept out before unleavened bread, so may this wicked kingdom be swept out' -- is a specific seditious liturgy illustrating Addition B's charge of ill-disposal to the king's affairs.

Mordecai's confession, 'the living and enduring God, who is one in heaven,' is the specific sole-and-unopposed sovereignty Addition C invokes at the head of Mordecai's prayer.

Mordecai's creation hymn -- suspending the earth, stretching the firmament, making the great sea, commanding sun moon and stars -- is the non-MT creation catalogue matching Addition C's 'you made heaven and earth and every wondrous thing under heaven.'

Haman's robe bears two idol images front and back, so bowing would be idol-worship -- the specific non-MT reason Mordecai's refusal is theological, not pride, matching Addition C's disclaimer of insolence or ambition.

A second, distinct non-pride rationale -- Benjamin was unborn when Jacob bowed to Esau and has never bowed to any man -- again motivates the refusal by something other than personal pride, as Addition C insists.

'I bow to none but the living and enduring God... to him alone it is fitting to bow' is the specific counterpart to Addition C's 'I will bow down to no one except you, my Lord.'

Haman's robe bore two idol images, so bowing would be idolatry -- the specific non-MT reason matching Addition C's 'that I might not set the glory of a man above the glory of God.'

Mordecai's appeal recites the Exodus redemption -- plagues, the sea, Pharaoh's chariots drowned -- as the specific ground for the present plea, matching Addition C's own appeal to 'your portion, which you redeemed out of the land of Egypt.'

Esther is pictured rising from dust and ashes to dress, presupposing the specific scene Addition C narrates of the queen exchanging her glory for garments of distress with ashes on her head, unattested in MT. One of the parallels the scholarly literature already records (control P05).

She rises 'bent over and not upright' from the three fasts -- the specific bodily posture matching Addition C's 'she humbled her body greatly.' One of the parallels the scholarly literature already records (control P05).

Mordecai's speech -- no king to lean on, no prophet to seek mercy, no place to flee -- is the specific ground of total helplessness matching Addition C's 'help me, alone as I am, having no helper but you.'

The twelve thousand priests' cry -- if the beloved people ceases, who will stand and read the Torah and speak your name -- is the specific silenced-worship argument matching Addition C's charge that the enemy aims to stop the mouths of those who praise God.

The idol images on Haman's robe make homage to him literal worship of a mortal man -- the specific non-MT detail matching Addition C's fear of 'a mortal king marveled at forever.'

'Haman devised an evil scheme against Israel, and his scheme came up on his own head, and they crucified him' is the specific poetic-justice formula matching Addition C's petition to turn their plot back upon them and make an example of the one who began it.

'You devised evil against Israel, and the Knower of secrets raised your device upon your own head' is the same recurring, specific poetic-justice formula matching Addition C's petition to turn their plan back upon them.

'Remember at this hour... let my request not be turned back' shares the specific temporal-crisis framing of Addition C's 'Remember, Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction.' One of the parallels the scholarly literature already records (control P05).

'Let Jacob's favour be placed in my mouth and Joseph's grace upon my tongue' as she enters is the specific petition for persuasive speech before the king matching Addition C's 'put a well-tuned word in my mouth before the lion.' One of the parallels the scholarly literature already records (control P05).

Esther's own 30-day prayer that the king not summon her, grounded in Mordecai's rule that a willing Israelite bride of a gentile forfeits her portion, is the specific ground for Addition C's abhorrence of 'the bed of the uncircumcised.'

Esther secretly passes her palace rations to gentile maids 'because Esther did not taste the food of the king's house' -- the concrete equivalent of Addition C's claim that she has not eaten at Haman's table or honored the king's banquet.

'On the third day, when Esther had fasted three fasts, she rose from the dust and ashes... and put on royal apparel' after finishing her prayer reproduces Addition D's specific sequence -- end of prayer, exchange of mourning for glory -- which MT never narrates (the third-day timing itself is MT-derivable, but this narrative frame is not). One of the parallels the scholarly literature already records (control P05).

'She stood at the inner gate facing the king's house, and the king was sitting on his royal throne... facing the king's gate' is the specific structural framing matching Addition D's queen passing through every door to stand before the enthroned king.

'Haman the king's executioner sought to kill Esther' before the scepter is extended is a specific non-MT mortal-danger beat inserted at the same narrative seam as Addition D's wrathful royal glance and Esther's collapse.

Targum Sheni quotes the second edict addressed to 'the dwellers of sea and dry land, the archons of the districts and the chiefs of the armies' -- the same invented decree-address device as Addition E's opening to the satraps and loyal officials.

'He did not know how to bear his honor, nor even how to receive the kingship' matches Addition E's reflection that those honored too much by their benefactors grow arrogant.

'By their guile and falsehood they deceived the kingdom and wrote letters improper before Heaven and evil among men' includes the specific escaping-justice charge matching Addition E's ingrates who suppose they will escape the justice of the all-seeing God.

The same edict's resolve to set peace on all who dwell under the kingdom and trade freely between tongues matches Addition E's stated aim to provide the kingdom untroubled and at peace for all people.

The edict describes Haman as 'a man who came to us, not from our place nor our province,' the same foreigner-admitted-as-guest framing as Addition E's Macedonian stranger to Persian blood.

The king's own suspicion, 'Esther and Haman are conspiring to kill me,' is the same specific regicide charge Addition E levels against Haman, voiced here as royal fear.

'Haman wants to kill me and to reign in my place, as I saw in the vision' is the same specific plot-on-the-king's-life motive as Addition E's charge, unattested in MT.

Harbonah's denunciation -- 'you too, O king, Haman sought to kill and to take the kingdom from you' -- is the same regicide charge Addition E makes, absent from MT's version of Harbonah's speech.

The edict's charge that Haman sought to kill the king and seize the kingship for himself is the same non-MT usurpation motive as Addition E's plan to transfer the dominion to the Macedonians.

Esther identifies her people to the king as 'the nation of the Jews, called the sons of the Master of all' -- matching Addition E's 'sons of the Most High, the greatest, living God.'

Mordecai takes Haman from the king's gate to crucify him, a specific location matching Addition E's notice of the crucifixion at the gates of Susa.

Haman and all ten sons are crucified together, tier by tier, on one fifty-cubit gallows -- the specific whole-household execution matching Addition E's 'crucified together with his whole household.'

'The king granted the Jews in every city to assemble and stand for their lives' is the specific operative clause matching Addition E's order allowing the Jews to defend themselves.

'The month turned for them from mourning to gladness and from distress to a good day' closely matches Addition E's 'a day of joy instead of destruction.'

The day is kept as feasting and a good day in every province, with many gentiles becoming Jews -- the specific gentile-participation detail matching Addition E's summons to the Persians well disposed toward them.

The edict closes with a sanction against non-compliant households (hanging over their own doorway); this is the same structural closing-penalty clause as Addition E's spear-and-fire threat against disobedient cities, absent from MT.

Mordecai's gallows speech -- 'you planned evil against Israel, and the Knower of hidden things brought your design up on your own head' -- credits divine causation for the reversal, matching Addition F's 'these things have come from God.'

'They hanged him on the gallows prepared for Mordecai, and the wrath of the King of kings subsided' explicitly credits divine action for the outcome, matching Addition F's 'these things have come from God.'

The witness names the enemies precisely as those who said 'in a few days we will kill you and dash your children to the ground,' the specific counterpart to Addition F's 'nations gathered to destroy the name of the Jews.'

Mordecai as the one 'through whom signs and mighty deeds were done for Israel in their four exiles' shares Addition F's specific closing vocabulary of signs and wonders such as have not happened among the nations.

The New Year liturgy's plea that 'our remembrance come in for good and our enemies' for evil' pictures a day of judgment before God with two opposed reckonings, the closest structural counterpart in the work to Addition F's two lots reaching the day of judgment.