{"slug":"LIT1362Esther","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1362Esther","title":"Book of Esther","author":"Anonymous","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T04:52:57Z","cost_usd":0.022002},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1362Esther","work_id":"LIT1362Esther","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},"stats":{"passages":40,"english_words":7843,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":232,"commentary_kinds":10,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":80,"work_notes":6,"external_links":6,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"LIT1362Esther","abstract":"The Geʿez version of the Book of Esther, preserved in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition, is a translation likely dating to the Aksumite period (5th–7th centuries). It includes unique expansions—such as prayers and dream sequences—not found in the Hebrew Masoretic text, aligning with the Septuagint tradition. The earliest extant manuscripts are from the 14th–15th centuries. This edition is based on British Library Or. 484, with lacunae supplied from other witnesses. The text is canonical in Ethiopia, read during Lent and associated with Purim-like celebrations.","historical_context":"The Geʿez translation of Esther likely originated in the Aksumite period (5th–7th centuries), when the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was established and biblical translations from Greek (Septuagint) were produced. The earliest surviving manuscripts, however, date to the 14th–15th centuries, reflecting later copying and liturgical use. The text is preserved in Ethiopian monastic scriptoria, often bound with other Old Testament books. Its additions—such as dream sequences and prayers—reflect the Ethiopian tradition's tendency to amplify visionary and prophetic elements, drawing on apocalyptic imagery from Daniel and 1 Enoch. The work is canonical in Ethiopia, read during Lent and commemorated in a Purim-like festival, indicating its integration into local liturgical and cultural practices.","significance":"The Geʿez Esther is significant for its unique expansions, which provide insight into Ethiopian biblical interpretation and liturgical adaptation. It demonstrates the influence of the Septuagint tradition and local apocalyptic literature, such as 1 Enoch. The text also highlights the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's distinct canon and its integration of Jewish diaspora narratives into Christian worship.","timeline":[{"date":"5th–7th centuries","event":"Probable date of Geʿez translation of Esther during the Aksumite period."},{"date":"14th–15th centuries","event":"Earliest extant manuscripts of the Geʿez Esther."},{"date":"19th century","event":"British Library acquires manuscript Or. 484, used as base for this edition."},{"date":"20th–21st centuries","event":"Modern scholarly editions and digital publication of the Geʿez Esther."}],"relations":[{"work":"Septuagint Esther","relation":"Source for the Geʿez translation, including additions not in the Hebrew text.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Hebrew Masoretic Esther","relation":"Earlier version lacking the expansions found in the Geʿez text.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Enoch","relation":"Shares apocalyptic imagery (e.g., dream sequences) with the Geʿez Esther.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Daniel 7–8","relation":"Echoes apocalyptic imagery of cosmic upheaval in the Geʿez Esther's dream episode.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"2 Kings 24:15","relation":"Referenced in the Geʿez text to link Mordecai to the Babylonian exile.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"Edition of Geʿez Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther","reason":"Source edition used for this dossier."},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"Dossier entry for Ethiopic Esther","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther","reason":"Primary reference for the work."},{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"Editorial record for Geʿez Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther","reason":"Bibliographic record of the edition."},{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Manuscript Or. 484 at British Library","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941","reason":"Base manuscript for the edition."},{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Additional witness manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941","reason":"Supplies lacunae in the edition."},{"key":"wikipedia:Book of Esther","label":"Wikipedia article on Esther","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Esther","reason":"General background on the biblical book."}],"cautions":["The exact date of the Geʿez translation is uncertain; the 5th–7th century range is a scholarly estimate based on Aksumite translation activity.","The earliest extant manuscripts are from the 14th–15th centuries, leaving a gap in the transmission history.","This edition is based on a single manuscript (Or. 484) with lacunae supplied from other witnesses; it does not collate all known Ethiopic manuscripts.","The authorship is anonymous, and the text's relation to the Hebrew and Greek traditions is complex due to unique expansions."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000487,"generated":"2026-11-15T01:33:47Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT1362Esther","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":40,"translated":40,"commentary_passages":40,"commentary_units":232,"english_words":7843,"source_letters":19445,"commentary_kinds":10},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text of Esther is preserved in the manuscript tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, often bound with other Old Testament books.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Esther is canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, where it is read during Lent and commemorated in the festival of Purim-like celebrations.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez translation of Esther likely dates to the Aksumite period (5th–7th centuries), but the earliest extant manuscripts are from the 14th–15th centuries.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez Esther includes additions (e.g., prayers, dream sequences) not found in the Hebrew Masoretic text, reflecting the Septuagint tradition.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not collate all known Ethiopic manuscripts of Esther; variant readings from other codices may exist.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The source edition (betmas) is based on a single manuscript from the British Library, Or. 484, with lacunae supplied from other witnesses.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"hollis:alma99155658614003941","label":"The Oxford handbook of the Septuagint","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/99155658614003941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 40 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: Luke 1:28."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":40},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT1362Esther":{"label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther":{"label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"},"hollis:alma990060895110203941":{"label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"},"ed:LIT1362Esther":{"label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},"hollis:alma990022442770203941":{"label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"},"hollis:alma99155658614003941":{"label":"The Oxford handbook of the Septuagint","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/99155658614003941"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Text of the EOTC printed Bible\n\nChapter 1\n\nበካልእ፡ ዓመት፡ እምዘነግሠ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ዓቢይ፡ አመ፡ ቀዳሚ፡ ዘኔሳን፡ ርእየ፡ ሕልመ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ዘኢያኤሩ፡ ዘሴምዩ፡ ዘቄስዩ፡ እምነገደ፡ ብንያም፡ ብእሲ፡ አይሁዳዊ።\n\nወይነብር፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገረ፡ ሱሳ፡ ወዓቢይ፡ ብእሲሁ፡ ወይነብር፡ በዓፀደ፡ ቤተ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወእምነ፡ ፄዋ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘፄወዎ፡ ናቡከደነፆር፡ ንጉሠ፡ ባቢሎን፡ እምነ፡ ኢየሩሳሌም፡ ምስለ፡ ኢኮንያን፡ ንጉሠ፡ ይሁዳ።\n\nወዝንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ሕልሙ፡ ወናሁ፡ ቃል፡ ወሁከት፡ ወድልቅልቅ፡ ወነጐድጓድ፡ ወጒጒዓ፡ ላዕለ፡ ምድር።\n\nወናሁ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ አክይስት፡ ዓበይት፡ ድልዋን፡ መጽኡ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትጋደሉ፡ ወኮነ፡ ቃሎሙ፡ ዓቢየ።\n\nወበቃለ፡ ዚአሆሙ፡ ተደለዉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ለፀብዕ፡ ከመ፡ ይጽብዕዎሙ፡ ለሕዝብ፡ ጻድቃን።\n\nወናሁ፡ ዕለተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወቆባር፡ ወሥቃይ፡ ወምንዳቤ፡ ወሕማም፡ ወሁከት፡ ዓቢይ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር።\n\nወተሀውኩ፡ ጻድቃን፡ ወኵሎሙ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ፈርሁ፡ እምነ፡ እኪቶሙ፡ ወተደለዉ፡ ለተኀጒሎ።","english":"In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the Great, on the first of Nisan, Mordecai saw a dream. Mordecai, the son of Jair, of the family of Shimei, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jewish man.\n\nAnd he dwelt in the city of Susa, and he was a great man, and he dwelt in the court of the king's house.\n\nAnd he was from the captivity which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah.\n\nAnd this was his dream: and behold, there was a voice, and a tumult, and confusion, and thunder, and earthquake upon the earth.\n\nAnd behold, two great dragons came, both of them fighting, and their voice was great.\n\nAnd by their voice the peoples were prepared for war, as if they would make war against the righteous people.\n\nAnd behold, a day of darkness, and gloom, and affliction, and torment, and pain, and great tumult upon the earth.\n\nAnd the righteous were troubled, and all the people feared because of their evil, and they were prepared to be destroyed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አርጤክስስ","severity":"info","text":"Artaxerxes is the Persian king; the Geʿez form reflects the Greek Ἀρταξέρξης. The second year of his reign sets the narrative in the early 5th century BCE.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ፄዋ","severity":"info","text":"ፄዋ (ṣēwā) means 'captivity' or 'exile'. It links Mordecai to the Babylonian exile under Nebuchadnezzar, a key background for the Jewish diaspora in Susa.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ናቡከደነፆር","severity":"info","text":"Nebuchadnezzar's deportation of Jeconiah (2 Kings 24:15) is referenced. This aligns Mordecai with the exilic community, a detail absent from the Hebrew Esther.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a historical notice (regnal year, date, protagonist), then shifts to a dream sequence marked by ወናሁ (wa-nāhu, 'and behold'). This dual structure is typical of Geʿez narrative expansions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The dream of two dragons fighting and causing cosmic upheaval echoes apocalyptic imagery in Daniel 7–8 and 1 Enoch, though no direct citation is present.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This dream episode is unique to the Geʿez version of Esther; it does not appear in the Hebrew or Greek texts. It reflects the Ethiopian tradition's tendency to amplify prophetic and visionary elements.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the two dragons is not specified; they may represent political powers (Persia vs. Greece) or eschatological forces. The Geʿez leaves this open.","The phrase 'prepared for war' (ተደለዉ ለፀብዕ) could be read as 'they were prepared for war' or 'they were prepared to make war'; the translation takes the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ወጸርሑ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወእምነ፡ ጽራሖሙ፡ ኮነ፡ ንስቲት፡ ነቅዕ፡ ዘሕይወት፡ ወነቅዐ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ፈለግ፡ ዘብዙኅ፡ ማዩ።\n\nወብርሃነ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ሠረቀ፡ ላዕሌሃ፡ ወትሑታን፡ ተለዓሉ፡ ወበልዕዎሙ፡ ለክቡራን።\n\nወተንሥአ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ርኢዮ፡ ዘንተ፡ ሕልመ፡ እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፈቀደ፡ ይግበር፡ ወዐቀቦ፡ ውስተ፡ ልቡ፡ ወፈቀደ፡ ያእምር፡ ኵሎ፡ ነገሮ፡ በሌሊት።\n\nወነበረ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ምስለ፡ ገቦታ፡ ወታራ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕዕዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እለ፡ የዐቅቡ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ወሀገረ።\n\nወሰምዐ፡ ምክሮሙ፡ ዘይሔልዩ፡ ወአእመረ፡ ወጠየቀ፡ ከመ፡ አስተዳለዉ፡ ማዕሌተ፡ ይቅትልዎ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወነገሮ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ በእንቲአኮሙ።\n\nወሐተቶሙ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለክልኤሆሙ፡ ሕጽዋኒሁ፡ ወአምኑ፡ ወተኰነኑ።\n\nወጸሐፎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ውስተ፡ ተዝካረ፡ ኖብያት፡ ወመርክድዮስኒ፡ ጸሐፎ።\n\nወአዘዞ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ይፀመድ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወፈተቶ፡ በበይነ፡ ዝንቱ።","english":"And he prayed to God, and from his prayer there was a small spring of life, and a great river of abundant water.\n\nAnd the light of the sun rose over it, and the depths were lifted up and swallowed the nobles.\n\nAnd Mordecai arose, having seen this dream, because God willed to act, and he kept it in his heart, and he desired to know all the matter by night.\n\nAnd Mordecai dwelt in the court with the two eunuchs of the king, who guarded the court and the city.\n\nAnd he heard their counsel, which they plotted, and he learned and understood that they had conspired to kill Artaxerxes the king, and he told the king concerning them.\n\nAnd the king questioned his two eunuchs, and they confessed and were condemned.\n\nAnd the king wrote this matter in the book of the annals, and Mordecai also wrote it.\n\nAnd the king commanded Mordecai to be diligent in the court, and he honored him because of this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The spring and river from Mordecai's prayer symbolize divine favor and life, contrasting with the subsequent destruction of nobles.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሕዕዋኒሁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሕዕዋኒሁ (ḥəʿwānīhu) is here translated as 'eunuchs,' but it can also mean 'chamberlains' or 'courtiers,' reflecting a role in the royal court.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The conspiracy of eunuchs against Artaxerxes is not found in the Hebrew or Greek Esther, but appears in later Jewish traditions (e.g., Targum Sheni) and is adapted in the Ethiopic version.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from Mordecai's dream to his political role, linking the divine vision to his actions in the court, a narrative bridge in the Ethiopic expansion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Ethiopic Book of Esther, with its added episodes like the eunuch conspiracy, reflects a distinct reception history, possibly influenced by Jewish midrashic traditions transmitted through Christian channels.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez term ሕዕዋኒሁ could be read as 'eunuchs' or 'courtiers'; the translation opts for 'eunuchs' based on context.","The phrase 'depths were lifted up' (ትሑታን ተለዓሉ) is ambiguous, possibly referring to the nobles' rise and fall or a cosmic upheaval."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ወሐማሰ፡ እስመ፡ ልደቱ፡ አግያዊ፡ ክቡር፡ ውእቱ፡ ወየቀውም፡ ቅድመ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወይፈቅድ፡ ይግበር፡ እኪተ፡ ላዕለ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወላዕለ፡ ሕዝቡ፡ በእንተ፡ እልክቱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፅዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ።\n\nChapter 2\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ በመዋዕሊሁ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ወውእቱ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ዘነግሰ፡ ላዕለ፡ ምእት፡ ዕሥራ፡ ወሰብዓቱ፡ በሐውርት፡ እምነ፡ ብሔረ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ብሔረ፡ ኢትዮጵያ።\n\nወበውእቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ አመ፡ ነግሠ፡ በሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ በሣልስ፡ ዓም፡ እምዘነግሠ፡ ገብረ፡ በዓለ፡ ለአግብርቲሁ፡ ወለአዕርክቲሁ።\n\nወበእንተ፡ እለ፡ ተርፉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ለፋርስ፡ ወለሜዶን፡ ወለክቡራኒሆሙ፡ ወለመላእክተ፡ ሠራዊት።\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ አርአዮሙ፡ ብዕለ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ወክብረ፡ ትፍሥሕቱ፡ ወብዕሉ፡ በምእት፡ ወሰማንያ፡ ዕለት።\n\nወሶበ፡ ተፈጸመ፡ መዋዕለ፡ መርዓ፡ ገብረ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በዓለ፡ ዳግመ፡ ለአሕዛብ፡ እለ፡ ተርፉ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር፡ ወበዓፀደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ሰዱሰ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ወሰኑየ።","english":"And Haman, because of his noble birth, was honored, and he stood before the king and sought to do evil against Mordecai and against his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.\n\nChapter 2\n\nAnd after this, in the days of Artaxerxes—and he is Artaxerxes who reigned over one hundred twenty-seven provinces, from the land of India to the land of Ethiopia.\n\nAnd in those days, when he reigned in the city of Susa, in the third year from when he began to reign, he made a feast for his servants and for his nobles.\n\nAnd for the peoples who remained, of Persia and of Media, and for their nobles, and for the commanders of the army.\n\nAnd after this, he showed them the greatness of his kingdom and the glory of his joy, and the feast lasted one hundred eighty days.\n\nAnd when the days of the wedding were completed, the king made a second feast for the peoples who remained in the city, and in the king’s court for six days, and they were drunk.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 2","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a chapter division here, separating the narrative of Haman's plot from the introduction of Artaxerxes' reign.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አርጤክስስ (Artaxerxes)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez form 'Artaxerxes' corresponds to the Persian king Xerxes I (or Artaxerxes I), reflecting the conflation of Persian rulers in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ምእት ዕሥራ ወሰብዓቱ በሐውርት (127 provinces)","severity":"info","text":"The number 127 provinces echoes the canonical Book of Esther (Esther 1:1), where Ahasuerus rules 127 provinces, linking the Ethiopic version to the biblical account.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"በሣልስ ዓም (third year)","severity":"info","text":"The feast is set in the third year of Artaxerxes' reign, a detail not found in the Masoretic Esther, suggesting a distinct chronological tradition in the Ethiopic version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ምእት ወሰማንያ ዕለት (180 days)","severity":"info","text":"The feast lasting 180 days parallels the 180-day feast in the Greek additions to Esther (Additions to Esther, 1:1a), indicating influence from the Septuagint tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰኑየ (drunk)","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez term 'ሰኑየ' (drunk) may be a scribal error or variant; the expected form is 'ሰክሩ' (they became drunk). The sense is clear but the orthography is irregular.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Artaxerxes is ambiguous; the Geʿez text may conflate Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I, as is common in Ethiopic tradition.","The phrase 'ሰኑየ' (drunk) is orthographically irregular; the intended reading is 'they became drunk'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"ወሥርግው፡ በሜላት፡ ወበአጌ፡ ንጹሕ፡ ወዕውድ፡ በሜላት፡ ውስተ፡ አሕባለ፡ ቢሦስ፡ በሕልቀተ፡ ወርቅ፡ ወብሩር፡ ላዕለ፡ አዕማደ፡ እብን፡ ዘጵርንሶ፡ ወዓራታት፡ ዘወርቅ፡ ወዘብሩር፡ ወጽፍጹፍ፡ በእብን፡ ዘኅብረ፡ መረግድ፡ ወበዕንቈ፡ ጴኔኖን፡ ወበእብነ፡ ጳሪኑ፡ ወጥቀ፡ ሠናይ፡ ጸፍጸፉ፡ ዘዘዚአሁ፡ ኅብሩ፡ አሠሩ፡ ወእንተ፡ ዓውዱ፡ ጽጌ፡ ረዳ፡ ሥሩዕ።\n\nወጽዋዓትኒ፡ ዘወርቅ፡ ወዘብሩር፡ ወዘዕንቈ፡ አትራቂኖን፡ ወዘቂልቅያን፡ ድልወቱ፡ በሐሳበ፡ ሠለስቱ፡ እልፍ፡ መክሊት፡ ወወይኑ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ወዘሠናይ፡ መዓዛሁ፡ ዘይሰቲ፡ ውእቱ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወበዓሉሰ፡ አኮ፡ በሕገ፡ ቀዳሚ፡ ዘገብረ፡ አላ፡ በከመ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ውእቱ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አዘዞሙ፡ ለመገብቱ፡ ይግበሩ፡ ፈቃደ፡ ዚአሁ፡ ወፈቃደ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nወአስጢንኒ፡ ንግሥት፡ ገብረት፡ በዓለ፡ ለአንስት፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ መንግሥታ፡ እምኀበ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወበሳብዕት፡ ዕለት፡ ሶበ፡ ተፈሥሐ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ይቤሎሙ፡ ለሐማ፡ ወለባዛና፡ ወለታራ፡ ወለቡላዜ፡ ወለዘትወልታ፡ ወለዘአበጦ፡ ወለተራባ፡ ወለሰብዓቱ፡ ሕጽዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እለ፡ ይትለአክዎ፡ ከመ፡ ያምጽእዋ፡ ለንግሥት፡ ወያንግሥዋ፡ ወያሠርግውዋ፡ አክሊለ፡ ወያርእይዋ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ መላእክተ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ሥና፡ እስመ፡ ሠናይት፡ ይእቲ።","english":"And they adorned it with enamel and with agate, pure and beautiful, with enamel within the chains of the throne, with the work of gold and silver upon pillars of stone of Parinos, and with couches of gold and of silver, and inlaid with stone of the color of emerald, and with the stone of the phoenix, and with the stone of the garnet, and very beautifully they inlaid it; and its color was mixed, and it was bound, and what was beautiful was the flower of the pomegranate, arranged.\n\nAnd the vessels of gold and of silver and of the stone of the trachinus and of the chalcedony, their number was in the count of three thousand measures, and its wine was abundant and of good fragrance, which the king himself drinks.\n\nAnd the feast was not according to the former law which he had made, but as the king himself wished; he commanded them to do his will for the banquet, and the will of the people.\n\nAnd Queen Esther made a feast for the women who were within her palace, from the time of King Artaxerxes.\n\nAnd on the seventh day, when the king rejoiced, he said to Haman, and to Bazana, and to Tara, and to Bulaze, and to Zetwelita, and to Zeabego, and to Taraba, and to the seventy eunuchs of the king who serve him, that they should bring the queen and crown her and adorn her with a crown and show her to all the ambassadors of the nations, her beauty, for she is beautiful.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቢሳስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ቢሳስ (ʿassa) likely refers to a type of stone or enamel; the English draft renders it as 'enamel' but the precise identification is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጵርንሶ","severity":"info","text":"ጵርንሶ (parinos) is a stone name, possibly 'Parian marble' or a similar decorative stone; the English draft transliterates it as 'Parinos'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጴኔኖን","severity":"info","text":"ጴኔኖን (penenon) is a stone name, rendered as 'phoenix' in the English draft; it may refer to a precious stone associated with the phoenix in ancient lore.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አትራቂኖን","severity":"info","text":"አትራቂኖን (atrakinon) is a stone name, translated as 'trachinus' in the English draft; likely a type of gemstone, possibly from the Greek τράχινος.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The list of precious stones and materials (enamel, agate, gold, silver, Parian stone, emerald, phoenix stone, garnet, trachinus, chalcedony) reflects the Ethiopic tradition's elaboration of royal opulence, not found in the Hebrew Esther.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from describing the throne and banquet preparations to Queen Esther's feast and the king's command on the seventh day, marking a narrative transition to the crowning ceremony.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identification of several stone names (e.g., ቢሳስ, ጵርንሶ, ጴኔኖን, አትራቂኖን) is uncertain; the English draft provides plausible but not definitive renderings.","The phrase 'ወዘዚአሁ ኅብሩ አሠሩ' (and its color was mixed, and it was bound) is ambiguous: it may refer to the throne's appearance or to a decorative element."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"ወአበየት፡ ሰሚዖቶ፡ አስጢን፡ ንግሥት፡ ወኢፈቀደት፡ ትምጻእ፡ ምስለ፡ ሕጽዋኒሁ፡ ወተከዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወተምዐ።\n\nወነገሮሙ፡ ለአዕርክቲሁ፡ ዘከመ፡ ትቤ፡ አስጢን፡ ወይቤሎሙ፡ ግበሩ፡ እንከሰ፡ ሕጎ፡ ወኵነኔሁ።\n\nወመጽኡ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ አርቂስዮስ፡ ወሰርስቲዮስ፡ ወማሌሲዓር፡ ወመላእክቲሁ፡ ዘፋርስ፡ ወሜዶን፡ እለ፡ ቅሩባን፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወእለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ እቱተ፡ ምስለ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወነገርዎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሕጎሙ፡ ዘከመ፡ ይሬስይዋ፡ ለአስጢን፡ ንግሥት፡ እስመ፡ ኢገብረት፡ በከመ፡ አዘዞሙ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለሕጽዋን።\n\nወይቤሎሙ፡ ሜኬዎስ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወለመላእክቲሁ፡ አኮ፡ ላዕለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ ዘአበሰት፡ አስጢን፡ ንግሥት፡ አላ፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ መላእክት፡ ወላዕለ፡ መገብተ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወነገሮሙ፡ ቃላ፡ ለንግሥት፡ ዘከመ፡ አበየቶ፡ ለንጉሥ።\n\nወሶበ፡ ዛቲ፡ ዮም፡ አበየቶ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ከማሁ፡ እምዮምኒ፡ አንስቲያሆሙ፡ ለመኳንንተ፡ ፋርስ፡ ወሜዶን፡ ሰሚዖን፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎን፡ ዘከመ፡ ተዋሥአቶ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይትሀበላ፡ እማንቱኒ፡ አምታቲሆን፡ ወያስታሐቅራ።","english":"And Astin the queen refused to come with her eunuchs. And the king became angry and was enraged.\n\nAnd he told his nobles what Astin had said, and he said to them, \"Make a decree according to the law and his judgment.\"\n\nAnd Arkesios, Sersitiyos, Malsiʿar, and his envoys from Persia and Media, who were near the king and who dwelt there with the king, came to him.\n\nAnd they told the king their law, how Astin the queen should be put to death, because she had not done as the king had commanded her eunuchs.\n\nAnd Meke'os said to the king and to his envoys, \"It is not only against the king that Astin the queen has sinned, but against all the envoys and against the king's palace.\"\n\nAnd they told the queen's words, how she had refused the king.\n\nAnd when on that day she had refused King Artaxerxes, as from that day he made the nobles of Persia and Media hear all these things, how she had despised the king, so that they might be astonished and marvel at her insolence.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አስጢን","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Astin' (አስጢን) corresponds to Vashti in the Hebrew Esther, reflecting the Geʿez tradition's adaptation of Persian names.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕጽዋን","severity":"info","text":"The term 'eunuchs' (ሕጽዋን) is used consistently in the Geʿez Esther for court officials, a standard feature in Ethiopic court narratives.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አርጤክስስ","severity":"info","text":"The king is named 'Artaxerxes' (አርጤክስስ), a Persian royal name common in later Esther traditions, distinct from the Hebrew Ahasuerus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows a narrative pattern: refusal, royal anger, consultation with nobles, legal decree, and public shaming, typical of Ethiopic court drama.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The motif of the queen's refusal and the king's consultation with nobles parallels the Hebrew Esther 1:12-15, but the Geʿez version expands the legal and procedural details.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez Esther, preserved in Ethiopic manuscripts, reflects a late antique or medieval reception of the Esther story, with added names and legalistic expansions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Meke'os' (ሜኬዎስ) is unclear; he may be a counselor or a specific official not found in other Esther versions.","The phrase 'stone of Parinos' in the previous passage is obscure; it may refer to a type of marble or a place name."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"እመሰ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ የአዝዝ፡ በቤተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ይጽሐፍዎ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ሕግ፡ ለፋርስ፡ ወሜዶን፡ ዘከመ፡ ይገብርዋ፡ ለይእቲ፡ ወኢትባእ፡ እንከ፡ ይእቲ፡ ንግሥት፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ወመንግሥታኒ፡ የሀብ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለካልእት፡ ብእሲት፡ እንተ፡ ትኄይስ።\n\nወይስምዕዎ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ሕግ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በመንግሥቱ፡ ወእምዝ፡ እንከ፡ ኵሎን፡ አንስት፡ ያከብራ፡ አምታቲሆን፡ ባዕለኒ፡ ወነዳየኒ።\n\nወአደሞ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ወለመላእክቲሁ፡ ወገብረ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፡ ሜኬዎስ።\n\nወለአከ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለለበሐውርቲሆሙ፡ በከመ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ቃል፡ ከመ፡ ይፍርሃሆሙ፡ አንስቲያሆሙ፡ በውስተ፡ አብያቲሆሙ።\n\nChapter 3\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ረስዓ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኢተዘከራ፡ እንከ፡ ለአስጢን፡ እስመ፡ ይዜክር፡ ላቲ፡ ዘከመ፡ ተዋሥአቶ።\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ኰነና፡ ይቤልዎ፡ ደቁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ይኅሥሡ፡ ሎቱ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ አዋልደ፡ ደናግለ፡ እለ፡ ሠናይ፡ ራእዮን።","english":"If the king wishes to command in his royal house, let this law be written for Persia and Media, how they should treat that woman who does not come to him; and that queen, let the king give her kingdom to another woman who is worthy.\n\nAnd let this law which the king made in his kingdom be heard; and then all women shall honor their husbands, masters, and lords.\n\nAnd this matter was pleasing to the king and his nobles, and the king did as Mecaeus said.\n\nAnd the king sent throughout all his kingdom to the governors, as this word, that they might make their women fear in their houses.\n\nChapter 3\n\nAnd after this matter, the king was pleased and no longer remembered Astin, for he remembered how she had despised him.\n\nAnd after the decree, the king's servants said to him, \"Let them seek for the king beautiful virgins of good appearance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 3","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a chapter division here, which is a structural feature not present in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther. This suggests a distinct Ethiopic redactional framework.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሜኬዎስ (Mecaeus)","severity":"info","text":"The name Mecaeus appears only in the Ethiopic version of Esther. It likely represents a corruption or adaptation of a Persian or Greek name, possibly Memucan (Hebrew Esther 1:14) or a similar counselor figure.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አስጢን (Astin)","severity":"info","text":"The queen's name Astin corresponds to Vashti in the Hebrew text. The Ethiopic form likely derives from the Greek version (Ἀστίν), reflecting the Septuagint tradition that underlies this translation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢትባእ፡ (does not come)","severity":"info","text":"The decree against a queen who refuses to come parallels the Hebrew Esther 1:19-22, where Memucan proposes a law against Vashti. The Ethiopic version expands the legal language, emphasizing the law's application to all women.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ (after this matter)","severity":"info","text":"The Ethiopic text adds a psychological note: the king is pleased and no longer remembers Astin. This moralizing gloss is absent from the Hebrew and Greek versions, reflecting the Ethiopic tradition's interest in character motivation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢተዘከራ፡ (no longer remembered)","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'no longer remembered' may be a scribal error or theological emendation. The Hebrew text (Esther 2:1) states the king remembered Vashti, but the Ethiopic reverses this, possibly to emphasize the king's capriciousness or to align with a moral lesson.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The name Mecaeus (ሜኬዎስ) has no clear equivalent in the Hebrew or Greek versions; it may be a corruption of Memucan or a distinct Ethiopic addition.","The phrase 'no longer remembered' (ኢተዘከራ) contradicts the Hebrew narrative where the king does remember Vashti; the Ethiopic reading may be intentional or a scribal alteration."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"ወይሢም፡ ንጉሥ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ በሐውርተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ መላእከተ፡ ወመሳፍንተ፡ ወይኅረዩ፡ ሎቱ፡ አዋልደ፡ ደናግለ፡ እለ፡ ሠናይ፡ ራእዮን፡ በሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ በውስተ፡ አብያተ፡ አንስት፡ ወያወፍይዎ፡ ለሕፅወ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወየሀቦን፡ ቅብዖን፡ ወኵሎ፡ መፍቅዶን።\n\nወእንተ፡ አደመቶ፡ እምኔሆን፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ብእሲቱ፡ ይእቲ፡ ወትንግሥ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ህየንተ፡ አስጢን፡ ወአደሞ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወገብረ፡ ከማሁ።\n\nወሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ ብእሲ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ በውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ወስሙ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወልደ፡ ኢያኤሩ፡ ዘሴምዩ፡ ዘቄስዩ፡ ዘእምነገደ፡ ብንያም።\n\nወተፄወወ፡ እምኢየሩሳሌም፡ ወዘፄወዎ፡ ናቡከደነፆር፡ ንጉሠ፡ ባቢሎን።\n\nወቦቱ፡ ወለት፡ እንተ፡ ሐፀና፡ ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡ እኁሁ፡ ለአቡሁ፡ ወስማ፡ አስቴር፡ ወእምድኅረ፡ ወፅአት፡ እምአዝማዲሃ፡ ሐፀና፡ ላቲ፡ ትኩኖ፡ ወለቶ፡ ወይእቲ፡ ወለት፡ ሠናይት፡ ራእያ።\n\nወሶበ፡ አዘዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አስተጋብኡ፡ ሎቱ፡ ብዙኀተ፡ አዋልደ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ኀበ፡ ጋይ፡ ዓቃቤ፡ አንስት።","english":"And if the king wishes, throughout all his royal court, the angels and governors shall choose for him virgins of good appearance in the city of Susa, within the houses of women, and they shall bring them to the king's palace and give them ointment and all their adornment.\n\nAnd as for the one who pleases him among them, she shall be the king's wife, and she shall reign with him in place of Astin; and this matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.\n\nNow there was a certain Jewish man in the city of Susa, and his name was Mordecai, son of Jair, who was called the Qesite, from the tribe of Benjamin.\n\nAnd he had been taken from Jerusalem, and those who took him were Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.\n\nAnd he had a daughter whom he had adopted, the daughter of Aminadab, his father's brother, and her name was Esther; and after she came out from her mother's womb, he adopted her to be his daughter, and that girl was of good appearance.\n\nAnd when the king commanded, many virgins were assembled for him in the city of Susa, at the house of the chief of the women.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መላእከተ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መላእከተ (malaʾǝkta) here means 'angels' or 'messengers', but in this courtly context it likely refers to royal officials or messengers, not celestial beings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢያኤሩ","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai is called son of Jair (ኢያኤሩ), a name not found in the Hebrew Esther; this reflects the Geʿez tradition's independent genealogy, possibly from the Septuagint or oral tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘቄስዩ","severity":"info","text":"The epithet ዘቄስዩ (za-qesiyu) 'the Qesite' likely refers to a priestly or ascetic lineage, possibly connecting Mordecai to the Qes (clergy) tradition in Ethiopian Christianity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ናቡከደነፆር","severity":"info","text":"Nebuchadnezzar (ናቡከደነፆር) is named as the captor of Mordecai from Jerusalem, a detail absent from the Hebrew Esther but found in the Septuagint additions (e.g., Esther 11:1 in the Vulgate).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from the king's decree to the introduction of Mordecai and Esther, establishing the Jewish backstory that is unique to the Geʿez version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez Book of Esther incorporates traditions from the Septuagint and Jewish legend, as seen in the adoption of Esther by Mordecai and the mention of Nebuchadnezzar, reflecting Ethiopian Christian reception of biblical narratives.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The term መላእከተ could be read as 'angels' or 'messengers'; the court context favors the latter, but the Geʿez tradition often uses it for both.","The relationship between Mordecai and Esther is described as adoption (ሐፀና), but the Hebrew text has him as her cousin; the Geʿez follows the Septuagint tradition.","The phrase 'from the tribe of Benjamin' (ዘእምነገደ፡ ብንያም) is consistent with the Hebrew Bible, but the mention of Nebuchadnezzar as captor is anachronistic."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"ወአደመቶ፡ ይእቲ፡ ወለት፡ ወረከበት፡ ሞገሰ፡ በቅድሜሁ፡ ወአፍጠነ፡ ውሂቦታ፡ ቅብዐ፡ ወመክፈልተ፡ ወሰቡዐ፡ አዋልደ፡ እለ፡ ይትለአካሃ፡ እምቤተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሠናየ፡ ዓቀባሃ፡ በውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ አንስት።\n\nወኢነገረት፡ አስቴር፡ አዝማዲሃ፡ ወኢ፡ ብሔራ፡ እስመ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ አዘዛ፡ ከመ፡ ኢታይድዕ።\n\nወኵሎ፡ አሚረ፡ ይመጽእ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ኀበ፡ ዓፀደ፡ አንስት፡ ከመ፡ ይስማዕ፡ ዜናሃ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ዘከመ፡ ሀለወት።\n\nወአመ፡ በጽሐ፡ ጊዜሆን፡ ለእልኩ፡ አዋልድ፡ ከመ፡ ይባኣ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እስመ፡ መጠነዝ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ይነብራ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትሔረሳ፡ ወይሤነያ፡ ስድስተ፡ አውራኀ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትቀብዓ፡ ቅብዐ፡ ዕፍረት፡ ወስድስተ፡ አውራኀ፡ በአፈዋት፡ ወበቅብዐ፡ አንስት።\n\nወእምዝ፡ ሶበ፡ ተፈጸመ፡ ዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ፡ ይእተ፡ አሚረ፡ ይበውኣ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወእንተ፡ ውእቱ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ያመጽኡ፡ ሎቱ፡ እምቤተ፡ አንስት።\n\nወፍና፡ ሠርክ፡ ትበውእ፡ ወጸቢሖ፡ ትገብእ፡ ቤተ፡ አንስት፡ ኀበ፡ ጋይ፡ ሕፅወ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዓቃቤ፡ አንስት፡ ወኢትደግም፡ እንከ፡ በዊአ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለእመ፡ ለሊሁ፡ ኢጸውዓ።","english":"And she adorned herself, that girl, and found favor before him, and she hastened her gifts: oil and ointment and seven virgins who serve her from the king's house, and she appointed good eunuchs for her within the house of women.\n\nAnd Esther did not tell her relatives nor her country, because Mordecai had commanded her that she should not reveal it.\n\nAnd every day Mordecai would come to the courtyard of the women to hear the news of Esther, how she was.\n\nAnd when the time came for those virgins to enter to the king, because the period of twelve months would pass while they were anointed and prepared, six months being anointed with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and with women's oil.\n\nAnd then, when the twelve months were completed, that one would enter to the king, and what he desired they would bring to him from the house of women.\n\nAnd in the morning she would enter and in the evening she would return to the house of women, to the king's nurse, the overseer of women, and she would not dare to enter to the king unless he himself summoned her.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The girl adorns herself and finds favor before the king, receiving oil, ointment, seven virgins, and eunuchs, establishing her status in the house of women.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መርዶክዮስ","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai is the Hebrew name Mardochaios in Greek, here in Geʿez as Mardokəyos, Esther's guardian who commands secrecy.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The twelve-month preparation (six months with myrrh oil, six with perfumes) reflects Persian courtly beauty rituals, adapted in Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from Esther's preparation to her daily routine and the restriction on entering the king without summons, marking a narrative pause.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'she would not dare to enter to the king unless he himself summoned her' may reflect a later monastic gloss on propriety, not in the Hebrew Esther.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'that girl' (ይእቲ ወለት) is ambiguous but contextually Esther; the 'king's nurse' (ጋይ ሕፅወ ንጉሥ) may be a title or a specific person."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ወአመ፡ በጽሐ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ዕብሬታ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡ እኅወ፡ አቡሁ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ከመ፡ ትባእ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ገብረት፡ ኵሎ፡ በከመ፡ አዘዘ፡ ዝክቱ፡ ሕፅው፡ ዓቃቤ፡ አንስት፡ እስመ፡ ባቲ፡ ሞገስ፡ ለአስቴር፡ በኀበ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ይሬእይዋ።\n\nወቦአት፡ አስቴር፡ ኀበ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ፡ በወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ በሰብዓቱ፡ ዓም፡ ዘመንግሥቱ።\n\nወአደመቶ፡ አስቴር፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወረከበት፡ ሞገሰ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እምነ፡ ኵሎን፡ ደናግል፡ ወአሠርገዋ፡ እክሊለ፡ አንስት።\n\nወገብረ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በዓለ፡ ለአፅርክቲሁ፡ ወለሠራዊቱ፡ ሰቡዐ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ወአዕበዮ፡ ለመርዐ፡ አስቴር፡ ወገብረ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅዳጋቲሃ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ደወለ፡ መንግሥቱ።\n\nወመርዶክዮስ፡ ይፀመድ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወአስቴር፡ ኢያይድዐት፡ ብሔራ፡ እስመ፡ ከማሁ፡ አዘዛ፡ ከመ፡ ትፍራህ፡ እግዚአብሔርሃ፡ ወትግበር፡ ትእዛዞ፡ በከመ፡ ሀለወት፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ወአስቴርኒ፡ ኢኃደገት፡ ሕጋ።","english":"And when the time of her turn came for Esther, daughter of Aminadab, brother of his father, of Mordecai, that she might go to the king, she did everything as that young eunuch, the overseer of women, had commanded, because favor was with Esther in the sight of all who saw her.\n\nAnd Esther entered to Artaxerxes the king in the twelfth month, in the month of Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.\n\nAnd Esther pleased the king, and she found favor exceedingly more than all the virgins, and he placed the crown of women upon her.\n\nAnd the king made a feast for his nobles and for his armies for seven days, and he magnified the feast of Esther, and he did all her desires throughout all the days of his kingdom.\n\nAnd Mordecai was appointed in the king’s court.\n\nAnd Esther did not know her people, because as he had commanded her, that she should fear her God and do his command, as she was with him, and Esther also did not abandon the law.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡","severity":"info","text":"Esther is called 'daughter of Aminadab,' a patronymic not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions. This may reflect a distinct Ethiopic genealogical tradition or a scribal addition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዓቃቤ፡ አንስት፡","severity":"info","text":"The 'overseer of women' (ዓቃቤ አንስት) is a court official, likely the eunuch Hegai from the biblical account. The Geʿez text expands his role as a commander of Esther's actions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"በዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ፡ በወርኀ፡ አዳር፡","severity":"info","text":"The twelfth month, Adar, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes' reign is specified. This aligns with the biblical Esther 2:16, though the Geʿez adds the month name Adar, typical of the Ethiopic calendar.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአዕበዮ፡ ለመርዐ፡ አስቴር፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'he magnified the feast of Esther' introduces a seven-day feast, paralleling the biblical seven-day wedding feast (Esther 2:18). The Geʿez text emphasizes the king's fulfillment of Esther's desires.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአስቴርኒ፡ ኢኃደገት፡ ሕጋ፡","severity":"info","text":"The statement that Esther 'did not abandon the law' reflects an Ethiopic Christian concern with Esther's piety, possibly linking her to the Mosaic law or to Christian moral teaching.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ወለተ አሚናዳብ' (daughter of Aminadab) is ambiguous: it may identify Esther's father or a broader lineage; the English draft interprets it as 'daughter of Aminadab, brother of his father, of Mordecai,' but the Geʿez syntax is unclear.","The term 'ዓቃቤ አንስት' (overseer of women) could refer to Hegai or another eunuch; the text does not name him."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ወተከዙ፡ ሕዕዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሊቃነ፡ ዓቀብተ፡ ርእሱ፡ እስመ፡ ዓብየ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወፈቀዱ፡ ይቅትልዎ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወሰምዐ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወነገራ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ወይእቲ፡ አይድዓቶ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ምክሮሙ።\n\nወሶበ፡ ሐተቶሙ፡ ለእልክቱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፅዋኒሁ፡ አምኑ፡ ወሰቀሎሙ፡ ወእምዝ፡ አዘዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ይጽሐፍዎ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ኖብያተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለተዝካር፡ በእንተ፡ አኰቴተ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ።\n\nChapter 4\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ አዕበዮ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ለሐማ፡ እስመ፡ ልደቱ፡ አግያዊ፡ ወአንበሮ፡ ላዕለ፡ እምኵሎሙ፡ አዕርክቲሁ።\n\nወይሰግዱ፡ ሎቱ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ እስመ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይግበሩ፡ አዘዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወመርዶክዮስ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ ኢይሰግድ፡ ሎቱ።\n\nወይቤልዎ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ቤተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አንተ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ለምንት፡ ኢትትኤዘዝ፡ ለቃለ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወኵሎ፡ አሚረ፡ ይብልዎ፡ ከመዝ፡ ወየአቢ፡ ሰሚዖቶሙ፡ ወነገርዎ፡ ለሐማ፡ ከመ፡ የአቢ፡ ትእዛዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወነገርዎ፡ ከመ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"And the two eunuchs of the king, the chief of the eunuchs, were afraid of him because Mordecai was great, and they desired to kill Artaxerxes the king.\n\nAnd Mordecai heard and told Esther, and she knew the counsel of the king.\n\nAnd when she questioned those two eunuchs, they confessed, and she hanged them. And then the king commanded that this be written in the chronicles of his kingdom for the remembrance of the honor of Mordecai.\n\nChapter 4\n\nAnd after this, King Artaxerxes exalted Haman because he was a foreigner by birth, and he set him above all his companions.\n\nAnd all those who were in the court prostrated themselves to him, for the king commanded that they should do likewise, but Mordecai alone did not prostrate himself to him.\n\nAnd those who were in the court of the king’s house said to him, “You, Mordecai, why do you not obey the word of the king?”\n\nAnd all of them said to him thus, and he refused. And they heard his refusal and told Haman that Mordecai refused the command of the king, and they told him that he was a Jew.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕዕዋኒሁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሕዕዋኒሁ (ḥəʿwānīhu) is a plural form meaning 'his eunuchs'. The English draft renders it as 'the two eunuchs', but the Geʿez does not specify a number; the dual is implied by context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐማ","severity":"info","text":"Haman (ሐማ) is introduced as a foreigner by birth (አግያዊ). This aligns with the biblical Esther narrative where Haman is an Agagite, though the Geʿez text uses a general term for foreigner.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 4","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins a new chapter (Chapter 4) after the previous narrative of Esther's entry to the king. This chapter division is a later editorial addition, not present in the original Geʿez manuscript tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሰቀሎሙ","severity":"info","text":"The hanging of the two eunuchs (ወሰቀሎሙ) is unique to the Geʿez version; in the Masoretic Esther, the eunuchs are not executed. This reflects a distinct Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ኖብያተ መንግሥቱ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'chronicles of his kingdom' (ኖብያተ መንግሥቱ) suggests a royal record-keeping practice, possibly reflecting the Ethiopian tradition of recording events in the royal chronicles (ድርሳን).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይሰግድ","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez verb ኢይሰግድ (ʿuyəsəggəd) is a negative form meaning 'he does not prostrate'. The English draft renders it as 'did not prostrate himself', but the Geʿez uses a present tense, indicating a habitual refusal.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The number of eunuchs is not specified in the Geʿez; the English draft adds 'two' based on context.","The hanging of the eunuchs is not in the biblical text; its source is unclear.","The chapter division (Chapter 4) is a later addition and not original to the Geʿez."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"ወሶበ፡ አእመረ፡ ሐማ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይሰግድ፡ ሎቱ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ተምዐ፡ ጥቀ።\n\nወፈቀደ፡ ያጥፍኦሙ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ አይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ደወለ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለአርጤክስስ።\n\nወገብረ፡ ከመዝ፡ በዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ ዓመት፡ እምዘ፡ ነግሠ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ወአስተዓፀወ፡ ዕለተ፡ እምዕለት፡ ወወርኀ፡ እምወርኅ፡ ከመ፡ ያጥፍኦሙ፡ ለዘመደ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ በአሐቲ፡ ዕለት፡ ወወረደ፡ ዕፁ፡ ላዕለ፡ ዐሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ ወርኀ፡ አዳር።\n\nወነገሮ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ሀሎ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ዓላዊ፡ እም፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛበ፡ መንግሥትከ፡ ወሕጎሙኒ፡ ካልእ፡ እምነ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ወኢይትኤዘዙ፡ ለሕገ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኢኮነ፡ ርቱዐ፡ ይኅድጎሙ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nእመሰ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ የአዝዝ፡ ያጥፍእዎሙ፡ ወናሁ፡ አነ፡ እጽሕፍ፡ ወአበውእ፡ አልፈ፡ መካልየ፡ ብሩር፡ ለመዝገበ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወአውፅአ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ሕልቀቶ፡ ወመጠዎ፡ ውስተ፡ እዴሁ፡ ለሐማ፡ ከመ፡ ይኅትም፡ ሶበ፡ ጸሐፈ፡ በእንተ፡ አይሁድ።","english":"And when Haman learned that Mordecai would not bow to him, he was greatly angered. And he desired to destroy all the Jews who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes. And he did thus: in the twelfth year from when Artaxerxes reigned, and he set a day from day and a month from month, as he would destroy the lineage of Mordecai in one day. And the lot fell upon the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar. And he told Artaxerxes and said to him, \"There is a rebellious people among all the peoples of your kingdom, and their law is different from all the peoples, and they do not obey the king's law, and it is not right that the king should leave them.\" Then the king desired to command to destroy them. \"And now I will write and bring a thousand talents of silver to the king's treasury.\" And the king gave his ring and put it into the hand of Haman, that he might seal when he wrote concerning the Jews.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative from the previous section, recounting Haman's plot against the Jews and his manipulation of King Artaxerxes. The sequence of events is linear, with causal connections between Haman's anger, his plan, and the king's complicity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕፁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez word ዕፁ (ʿəṣu) means 'lot' or 'oracle', here referring to the casting of lots to determine the date for the destruction of the Jews. The phrase 'the lot fell upon the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar' echoes the biblical Esther 3:7, where the lot is cast for the thirteenth day.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዐሡሩ ወረቡዑ ለሠርቀ ወርኀ አዳር","severity":"info","text":"The mention of the tenth and thirteenth of Adar corresponds to the biblical Esther 3:7, where Haman casts lots for the thirteenth day of Adar. The Geʿez text uniquely includes both the tenth and thirteenth, possibly reflecting a variant tradition or a scribal conflation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to a thousand talents of silver as a bribe to the king's treasury is not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther. This detail may reflect an Ethiopic expansion or a local tradition emphasizing Haman's corruption.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Ethiopic Book of Esther, as preserved in this manuscript, includes unique episodes and details not present in the canonical versions. This passage's emphasis on Haman's bribery and the king's ring may reflect later Jewish or Christian interpretive traditions.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text states 'the lot fell upon the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar,' which is ambiguous: it may indicate two separate days or a single day with a dual designation. The English draft renders it as 'the tenth and thirteenth,' but the intended meaning is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'the lot fell upon the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar' is ambiguous: it may mean two separate days (the tenth and the thirteenth) or a single day (the thirteenth, with 'tenth' being a scribal error or gloss). The Geʿez uses the conjunction 'ወ' (and), which could indicate a range or two distinct dates.","The identity of the 'rebellious people' is not explicitly stated in the Geʿez, but context and the English draft identify them as the Jews. The text leaves open whether this refers to all Jews in the kingdom or only those loyal to Mordecai."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"ወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለሐማ፡ ወርቅሰ፡ ይኩንከ፡ ለከ፡ ሕዝበሰ፡ ግበር፡ ዘከመ፡ ፈቀድከ።\n\nወጸውዐ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ጸሐፍተ፡ በቀዳሚ፡ ወርኅ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡ ለሠርቅ፡ ወጸሐፉ፡ በከመ፡ አዘዞሙ፡ ሐማ፡ ለመላእክት፡ ወለመሳፍንት፡ ዘኵሉ፡ በሐውርት፡ እምነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ለምእት፡ ዕሥራ፡ ወሰብዓቱ፡ በሐውርት፡ ለለምልክና፡ አሕዛቢሆሙ፡ በበነገረ፡ በሐውርቲሆሙ፡ በቃለ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወፈነወ፡ ምስለ፡ ሐዋርያት፡ ውስተ፡ ደወለ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ከመ፡ ያጥፍእዎሙ፡ ለዘመደ፡ አይሁድ፡ በአሐቲ፡ ዕለት፡ በወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወሰኑዩ፡ ወይበርብርዎሙ፡ ንዋዮሙ።\n\nወከመዝ፡ ይብሉ፡ መጻሕፍቲሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ዘእምነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ለምእት፡ ዕሥራ፡ ወሰብዓቱ፡ በሐውርት፡ ለመላእክት፡ ወለመሳፍንት፡ ወለሥዩማን፡ ከመዝ፡ ጸሐፈ።\n\nወብዙኃነ፡ አሕዛበ፡ ኰኒንየ፡ ወኵሎ፡ በሐውርተ፡ አግሪርየ፡ ፈቀድኩ፡ አኮ፡ በጽንዐ፡ መንግሥትየ፡ ዘአዓቢ፡ ርእስየ፡ አላ፡ በጽምው፡ ወበየዋሃት፡ ለዝሉፉ፡ አስተናቢርየ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘሊተ፡ ይትኤዘዝ፡ ወይትኴነን፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ድንጋፄ፡ ሠሪዕየ፡ ኵሎ፡ በከመ፡ መንግሥትየ፡ ሥሩፅ፡ ወኅዱእ።","english":"And the king said to Haman, \"Let gold be for you, and let the people be slaves, as you have desired.\"\n\nAnd the king summoned the scribes at the beginning of the month, on the thirteenth day of the month of Ṭer, and they wrote as Haman commanded them, to the messengers and to the governors of all the provinces, from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, each to their own peoples, each according to their own language, in the voice of King Artaxerxes.\n\nAnd he sent with the messengers into the whole of his kingdom, that of Artaxerxes, to destroy the race of the Jews on a single day, in the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, and to plunder their goods.\n\nAnd thus say the books of King Artaxerxes, from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to the messengers, to the governors, and to the judges, thus he wrote.\n\n\"And many peoples have I conquered, and all the provinces of Greece have I desired, not by the strength of my kingdom which magnifies my head, but by the humility and the gentleness of this humble one, I have established all that is mine to be ruled and governed without fear, all according to my kingdom, strong and gentle.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኅ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez specifies the thirteenth day of the month Ṭer (ጥር), whereas the English draft renders this as 'the month of Ṭer' without the day number. The phrase 'on the thirteenth day' is explicit in the source.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሠርቅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez word ሠርቅ (śarq) is a month name, corresponding to the Coptic month Ṭer (Ⲧⲱⲃⲓ). The English draft transliterates it as 'Ṭer'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"እምነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'from India to Ethiopia' reflects the traditional extent of the Persian Empire in Hellenistic and Ethiopic literature, not historical Achaemenid borders. This topos appears in Esther and other Geʿez texts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወከመዝ፡ ይብሉ፡ መጻሕፍቲሁ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'And thus say the books of King Artaxerxes' introduces a direct quotation of the royal decree, functioning as a narrative inset. This structural marker is typical of Ethiopic historical narrative.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ለምእት፡ ዕሥራ፡ ወሰብዓቱ፡ በሐውርት፡","severity":"info","text":"The number 127 provinces recurs in the Ethiopic Esther tradition, paralleling the Greek Esther (1:1) and the Vulgate. This detail is absent from the Hebrew Masoretic text, indicating a Septuagintal source for the Ethiopic version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወብዙኃነ፡ አሕዛበ፡ ኰኒንየ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The decree's opening 'And many peoples have I conquered' shifts to a first-person royal voice, but the preceding clause 'thus he wrote' suggests the scribe is quoting. The transition is abrupt and may reflect a textual seam or a copyist's insertion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The month name ሠርቅ (śarq) is identified with Ṭer, but the Geʿez text does not explicitly equate it with the Coptic month; the equation is based on the English draft and tradition.","The phrase 'on the thirteenth day' appears twice in the passage (once for Ṭer, once for Adar), but the English draft omits it for Ṭer, creating a discrepancy."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"ወትብጻሕ፡ እስከ፡ አጽናፈ፡ በሐውርት፡ ወእሔድስ፡ ሰላመ፡ ዘእምኀቤየ፡ ወዘእምኀበ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ይትፈቅር።\n\nወኦሆ፡ ብሂልየ፡ ለመማክርትየ፡ በዘእክል፡ ሠሪዖቶ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡ በንጹሕ፡ መጻእኩ፡ አሠኒ፡ በልብየ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ንስሓ።\n\nወበአማን፡ ተልእከ፡ በንጹሕ፡ ዘእምታሕቴየ፡ ሐማ፡ ዘመርሐነ፡ ወአይድዓነ፡ ከመ፡ በኵሉ፡ በሐውርት፡ ወበኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ዘውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዓለም፡ ተደመረ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ዘእኩይ፡ ሕጉ፡ ወዘኢይትኤዘዝ፡ ለትእዛዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዘልፈ፡ እምነ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ወየእቢ፡ ሥርዓተ፡ ዚአነ፡ ወሕግነ።\n\nወረከብናሁ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ፍሉጥ፡ እንተ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ ካልእ፡ ሕጉ፡ እምነ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወዘነኪር፡ ወውሉጥ፡ ወውፁእ፡ እምሕገ፡ ዚአነ፡ ወይገብሩ፡ እኪተ፡ በግእዞሙ፡ ወረሰይዋ፡ ለመንግሥትነ፡ ከመ፡ ወኢምንት።\n\nወናሁ፡ አዘዝነ፡ በእንተ፡ ዘጸሐፍነ፡ ለክሙ፡ በመጻሕፍቲሁ፡ ለሐማ፡ ዘተሠይመ፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ እምታሕተ፡ አቡነ፡ ከመ፡ ያጥፍእዎሙ፡ ለኰሎሙ፡ ምስለ፡ አንስቲያሆሙ፡ ወደቂቆሙ፡ በመጥባሕተ፡ ፀሮሙ፡ እንዘ፡ ኢትምሕክዎሙ፡ ወኢትምሕርዎሙ፡ አመ፡ ሠርቀ፡ ዐሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ በዛቲ፡ ዓመት።","english":"And it shall be extended until the end of the journey, and I shall renew a peace from my side and from every person, and it shall be loved.\n\nAnd oh, I have said to my counselors, \"By the time I had prepared this, this contemptible one, I came in purity, and I thought in my heart without repentance.\"\n\nAnd by Haman it was sent in purity from beneath me, the father-in-law who led us and guided us, so that in every journey and among every people in the whole world, a people of evil law and of contempt for the king's command was gathered, more than all peoples, and they despised our ordinance and our law.\n\nAnd we found this people to be distinct, with a law second only to that of all people, and strange and perverse and departing from our law, and they do evil in their conduct and reject our kingdom as nothing.\n\nAnd now we have commanded concerning what we have written to you in the letters of Haman, which was sealed over all that is under our father, that they should destroy all of them together with their women and their children by the sword of their enemies, without pitying them and without showing them mercy, on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the month of Adar in this year.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወትብጻሕ፡ እስከ፡ አጽናፈ፡ በሐውርት፡","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative from the previous section, where the king's decree is being issued. The opening phrase signals a shift to the consequences of the decree, extending its reach.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐማ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሐማ (ḥammā) is translated as 'father-in-law' in the English draft. This familial designation for Haman is unique to the Ethiopic version and may reflect a tradition that Haman was related to the king by marriage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኀ፡ አዳር፡","severity":"info","text":"The month of Adar (አዳር) is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, corresponding to February–March. The decree's execution on the 13th and 14th of Adar aligns with the biblical Esther narrative, where the Jews' victory is celebrated on these dates.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"በመጥባሕተ፡ ፀሮሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'by the sword of their enemies' echoes Esther 8:11 (LXX), where the king's decree authorizes the destruction of the Jews. The Ethiopic version closely follows the Septuagint tradition in this detail.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘእኩይ፡ ሕጉ፡","severity":"info","text":"The characterization of the Jewish people as having 'evil law' (እኩይ ሕጉ) reflects the anti-Jewish polemic of the Ethiopic Esther, which amplifies Haman's accusations beyond the biblical source. This may be influenced by later Christian supersessionist theology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኦሆ፡ ብሂልየ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The interjection ወኦሆ (wa-ʾoho, 'And oh') is unusual and may indicate a textual corruption or an emotional aside by the narrator. The English draft treats it as direct speech, but the Geʿez syntax is ambiguous.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker in the second paragraph ('And oh, I have said to my counselors') is unclear; it may be the king or Haman. The Geʿez does not specify.","The phrase 'from beneath me' (እምታሕቴየ) in reference to Haman's authority is ambiguous, possibly indicating a subordinate role or a familial relationship."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"ወከመዝ፡ ታወርድዎሙ፡ ለንኡሶሙ፡ ወለዓቢዮሙ፡ ውስተ፡ ሲኦል፡ በአሐቲ፡ ዕለት፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘታተርፉ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡ ከመ፡ ያዕርፋ፡ እንከ፡ በሐውርቲነ፡ እምነ፡ ግብሮሙ፡ ለዝሉፉ።\n\nወአርአይዎሙ፡ በለኆሳስ፡ መጻሕፍቲሁ፡ ወሤመ፡ ውስተ፡ በሐውርቲሆሙ፡ ወአዘዘ፡ ለኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ከመ፡ ይኩኑ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ዕለት፡ ወይጐጕዑ።\n\nበውስተ፡ ሱሳኒ፡ ይግበሩ፡ ከማሁ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሐማ፡ ያጸምኡ፡ ወተሀውከት፡ ኵላ፡ ሀገር።\n\nChapter 5\n\nወሶበ፡ አእመረ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ዘከመ፡ ኮነ፡ ሰጠጠ፡ አልባሲሁ፡ ወለብሰ፡ ሠቀ፡ ወወደየ፡ ሐመደ፡ ዲበ፡ ርእሱ፡ ወሮፀ፡ ውስተ፡ መርኅበ፡ ሀገር፡ እንዘ፡ ይጸርሕ፡ በዓቢይ፡ ቃል፡ ወይብል፡ ትቀትሉኑ፡ ሕዝበ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ አበሳ።\n\nወበጽሐ፡ ኀበ፡ ኆኅተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወቆመ፡ እስመ፡ ኢይከውኖ፡ በዊእ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እንዘ፡ ሠቀ፡ ይለብስ፡ ወሐመድ፡ ዲበ፡ ርእሱ።\n\nወበኵሉ፡ በሐውርት፡ ኀበ፡ ተፈነዉ፡ መጻሕፍት፡ ኮነ፡ ጽራሕ፡ ወብካይ፡ ወዓቢይ፡ ላህ፡ ወአይሁድሰ፡ ሠቀ፡ ወሐመደ፡ ነጻፉ፡ ኵሎሙ።","english":"And thus they will bring down both the small and the great into Sheol in one day, and there will be none who escape from among them, as if they were left behind, indeed, in our journey from the deeds of this wicked one.\n\nAnd he showed them the books of his counsel, and he placed (them) in their journey, and he commanded all the peoples that they should be for that day and should rejoice.\n\nIn Susa they shall do likewise, the king and Haman, and the whole land will be troubled and disturbed.\n\nChapter 5\n\nAnd when Mordecai learned what had happened, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth, and he sprinkled ashes upon his head, and he ran into the midst of the city, crying out in a loud voice and saying, \"Will you kill the people who are without sin?\"\n\nAnd he arrived at the gate of the king and stood, for he was not permitted to enter into the king's court, while he was wearing sackcloth and ashes upon his head.\n\nAnd in every place where the letters were sent, there was crying and weeping and great lamentation; and the Jews put on sackcloth and ashes, all of them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወከመዝ፡ ታወርድዎሙ፡ ለንኡሶሙ፡ ወለዓቢዮሙ፡ ውስተ፡ ሲኦል፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez describes the destruction of both small and great into Sheol, a term for the underworld, emphasizing total annihilation without escape.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሲኦል","severity":"info","text":"ሲኦል (Sheol) is the Geʿez term for the underworld or realm of the dead, borrowed from Hebrew tradition, used here to convey utter destruction.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ሱሳኒ","severity":"info","text":"ሱሳኒ (Susa) is the ancient Persian capital, consistent with the setting of the Esther narrative in the Achaemenid court.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 5","severity":"info","text":"The chapter break here marks a transition from Haman's decree to Mordecai's public mourning, a structural shift in the narrative.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሶበ፡ አእመረ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai's tearing of garments and donning sackcloth with ashes echoes biblical mourning practices (cf. Esther 4:1 in the Hebrew Bible), though the Geʿez expands the lament.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአርአይዎሙ፡ በለኆሳስ፡ መጻሕፍቲሁ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'he showed them the books of his counsel' is ambiguous: it may refer to Haman's written decree or to a separate document; the Geʿez does not specify.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the books of his counsel' (whether Haman's decree or another document) is unclear.","The phrase 'in our journey' (በሐውርቲነ) may be a textual corruption or a metaphorical reference to the narrative's progression."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"ወቦኡ፡ ሕጽዋኒሃ፡ ወአዋልዲሃ፡ ለንግሥት፡ ወአይድዕዋ፡ ወደንገፀት፡ ሶበ፡ ሰምዓት፡ ዘንተ፡ ወፈነወት፡ አልባሰ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ዘይለብስ፡ ወከመ፡ ያእትት፡ ሠቀ፡ ወአበየ፡ ኀዲገ፡ ሠቅ።\n\nወጸውዓቶ፡ አስቴር፡ ለአክራትዮስ፡ ሕጽው፡ ዘይቀውም፡ ቅድሜሃ፡ ወለአከቶ፡ ይስማዕ፡ ጥዩቀ፡ ነገረ፡ በኀበ፡ መርዶክዮስ።\n\nወነገሮ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ዘከመ፡ ኮነ፡ ወዘከመ፡ ይቤሎ፡ ሐማ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እልፈ፡ መካልየ፡ አበውእ፡ ውስተ፡ መዝገቡ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ ይቅትሎሙ፡ ለአይሁድ።\n\nወቃለ፡ ነገረ፡ ለዛቲ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ዘአንበሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ከመ፡ ይቅትልዎሙ።\n\nወወሀባ፡ አርአያሃ፡ ያርእያ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ወይቤሎ፡ በላ፡ ትባእ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወትስአሎ፡ ወታስተብቊዖ፡ በእንተ፡ ሕዝባ፡ ተዘከሪ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ምንዳቤኪ፡ ዘተሐፀንኪ፡ ውስተ፡ እዴየ፡ እስመ፡ ሐማ፡ ዘእምታሕተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አዘዘ፡ ይቅትለነ፡ ወሰአሊ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እግዚእ፡ ወንግሪዮ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወአድኅንነ፡ እሞት።","english":"And her eunuchs and her maidservants for the queen, and they did not know, and she was troubled when she heard this, and she sent garments to Mordecai for him to wear, and as he put them on, he refused and rejected the sackcloth.\n\nAnd Esther summoned Akratos, the eunuch who stands before her, and to him she would listen to a secret matter concerning Mordecai.\n\nAnd Mordecai told him how it happened and how Haman said to the king, “I will bring forth a hundred talents from the king’s treasury to kill the Jews.”\n\nAnd he told the words of this book which they placed in Susa to kill them.\n\nAnd he gave his signet ring to show to Esther, and he said to her, “Go, go to the king and ask him and plead with him concerning your people. Remember the days of your affliction, when you took refuge in my hands, for Haman, under the king, ordered to kill us. And pray to God the Lord, and tell the king, and save us from death.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አክራትዮስ","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Akratos' (አክራትዮስ) is a Greek-derived proper name, likely from ἄκρατος ('unmixed' or 'pure'). It does not appear in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther and is unique to the Ethiopic tradition, possibly a scribal invention or a corruption of a known name.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕጽዋኒሃ ወአዋልዲሃ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of eunuchs (ሕጽዋኒሃ) and maidservants (አዋልዲሃ) attending the queen reflects the standard royal court structure in Persian and later Ethiopian imperial settings, where eunuchs held trusted positions as attendants and messengers.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እልፈ መካልየ አበውእ ውስተ መዝገቡ ለንጉሥ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'a hundred talents from the king’s treasury' echoes the bribe offered by Haman in the Hebrew Esther (3:9), though the specific sum of one hundred talents is not found in the Masoretic Text; it may derive from the Greek Esther or from Ethiopic expansion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወወሀባ አርአያሃ ያርእያ ለአስቴር","severity":"info","text":"The giving of the signet ring (አርአያሃ) to Esther as a token of authority is a narrative device unique to the Ethiopic version, not present in the Hebrew or Greek texts. It serves to empower Esther to act on Mordecai’s behalf before the king.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወቃለ ነገረ ለዛቲ መጽሐፍ ዘአንበሩ ውስተ ሱሳ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'the words of this book which they placed in Susa' alludes to the decree against the Jews, a motif expanded in the Ethiopic Esther to emphasize the written nature of the plot, possibly reflecting the Ethiopian scribal culture’s valuation of written documents.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Akratos' is uncertain; it may be a corruption of a Greek name or a unique Ethiopic invention.","The phrase 'a hundred talents' is not attested in the Hebrew Esther; its source in the Ethiopic tradition is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"ወቦአ፡ አክራትዮስ፡ ወነገራ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ ነገረ።\n\nወትቤሎ፡ አስቴር፡ ለአክራትዮስ፡ ሑር፡ ኀበ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወበሎ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ የአምራ፡ ለዛቲ፡ መንግሥት፡ ከመ፡ ዘቦአ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ውስተ፡ ውሣጤ፡ ዓፀድ፡ እመኒ፡ ብእሲ፡ ወእመኒ፡ ብእሲት፡ ዘኢጸውዕዋ፡ አልቦ፡ ሕይወት፡ እመ፡ ኢለከፎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በበትሩ፡ እንተ፡ ወርቅ፡ ዳእሙ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘየሐዩ፡ ወኪያ፡ የኒ፡ ኢጸውዓኒ፡ እባእ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ሠሉሰ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ዮም።\n\nወአይድዖ፡ አክራትዮስ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ዘትቤሎ፡ አስቴር።\n\nወይቤሎ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ለአክራትዮስ፡ ሑር፡ በላ፡ ኢትበሊ፡ አስቴር፡ ከመዝ፡ አሐዩ፡ አነ፡ ባሕቲትየ፡ እምነ፡ ኵሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ በበይነ፡ መንግሥትየ፡ እመ፡ ተጸመምኪ፡ ዮም።\n\nለአይሁድሰ፡ እንተ፡ ባዕድኒ፡ ይሤርዎሙ፡ ወኢያድኅኖሙ፡ አንቲሰ፡ ወቤተ፡ አቡኪ፡ ትጠፍኡ፡ ወመኑ፡ የአምሮ፡ ዮጊ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ንግሥኪ።\n\nወአግብአቶ፡ አስቴር፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ዘመጽአ፡ ኀቤሃ፡ እምኀበ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ እንዘ፡ ትብል፡ ሑር፡ አስተጋብኦሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ወጹሙ፡ ሊተ፡ ወኢትብልዑ፡ ወኢትስተዩ፡ እስከ፡ ሠሉስ፡ ዕለት፡ መዓልተ፡ ወሌሊተ፡ እነኒ፡ ወአዋልድየ፡ ንጸውም፡ ወእምዝ፡ እበውእ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወእመ፡ አኮ፡ እመውት፡ ሞተ።","english":"And Akratyos told Esther all this.\n\nAnd Esther said to Akratyos, “Go to Mordecai and tell him, ‘All the peoples are envious of this kingdom, as what happened to the king in the garden of the field. Neither a man nor a woman whom he has summoned has life. If the king strikes with his golden scepter, he is the one who lives. And now, summon me, that I may go to the king on the third day from today.’”\n\nAnd Akratyos reported to Mordecai what Esther had said.\n\nAnd Mordecai said to Akratyos, “Go, tell Esther thus: ‘I alone am alive from among all the Jews in my kingdom. If you fast today, for the Jews who are elsewhere, they will slaughter them, and you will not save them. And you and your father’s house will perish. And who will endure this day of your reign?’”\n\nAnd Esther brought in this one who had come to her from Mordecai, saying, “Go, gather the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me, and do not eat and do not drink until the third day, day and night. I and my maidservants will fast, and then I will go to the king. And if not, I will die a death.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘቦአ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ውስተ፡ ውሣጤ፡ ዓፀድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'what happened to the king in the garden of the field' is obscure; it may refer to an episode not preserved in the biblical Esther, possibly a Geʿez tradition of a royal assassination or execution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢጸውዓኒ፡","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'summon me' (ኢጸውዓኒ፡) is a 2nd-person imperative with 1st-person object suffix, reflecting Esther’s direct command to be called to the king.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ሠሉሰ፡ መዋዕለ፡","severity":"info","text":"The three-day fast (ሠሉሰ፡ መዋዕለ፡) before approaching the king is a motif in Geʿez Esther, possibly linked to the Fast of Esther (Taʿom ʿEster) observed in Ethiopian Christianity.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a narrative unit with a three-part exchange: Akratyos reports, Esther commands, Mordecai responds, then Esther issues a fast decree. The repetition of 'go' (ሑር፡) structures the dialogue.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢያድኅኖሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai’s warning that fasting will cause the slaughter of other Jews parallels the biblical Esther 4:16, where fasting is linked to communal danger, though the Geʿez version expands the threat.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘኢጸውዕዋ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'whom he has summoned' (ዘኢጸውዕዋ፡) is ambiguous: the subject could be the king or a general authority; the English draft assumes the king, but the Geʿez allows other readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The 'garden of the field' incident is not identified in known sources; the identity of the 'one who came from Mordecai' (ዘመጽአ፡ ኀቤሃ፡) is unclear—possibly Akratyos or another messenger."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"ወሖረ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወገብረ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘአዘዘቶ፡ አስቴር።\n\nወሰአለ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እንዘ፡ ይዜከር፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር።\n\nወይቤ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዘኵሎ፡ ትመልክ፡ ዘበሥልጣንከ፡ ኵሎ፡ ገበርከ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይትቃወመከ፡ ለእመ፡ ፈቀድከ፡ ታድኅኖሙ፡ ለእስራኤል።\n\nእስመ፡ አንተ፡ ገበርከ፡ ሰማየ፡ ወምድረ፡ ወኵሎ፡ መድምመ፡ ዘታሕተ፡ ሰማይ።\n\nወእግዚእ፡ አንተ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይትቃወመከ፡ እግዚኦ።\n\nወአንተ፡ ተአምር፡ ኵሎ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ከመ፡ አኮ፡ በአስተሐቅሮ፡ ወአኮ፡ በትዕቢት፡ ወአኮ፡ በአዕብዮ፡ ርእስ፡ ዘገበርክዎ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ አላ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይስግድ፡ ለሐማ፡ ዕቡድ።\n\nእምአብደርኩ፡ አስዓም፡ እገሪሁ፡ ከመ፡ ይሕየዉ፡ እስራኤል፡ አላ፡ ገበርክዎ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይረሲ፡ ክብረ፡ እጓለ፡ እመሕያው፡ ላዕለ፡ እምክብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወኢይሰግድ፡ ለመኑሂ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ለከ፡ እግዚእየ፡ ወኢገበርክዎ፡ በትዕቢት፡ ለዝንቱ።\n\nወይእዜኒ፡ እግዚኦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ንጉሥ፡ አምላከ፡ አብርሃም፡ መሀክ፡ ሕዝበከ፡ እስመ፡ ቆሙ፡ ላዕሌነ፡ ያማስኑነ፡ ወፈቀዱ፡ ያጥፍኡ፡ ቀዳሚተ፡ ርስተከ።","english":"And Mordecai went and did all that Esther had commanded him.\n\nAnd he prayed to the Lord, recalling all that the Lord had done.\n\nAnd he said, “O Lord, King of all, who rules all that is under your authority, you have done everything, and there is none who can oppose you. If you wish, you can save the Israelites.\n\nFor you made the heavens and the earth and all the world that is under heaven.\n\nAnd you are Lord over all, and there is none who can oppose you, O Lord.\n\nAnd you know everything, O Lord, that it was not through deceit, nor through pride, nor through arrogance of self that I did this, but rather that I should not bow down to the arrogant Haman.\n\nDid I not cause his servants to fast so that the Israelites might live? Did I not do this so that I should not seek honor from the children of the living above the honor of the Lord, and so that I should not bow down to anyone except you, my Lord? And I did not do this out of pride.\n\nAnd now, O Lord, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, save your people, for they have risen against us to destroy us, and they have sought to destroy your first inheritance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from narrative action (Mordecai obeying Esther) to a prayer, marking a structural pause before the impending audience with the king.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይስግድ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb ኢይስግድ (ʾuyəsgəd) means 'I should not bow down' or 'I should not worship,' carrying a strong connotation of religious submission, not mere physical gesture.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚአብሔር፡ ንጉሥ፡ አምላከ፡ አብርሃም","severity":"info","text":"The invocation 'Lord God, King, God of Abraham' echoes the biblical title of God as the God of the patriarchs, linking Mordecai's plea to the covenant tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'first inheritance' (ቀዳሚተ ርስተ) likely alludes to the Israelites as God's chosen people, a theme common in Ethiopic Christian exegesis of Esther.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai's prayer, recalling God's creation and sovereignty, parallels the prayer of Azariah in the Greek additions to Daniel (Dan 3:26-45), though not a direct citation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይረሲ፡ ክብረ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'I should not seek honor' (ኢይረሲ ክብረ) is ambiguous: it may mean Mordecai refuses honor from the living, or that he avoids placing human honor above divine honor; the translation opts for the latter.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ኢይረሲ ክብረ እጓለ እመሕያው' is syntactically ambiguous: it could mean 'I should not seek honor from the children of the living' (i.e., from mortals) or 'I should not seek honor for the children of the living' (i.e., for the Israelites). The English draft takes the former reading, emphasizing Mordecai's refusal of human honor over divine."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"ወኢትትዓወር፡ እግዚኦ፡ መክፈልተከ፡ እንተ፡ ቤዘውከ፡ እምነ፡ ምድረ፡ ግብፅ።\n\nወስማዕ፡ ጸሎተነ፡ ወተሣሃል፡ ሕዝበከ፡ ወሚጦ፡ ለላህነ፡ ውስተ፡ ትፍሥሕት፡ ከመ፡ በሕይወትነ፡ ንሰብሕ፡ ስመከ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ወኢታማስን፡ ተስፋሆሙ፡ ለእለ፡ ይሴፈዉከ።\n\nወገዓሩ፡ ኵሉ፡ እስራኤል፡ ወጸርሑ፡ በዓቢይ፡ ቃል፡ በኃይሎሙ፡ እስመ፡ በጽሖሙ፡ ሞት፡ ቅድመ፡ አዕይንቲሆሙ።\n\nወአስቴርኒ፡ አማኅፀነት፡ ነፍሳ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ውስተ፡ ፍርሀተ፡ ሞት፡ በጽሐት።\n\nወአሰሰለት፡ አልባሰ፡ ክብራ፡ ዘትለብሰ፡ ወለብሰት፡ አልባሰ፡ ሕማም፡ ወላህ፡ ወህየንተ፡ መዓዛ፡ ትፍሥሕት፡ መሬተ፡ ወሐመደ፡ መልአት፡ ውስተ፡ ርእሳ፡ ወአሕመመት፡ ሥጋሃ፡ ጥቀ፡ ወውስተ፡ መካን፡ ሠርጓ፡ ዘክብሶ፡ ሥዕርታ፡ ወደየት፡ መሬተ።\n\nወሰአለት፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ አምላከ፡ እስራኤል፡ ወትቤ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አምላክነ፡ አንተ፡ ውእቱ፡ ባሕቲትከ፡ ረዳኢ፡ ርድአኒ፡ ለባሕታዊት፡ ዘአልብየ፡ ረዳኢ፡ ዘእንበሌከ፡ እስመ፡ በጽሐኒ፡ ሞት፡ ውስተ፡ እዴከ።","english":"And he was not troubled. “O Lord, forgive your servant, who has been scattered from the land of Egypt.\n\nAnd hear our prayer, and have mercy on your people, and grant us joy, that in our life we may praise your name, O Lord, and do not disappoint the hope of those who trust in you.”\n\nAnd all Israel cried out and shouted with a loud voice in their strength, for death had come before their eyes.\n\nAnd Esther also entrusted her soul to the Lord, for she had come into the fear of death.\n\nAnd she removed her garments of honor which she wore, and put on garments of mourning and sorrow, and she cast away the fragrance of joy, and filled her head with dust and ashes, and she greatly afflicted her body, and in the place of her honor she scattered her hair and cast dust.\n\nAnd she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, and said, “O Lord, our God, you alone are my helper. Help me, a solitary one who has no helper except you, for death has come upon me in your hand.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢትትዓወር","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase 'and he was not troubled' refers to Mordecai's steadfastness in prayer, contrasting with the preceding fear.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክፈልተከ","severity":"info","text":"The term 'your servant' (መክፈልተከ) is a self-deprecating address to God, common in Geʿez prayer language.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እምነ ምድረ ግብፅ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'from the land of Egypt' alludes to the Exodus narrative, a foundational salvation event in Israelite history.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ወአስቴርኒ","severity":"info","text":"Esther's act of donning mourning garments and ashes reflects a traditional Jewish and Christian penitential practice, here adapted into Geʿez piety.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሰአለት","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from collective Israelite lament to Esther's individual prayer, marking a structural pivot to personal supplication.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ወኢታማስን ተስፋሆሙ","severity":"info","text":"The plea 'do not disappoint the hope of those who trust in you' resonates with later Geʿez liturgical themes of divine faithfulness.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'from the land of Egypt' may refer to the Exodus or to a specific scattering of Israelites; the text does not clarify.","The identity of 'your servant' (መክፈልተከ) is ambiguous: it could be Mordecai or a collective Israelite voice."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"ወአንሰ፡ ሰማዕኩ፡ እምንእስየ፡ እምኀበ፡ ሕዝበ፡ አበውየ፡ ከመ፡ አንተ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ነሣእኮሙ፡ ለእስራኤል፡ እምነ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ወለአበዊነሂ፡ እምኵሉ፡ አዝማዲሆሙ፡ ከመ፡ ይኩኑ፡ ርስተከ፡ ለዓለም፡ ወይእዜኒ፡ ገበርከ፡ ሎሙ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘከመ፡ ትቤ።\n\nወአበስነ፡ በቅድሜከ፡ ወአግባእከነ፡ ውስተ፡ እደ፡ ፀርነ፡ እስመ፡ ሰባሕነ፡ አማልክቲሆሙ፡ ለአሕዛብ፡ ጻድቅ፡ አንተ፡ እግዚኦ።\n\nወይእዜኒ፡ ኢኃደጉነ፡ በመሪር፡ ቀነዩነ፡ እለ፡ አንሥኡ፡ እደዊሆሙ፡ ዲበ፡ አማልክቲሆሙ።\n\nከመ፡ ያሰስሉ፡ ሥርዓተ፡ አፉከ፡ ወያማስኑ፡ ርስተከ፡ ወይፈፅሙ፡ አፉሆሙ፡ ለእለ፡ ይሴብሑከ፡ ወያጥፍኡ፡ ሥርዓተ፡ ቤትከ፡ ወምሥዋዒከ።\n\nወይከሥቱ፡ አፈ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ለአድልዎ፡ ለከንቱ፡ ወይሰብሑ፡ ስሞ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ዘሥጋ፡ ለዓለም።\n\nወኢትመጥዎሙ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ለእለ፡ ሀለዉ፡ በዘአቀምከ፡ ወኢይስሐቁነ፡ በድቀትነ፡ አላ፡ ሚጣ፡ ለምክሮሙ፡ ላዕለ፡ ርእሶሙ፡ ወአኅሥሮ፡ ለዘቆመ፡ ላዕሌነ።\n\nተዘከረነ፡ እግዚኦ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ምንዳቤነ፡ ወኪያየኒ፡ አፅንዓኒ፡ ንጉሠ፡ አማልክተ፡ ዘአንተ፡ አጽናዕከ፡ ኵሎ፡ ርእሰ።","english":"And I have heard from my youth, from the people of my fathers, that you, O Lord, took the Israelites out from all the nations, and our fathers from all their relatives, that they might be your inheritance forever. And now you have done for them all that you said.\n\nAnd you have made us good in your sight, and you have delivered us into the hand of our enemy, because we have worshipped the gods of the nations. You are just, O Lord.\n\nAnd now they have abandoned us, they have cursed us with bitterness, those who have raised their hands over their gods.\n\nThat they might abolish the ordinance of your mouth, and defile your inheritance, and stop the mouths of those who praise you, and destroy the ordinance of your house and your sanctuary.\n\nAnd they might open the mouth of the nations to speak vanity, and praise the name of the king of flesh forever.\n\nAnd do not strike them, O Lord, who are in what you have established, and do not let them mock us in our humiliation, but rather let the bitterness of their counsel be upon their own heads, and diminish what is established over us.\n\nRemember us, O Lord, in the time of our affliction, and strengthen me, the king of the gods, whom you have strengthened over every head.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The speaker recounts hearing from the people of his fathers that the Lord separated Israel from all nations as a perpetual inheritance, but now laments that Israel's worship of foreign gods has led to divine punishment.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ንጉሠ፡ አማልክተ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'king of the gods' (ንጉሠ፡ አማልክተ፡) is unusual in a monotheistic context; it may reflect a Geʿez rhetorical flourish or a translation of a Hebrew epithet for God, but it is not a standard biblical title.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The lament over worshipping foreign gods and the plea for deliverance echo themes from the Hebrew Bible, particularly the Book of Judges and prophetic rebukes, but no direct quotation is present.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is part of a longer prayer inserted into the Geʿez version of Esther, which expands the biblical narrative with liturgical and penitential elements typical of Ethiopic Christian tradition.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"},{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a historical recollection to a direct address to God, then to a description of the enemies' actions, and ends with a plea for divine remembrance and strength.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'king of the gods' (ንጉሠ፡ አማልክተ፡) may be a scribal error or a theological adaptation; it is not attested in the Hebrew or Greek Esther traditions and should be read with caution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker is not explicitly stated; it may be Mordecai or a collective voice of Israel.","The phrase 'king of the gods' is ambiguous: it could be a literal translation of a lost Hebrew original, a Geʿez idiom, or a corruption."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"ወደይ፡ ቃለ፡ ሠናየ፡ ውስተ፡ አፉየ፡ በቅድሜሁ፡ ለአንበሳ፡ ወሚጦ፡ ለልቡ፡ ከመ፡ ይጽብዖ፡ ለዘይጸብዓነ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡ ወለእለ፡ ኀብሩ፡ ምስሌሁ።\n\nወኪያነሰ፡ አድኅነነ፡ በእዴከ፡ ወርድአኒ፡ ሊተ፡ ለባሕታዊት፡ እንተ፡ አልብየ፡ ረዳኢ፡ መኑሂ፡ ዘእንበሌከ፡ እግዚኦ።\n\nእጸልእ፡ ክብሮሙ፡ ለኃጥአን፡ ወአስቈርር፡ ምስካቦሙ፡ ለቈላፋን፡ ወዘኵሉ፡ ነኪር።\n\nአንተ፡ ተአምር፡ ምንዳቤየ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይኤድመኒ፡ ሠርጐ፡ ክብርየ፡ ዘውስተ፡ ርእስየ፡ ዘቦቱ፡ አስተርኢ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ክብርየ፡ ወአስቈርሮ፡ ከመ፡ ፀርቀ፡ ትክቶ፡ ወኢይሠረገዎ፡ ለመዋዕለ፡ ዕረፍትየ፡ ወክብርየ።\n\nወኢበልዓት፡ አመትከ፡ ማእደ፡ ሐማ፡ ወኢያስተኤድማስቴሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወኢሰተይኩ፡ እምነ፡ ሞጻሕቶሙ።\n\nወኢተፈሥሐት፡ ቦሙ፡ አመትከ፡ እምአመ፡ ቦእኩ፡ እስከ፡ ይእዜ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ብከ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አምላከ፡ አብርሃም፡ እግዚኦ፡ ዘኵሎ፡ ትክል።\n\nስማዕ፡ ጸሎቶሙ፡ ለቅቡፃን፡ ወአድኅነነ፡ እምእደ፡ እለ፡ አኅሠሙ፡ ላዕሌነ፡ ወአድኅነኒ፡ ሊተ፡ እምእንተ፡ እፈርህ።","english":"And I placed a good word in my mouth before the lion, and a supplication in his heart, that he might strike down the one who strikes us, this insolent one, and those who are with him.\n\nAnd as for us, save us by your hand, and deliver me, the solitary one who has no helper. Who is there besides you, O Lord?\n\nI will destroy the glory of the sinners, and I will overturn the tents of the wicked, and of all that is alien.\n\nYou know my affliction, that I have never adorned the crown of my glory which is upon my head; show it forth in the time of my glory, and overturn it like a garment of linen, and do not adorn the time of my rest and my glory.\n\nAnd I have not eaten the bread of Haman at your table, and I have not bowed down to the king, and I have not drunk from their cups.\n\nAnd I have not rejoiced in them, from the time I was until now, except in you, O Lord, God of Abraham, O Lord of all power.\n\nHear the prayer of the righteous, and save us from the hand of those who have plotted against us, and save me from that which I fear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The speaker places a 'good word' in the mouth of the lion and a supplication in its heart, asking it to strike the insolent one and his companions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐማ","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Haman' appears in the Geʿez as ሐማ (Hama), referring to the antagonist from the Book of Esther.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚኦ፡ አምላከ፡ አብርሃም","severity":"info","text":"The invocation 'O Lord, God of Abraham' echoes the biblical phrase used in prayers of the Hebrew Bible, linking the speaker to the patriarch.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Esther is an expansion of the biblical book, incorporating prayers and laments not found in the Hebrew or Greek texts.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a prayer or lament, marked by first-person petitions and confessions, contrasting with the narrative sections of the work.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Ethiopic Book of Esther is part of the broader canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, where it is read during liturgical commemorations.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'lion' is ambiguous; it may refer to a king or a divine figure. The 'solitary one' could be Esther or a generic supplicant."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"Chapter 6\n\nወእምዝ፡ አመ፡ ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ ሶበ፡ አኅለቀት፡ ጸልዮ፡ አሰሰት፡ አልባሲሃ፡ ወለብሰት፡ አልባሰ፡ ክብራ፡ ወኮነት፡ ግርምተ፡ ወጸውዓቶ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ መድኅን፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ኵሎ፡ ይሬኢ።\n\nወነሥአት፡ ክልኤ፡ አዋልዲሃ፡ ሰአሐቲሰ፡ ትምሕካ፡ እስመ፡ ታፈቅራ፡ ወካልእታ፡ ትፀውር፡ አልባሲሃ፡ ወትተልዋ፡ ይእቲሰ፡ ተሠነየት፡ በኵሉ፡ ወተሠርገወት፡ ወተረሠየት፡ ወኮነ፡ ገጻ፡ ፍሡሐ፡ ከመ፡ ዘተሐውር፡ ኀበ፡ አዕርክቲሃ፡ ወልባሰ፡ ኅዙን፡ እምፍርሀት፡ ሞት፡ ወቦአት፡ ኵሎ፡ ኆኅተ፡ ወበጽሐት፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወውእቱሰ፡ ይነብር፡ ዲበ፡ መንበረ፡ መንግሥቱ።\n\nወልቡሰ፡ ውእቱ፡ አልባሰ፡ ግርማሁ፡ ወኵለንታሁ፡ በወርቅ፡ ወበዕንቊ፡ ዘብዙኅ፡ ሤጡ፡ ወግሩም፡ ውእቱ፡ ጥቀ፡ ወተመይጠ፡ ገጹ፡ ምስለ፡ ውእቱ፡ ክብሩ፡ ወነጸራ፡ በመዓት፡ ወፈርሀት፡ ንግሥት፡ ወመጽለወት፡ ወተንተነት፡ ወእስመከት፡ ላዕለ፡ ርእሰ፡ ወለታ፡ እንተ፡ ተሐውር፡ ቅድሜሃ።\n\nወሜጠ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ መንፈሰ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ውስተ፡ የዋሃት፡ ወተዓገሣ፡ ወተንሥአ፡ እመንበሩ፡ ወሰሐባ፡ ወአንበራ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕጽኑ፡ ወአኀዘ፡ ይዬውሃ፡ በቃል፡ ሠናይ፡ ወይቤላ፡ ምንተ፡ ኮንኪ፡ አስቴር፡ አነ፡ እኁኪ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትሙቲ፡ እስመ፡ እኩይ፡ ሕገ፡ ብሔርነ።","english":"Chapter 6\n\nAnd after three days, when she had finished praying, she removed her garments and put on her glorious apparel, and she became beautiful and called upon the Lord, the Saviour, who sees all.\n\nAnd she took her two handmaidens, her companions, to be pitied, for they loved her, and the others arranged her garments and adorned her; and she was adorned in everything, and she was arrayed and prepared, and her face became cheerful as one who goes to her friends, but she wore a sad garment from fear of death; and she entered every chamber and arrived before the king, and he was sitting upon his throne of his kingdom.\n\nAnd his garment was his glorious apparel, and his crown of gold and of precious stones, of which the setting was abundant, and it was very magnificent; and his face was changed with his glory, and he looked at her in wrath and fear, the queen and suppliant, and she trembled and was afraid, and she cast herself upon her head and her daughter who went before her.\n\nAnd the Lord moved the spirit of the king within his heart, and he was moved and rose from his throne, and he drew her and placed her in his bosom, and began to speak with her in a good word, and said to her, \"What has happened to you, Esther? I am your brother, as if you were dead, for the evil law of our country.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእምዝ፡ አመ፡ ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a temporal marker ('And after three days'), which is a common narrative device in Geʿez to indicate a significant interval after the preceding prayer scene.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ግርምተ፡","severity":"info","text":"The term 'ግርምተ' (glorious) is used here to describe Esther's transformed appearance, contrasting with her earlier mourning garments and signaling divine favor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"አልባሰ፡ ክብራ፡","severity":"info","text":"The description of Esther donning 'glorious apparel' and adorning herself with handmaidens reflects a common motif in Ethiopic hagiography where the heroine prepares for a royal audience, emphasizing ritual purity and divine intervention.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚአብሔር፡ መድኅን፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ኵሎ፡ ይሬኢ።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the Lord, the Saviour, who sees all' echoes biblical language of divine omniscience and salvific power, common in Ethiopic prayers and liturgical texts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ወነሥአት፡ ክልኤ፡ አዋልዲሃ፡","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Esther's two handmaidens is unique to the Ethiopic version; the Masoretic and Greek texts do not include this detail, suggesting a local hagiographic expansion.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእስመከት፡ ላዕለ፡ ርእሰ፡ ወለታ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'she cast herself upon her head and her daughter' is syntactically ambiguous; it may mean she prostrated herself with her daughter, or that she fell headlong, but the Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'her daughter' (ወለታ) is unclear; it may refer to a literal daughter of Esther, not mentioned elsewhere in the Ethiopic text, or be a metaphorical or textual corruption.","The phrase 'as if you were dead' (ከመ፡ ኢትሙቲ፡) in the king's speech is ambiguous: it could mean 'as if you were dead' (i.e., mourning) or 'as if you were dead to me' (i.e., estranged)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"ወአንሥአ፡ በትሮ፡ እንተ፡ ወርቅ፡ ወአንበረ፡ ውስተ፡ ክሳዳ፡ ወሐቀፋ፡ ወይቤላ፡ ንግርኒ፡ ወትቤሎ፡ ሶበ፡ ርኢኩካ፡ እግዚእየ፡ ከመ፡ መልአከ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ደንገፀኒ፡ ልብየ፡ እምፍርሃተ፡ ክብርከኅ፡ እስመ፡ መድምም፡ አንተ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ወገጽከኒ፡ ምሉእ፡ ሞገሰ።\n\nወእንዘ፡ ትትናገር፡ ደንገፀት፡ ወመጽለወት፡ ወወድቀት፡ በገጸ፡ ወደንገፀ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ሰብኡ፡ ወአኀዙ፡ ይዬውህዋ።\n\nወይቤላ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ምንተ፡ ትፈቅዲ፡ አስቴር፡ ወበእንተ፡ ምንት፡ ዘታስተበቊዕኒ፡ እስከ፡ መንፈቀ፡ መንግሥትየ፡ ንሥኢለኪ፡ ይኩንኪ።\n\nወትቤሎ፡ አስቴር፡ እስመ፡ ዕለተ፡ በዓል፡ ብየ፡ እመሰ፡ ፈቀድከ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ትምጻእ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓልየ፡ ዘእገብር፡ ዮም፡ አንተ፡ ወሐማ።\n\nወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ጸውዕዎ፡ ለሐማ፡ ፍጡነ፡ ከመ፡ እግበር፡ ዘትቤለኒ፡ አስቴር፡ ወሖሩ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓል፡ ዘገብረት፡ አስቴር።\n\nወበውስተ፡ በዓለወኒ፡ ይቤላ፡ ንጌሥ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ምንተ፡ ትፈቅዲ፡ አስቴር፡ ንግሥት፡ ዘአስተብቋዕክኒ፡ እግበር፡ ለኪ።","english":"And she raised the scepter of gold and placed it upon her neck and embraced it, and he said to her, “Tell me.” And she said to him, “When I saw you, my Lord, as an angel of the Lord, my heart trembled from fear of your glory, for you are magnificent, O Lord, and your face is full of grace.”\n\nAnd while she was speaking, she trembled and became agitated and fell upon her face, and the king and all his men trembled and began to console her.\n\nAnd the king said, “What do you desire, Esther? And why do you weep before me? Until the half of my kingdom, I will raise it up for you; let it be yours.”\n\nAnd Esther said, “Since it is a feast day for me, if you wish, O king, come to my feast which I will make today, you and Haman.”\n\nAnd the king said, “Summon Haman quickly, that I may do what you say, Esther.” And the two of them went to the feast which Esther had made.\n\nAnd during the feast, the king said to Esther, “What do you desire, Esther, queen? What you have asked of me, I will do for you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"በትሮ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term በትሮ (batro) is a loanword from Greek βακτρον, meaning 'scepter' or 'staff'. In this context, it likely refers to a royal or ceremonial scepter, not a literal rod.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ መልአከ እግዚአብሔር","severity":"info","text":"Esther's description of the king as 'like an angel of the Lord' echoes angelic imagery found in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Isaiah 6:2) and in Geʿez hagiographic literature, though no direct quotation is present.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕለተ በዓል","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'feast day' (ዕለተ በዓል) may refer to a religious festival or a personal celebration. In the Geʿez Esther tradition, this feast is a narrative device to lure Haman, paralleling the biblical banquet in Esther 7.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from Esther's private prayer and adornment (previous passage) to a public confrontation with the king and Haman. The repetition of the king's offer ('half my kingdom') reinforces the narrative tension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The motif of a queen inviting a king and his vizier to a feast where a plot unfolds parallels the biblical Esther 7, though the Geʿez version expands the emotional and physical reactions (trembling, falling).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአንሥአ በትሮ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'she raised the scepter' is ambiguous: it may mean Esther lifts the scepter as a gesture of authority or supplication. The Geʿez verb አንሥአ (anśa'a) can mean 'lift' or 'raise', but the object's function is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'scepter of gold' (በትሮ ወርቅ) is unclear—whether it is a literal object or a symbolic reference to royal power.","The phrase 'until the half of my kingdom' may be hyperbolic or a literal offer; the Geʿez does not clarify the extent.","The sequence of Esther's trembling and falling is ambiguous: it may be feigned or genuine, as the text does not specify her intent."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"Luke 1:28","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “full of grace”, which matches Luke 1:28. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"ወትቤሎ፡ ስእለትየሰ፡ ዘአስተበቊዓከ፡ አመ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ሞገሰ፡ በቅድመ፡ አዕይንቲከ፡ ኦንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ ትምጻእ፡ አንተ፡ ወሐማ፡ ጌሠመ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓል፡ ዘአገብር፡ ለክሙ፡ ወጌሠመ፡ እገብሮ።\n\nወወፅአ፡ ሐማ፡ እምኀበ፡ ፍሡሐ፡ ገጽ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትኀሠይ፡ ወእንዘ፡ ይወዕእ፡ ሶበ፡ ርእዮ፡ ሐማ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ተምዐ፡ ጥቀ።\n\nወሖረ፡ ቤቶ፡ ወጸውዖሙ፡ ለአዕርክቲሁ፡ ወለሱዛራ፡ ብእሲቱ።\n\nወአርአዮሙ፡ ብዕሎ፡ ወክብሮ፡ ወዘከመ፡ አዕበዮ፡ በውስተ፡ መንግሥቱ።\n\nወይቤሎሙ፡ ሐማ፡ ኢጸውዓት፡ ንግሥት፡ ምስለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኢመነሂ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓል፡ እንበለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኪያየለ፡ ጸውዓተኒ።\n\nወባሕቱ፡ ሊተሰ፡ ኢይሔውዘኒ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ሶበ፡ ርኢክዎ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ።\n\nወትቤሎ፡ ሱዛራ፡ ብእሲቱ፡ ወአዕርክቲሁ፡ ሰይግዝሙ፡ ዕፀ፡ ዘሐምሳ፡ መእመት፡ ቆሙ፡ ወበጽባሕ፡ ንግሮ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወይሰቀል፡ ቦቱ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ወአንተሰ፡ ባእ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓል፡ እስለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወተፈሣሕ።","english":"And she said to him, “My petition is that which I have sought from you when I found favor before your eyes, O king, that you might come, and Haman, the executioner, into the feast which the king has made for you, and the executioner I will make.”\n\nAnd Haman went out from before the joyful face, hiding himself and threatening. When Haman saw Mordecai the Jew in the court, he was greatly enraged.\n\nAnd he went to his house and summoned his friends and Zeresh, his wife.\n\nAnd he showed them his wealth and his honor, and how he had magnified himself within his kingdom.\n\nAnd Haman said to them, “The queen has invited the king to the feast, and she has not invited me to the feast without the king, and she has not invited me.”\n\n“But only to me she has not given this, when I saw Mordecai the Jew in the court.”\n\nAnd Zeresh, his wife, and his friends said to him, “Make a tree of fifty cubits, set it up, and in the morning tell the king, and let Mordecai be hanged upon it; and you, go into the feast to the king and rejoice.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐማ","severity":"info","text":"Haman is consistently referred to as 'the executioner' (ጌሠመ) in this passage, emphasizing his role as the king's agent of punishment rather than merely a court official.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐማ ጌሠመ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጌሠመ (gäśämä) means 'executioner' or 'torturer', a specific title not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther, reflecting the Ethiopic tradition's interpretive expansion.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ዕፀ ዘሐምሳ መእመት ቆሙ","severity":"info","text":"The 'tree of fifty cubits' (about 23 meters) is a gallows; the specific height is a narrative detail unique to the Ethiopic version, emphasizing the public humiliation of Mordecai.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from Esther's direct speech to Haman's private reaction and conspiracy, forming a narrative interlude that contrasts the queen's invitation with Haman's plot.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ሱዛራ","severity":"info","text":"Zeresh (ሱዛራ) is Haman's wife, a character named in the Ethiopic version; her role in advising the gallows plot is an expansion not present in the Hebrew Masoretic text.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990060895110203941","label":"Ancient translations from Greek to Ethiopic and the predictability of translation syntax","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990060895110203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢጸውዓት","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text has 'she has not invited me' (ኢጸውዓት) twice, but the English draft omits the second instance; the repetition may be emphatic or a scribal duplication.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'the executioner I will make' (ጌሠመ እገብሮ) in Esther's speech is ambiguous: it could mean she will make Haman the executioner at the feast, or that she will make the executioner (i.e., arrange his punishment). The reading taken follows the English draft as a threat.","The identity of 'the joyful face' (ፍሡሐ ገጽ) is unclear; it may refer to the king or to Esther. The reading taken assumes the king."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"ወአደሞ፡ ለሐማ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ወአስተዳለወ፡ ዕፀ።\n\nChapter 7\n\nወአንፈጸ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ንዋመ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ በይእቲ፡ ሌሊት፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ለጸሐፊሁ፡ ያምጽእ፡ ሎቱ፡ መጻሕፍተ፡ ተዝካር፡ ዘኖብያት፡ ዘመዋዕለ፡ ትካት፡ ወያንብቡ፡ ሎቱ፡ ዘውስተ፡ መጻሕፍት።\n\nወእምዝ፡ ረከቡ፡ ውስተ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ኀበ፡ ጸሐፉ፡ በእንተ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ዘከመ፡ ዜነዎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ በእንተ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፅዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እለ፡ የዓቅብዎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወፈቀዱ፡ ይቅትልዎ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ኦይ፡ ክብር፡ ወጸጋ፡ ዘገበርነ፡ ሎቱ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወይቤልዎ፡ ደቁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘገበርነ፡ ሎቱ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ እግዚኦ።\n\nወእንዘ፡ ይትናገር፡ ንጉሥ፡ በእንተ፡ አኰቴቱ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ መጽሐ፡ ሐማ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ መኑ፡ ዝዘውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወይቤልዎ፡ ሐማ።\n\nወእምዝ፡ ቦአ፡ ሐማ፡ ይንግሮ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ ይስቅሎ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ውስተ፡ ዕፅ፡ ዘአስተዳለወ።","english":"And Haman knew this matter and prepared the wood.\n\nChapter 7\n\nAnd the Lord removed sleep from the king on that night, and he said to his scribe, “Bring to him the books of record of the nobles, of the days of the kingdom, and let them read to him from the books.”\n\nAnd then they found in the book where it was written concerning Mordecai, how he had saved the king from the two eunuchs of the king who were guarding the king and had intended to kill King Artaxerxes.\n\nAnd the king said, “O, the honor and gift that we have given to Mordecai!” And the king’s servants said to him, “There is nothing that we have given to Mordecai, my lord.”\n\nAnd while the king was speaking about the gratitude of Mordecai, Haman entered the courtyard, and the king said, “Who is this in the courtyard?” And they said to him, “Haman.”\n\nAnd then Haman came to tell the king how he would crucify Mordecai on the wood that he had prepared.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአንፈጸ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ንዋመ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens Chapter 7 with a divine intervention: God removes the king's sleep, initiating a nocturnal reading of chronicles. This structural shift from Esther's plot to a court investigation is unique to the Ethiopic version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"መጻሕፍተ፡ ተዝካር፡ ዘኖብያት፡","severity":"info","text":"The 'books of record of the nobles' (መጻሕፍተ ተዝካር ዘኖብያት) refer to royal chronicles or annals, a motif common in Ethiopic historiography but absent from the Hebrew Esther. This detail expands the narrative with archival discovery.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፅዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡","severity":"info","text":"The account of Mordecai saving the king from two eunuchs (ክልኤቱ ሕፅዋኒሁ) is an addition not found in the Hebrew or Greek Esther. It parallels a motif in the Ethiopic version of the story, possibly derived from Jewish or Persian legend.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕፅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The term ዕፅ (ʿəḍ) 'wood' appears twice: first in the summary line 'prepared the wood' and later in Haman's intent to crucify Mordecai. In Ethiopic tradition, this likely refers to a cross or stake for execution, echoing the crucifixion imagery common in Christian reception.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"አርጤክስስ፡","severity":"info","text":"The king is named Artaxerxes (አርጤክስስ), following the Greek tradition (Artaxerxes I or II). This reflects the Ethiopic reception of the Septuagint Esther, where the Persian king is identified as Artaxerxes rather than Ahasuerus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአደሞ፡ ለሐማ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡","severity":"caution","text":"The opening line 'And Haman knew this matter' is a summary that may be a scribal gloss or transition, as it is not part of the numbered chapter. The Geʿez text here is ambiguous about whether Haman's knowledge refers to Esther's plot or the king's inquiry.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'And Haman knew this matter' (ወአደሞ ለሐማ ዝንቱ ነገር) is ambiguous: it may refer to Esther's plan or to the king's nocturnal reading. The text does not specify the antecedent.","The identity of the 'two eunuchs' (ክልኤቱ ሕፅዋኒሁ) is unclear; they are not named or further described in this passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"ወይቤልዎ፡ ደቁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ናሁ፡ ሐማ፡ ይቀውም፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወይቤሎሙ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ጸውዕዎ።\n\nወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለሐማ፡ ምንተ፡ እግበር፡ ሎቱ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ዘአነ፡ እፈቅድ፡ አክብሮ፡ ወይቤ፡ ሐማ፡ በልቡ፡ መነ፡ ይፈቅድ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ያክብር፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ኪያየ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ዘይፈቅድ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ያክብሮ፡ ያምጽኡ፡ ሎቱ፡ ደቂቀ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ሜላተ፡ ዘይለብስ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወፈረሰ፡ ዘይፄዓን፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወየሀበዎ፡ ለአሐዱ፡ እምአዕርክቲሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እለ፡ ክቡራን፡ ወያልብስዎ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘአክበሮ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወያጽዕንዎ፡ ዲበ፡ ፈረሱ፡ ወይሰብከ፡ ሎቱ፡ አዋዲ፡ ውስተ፡ መርኅበ፡ ሀገር፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ ከመዝ፡ ይከውን፡ ሎቱ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ዘንጉሥ፡ አክበሮ።\n\nወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለሐማ፡ ሠናየ፡ ትቤ፡ ግብር፡ ከማሁ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ዘይጸመድ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወኢትኅድግ፡ አሐተ፡ ቃለ፡ እምዘነበብከ።\n\nወነሥአ፡ ሐማ፡ አልባሰ፡ ወፈረሰ፡ ወአልበሶ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወአፅዓኖ፡ ዲበ፡ ፈረስ፡ ወአዖዶ፡ ውስተ፡ መርኅበ፡ ሀገር፡ ወሰበከ፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ ከመዝ፡ ይሬሲ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘፈቀደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ያክብሮ።","english":"And they said to him, the nobles, to the king, “Now Haman stands in the courtyard.” And the king said to them, “Summon him.”\n\nAnd the king said to Haman, “What shall I do for the man whom I wish to honor?” And Haman said in his heart, “Whom does the king wish to honor, if not me?” And he said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor, let them bring to him the king’s children, a garment that the king wears, and a horse that the king rides.”\n\nAnd he gave to one of the king’s nobles, who were honored, and they clothed that man whom the king had honored, and they mounted him upon his horse, and they proclaimed for him in the streets within the city square, saying, “Thus shall it be for the man whom the king has honored.”\n\nAnd the king said to Haman, “You speak well; do likewise for Mordecai the Jew, who is bound in the courtyard, and omit not one word of what you have recited.”\n\nAnd Haman took the garments and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai and mounted him upon the horse, and he led him about in the city square, and he proclaimed, saying, “Thus shall be the reward for every man whom the king wishes to honor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative from the previous section, where Haman prepares the wood. The king's inquiry about honoring a man and Haman's ironic response advance the plot toward Mordecai's public honor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዓፀድ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ʿaṣad (ዓፀድ) means 'courtyard' or 'enclosure,' likely referring to the palace courtyard where Haman stands and where Mordecai is bound.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መርኅበ፡ ሀገር","severity":"info","text":"The phrase marḥaba hagar (መርኅበ፡ ሀገር) means 'city square' or 'public square,' indicating the central area for proclamations in the city.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The ritual of honoring a man with royal garments, a horse, and a public proclamation reflects Geʿez court ceremonial practices, possibly adapted from Aksumite or later Ethiopian imperial traditions.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This episode parallels the biblical Esther 6:6-11, where the king orders Haman to honor Mordecai, but the Geʿez version expands the dialogue and ceremonial details, such as the specific garments and horse.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez Book of Esther, preserved in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, often includes expansions like this, reflecting local liturgical and homiletic interests in the narrative.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ደቂቀ፡ ንጉሥ፡' (children of the king) is ambiguous: it may refer to royal pages or attendants, not necessarily biological children. The translation 'king's children' is retained but uncertain.","The term 'ሜላተ፡' (garment) is a hapax in this context; its exact meaning is unclear, but it likely denotes a royal robe."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"ወእምዝ፡ ገብአ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡ ወሐማኒ፡ አተወ፡ ቤቶ፡ እንዘ፡ ያቴሕት፡ ርእሶ።\n\nወነገራ፡ ለሱዛራ፡ ብእሲቱ፡ ወለአርካኒሁ፡ ወይቤልዎ፡ አዕርክቲሁ፡ ወብእሲቱ፡ እመሰ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ዘእምዘመደ፡ አይሁድ፡ ተትሕትከ፡ ሎቱ፡ ቅድሜሁ፡ ወደቀ፡ ወኢትክል፡ መዊዖቶ፡ እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ምስሌሁ።\n\nወአንጐጒእዎ፡ ለሐማ፡ ውስተ፡ በዓል፡ ዘገብረት፡ አስቴር።\n\nChapter 8\n\nወቦኡ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሐማ፡ ይምስሑ፡ ምስለ፡ ንግሥት።\n\nወይቤላ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለአስቴር፡ አመ፡ ሳኒታ፡ በዓል፡ ምንተ፡ ከንኪ፡ አስቴር፡ ወምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘታስተበቊዕኒ፡ ሶበሰ፡ ፈቀድኪ፡ መንፈቀ፡ መንግሥትየ፡ እምወሀብኩኪ።\n\nወአውሥአቶ፡ ወትቤሎ፡ እመሰ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ሞገሰ፡ በቅድሜከ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ይትወሀባ፡ ለነፍስየ፡ ስእለታ።\n\nወለቃልየኒ፡ አስተብቊዖታ፡ እስመ፡ ተሠየጥነ፡ አነ፡ ወሕዝብየ፡ ወኮነ፡ ለሞት፡ ወለተበርብሮ፡ ወለቅንየት፡ ንሕነ፡ ወውሉድነ፡ ወአርመምኩ፡ እስመ፡ ኢይደልዎ፡ ለመስተዋድይ፡ ይባእ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ንጉሥ።","english":"Then Mordecai entered the courtyard, and Haman went to his house, bowing his head. And he told his wife Zeres and his nobles, and his nobles and his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, from the lineage of the Jews, humbled himself before him and fell, you cannot kill him, for God is with him.” And they brought Haman to the feast that Esther had made.\n\nChapter 8\n\nAnd the king and Haman were drinking with the queen. And the king said to Esther, “When you prepared the feast, what is your request, Esther, and what is it that you desire of me, since I have given you half of my kingdom?” And she answered him and said, “If I have found favor before you, O king, let my life’s request be granted. And let me reveal my desire, for I and my people have been sold, and we are destined for death, destruction, and annihilation—we and our children. And I have been grieved, for they do not allow the mediator to enter the king’s courtyard.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእምዝ፡ ገብአ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez states that Mordecai entered the courtyard (ʿāḍad), while Haman went to his house bowing his head, contrasting their fates.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሱዛራ፡","severity":"info","text":"The name Zeres (Suzārā) is the Geʿez form of the Hebrew Zeresh, Haman's wife, appearing only in the Ethiopic version of Esther.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ኢይደልዎ፡ ለመስተዋድይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The 'mediator' (mastawāddi) likely refers to Mordecai, who is barred from the king's presence, a motif unique to the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 8","severity":"info","text":"The chapter break here is editorial; the Geʿez manuscript (betmas) marks it with a rubric, separating the feast scene from the preceding narrative.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ወቦኡ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሐማ፡ ይምስሑ፡","severity":"info","text":"The drinking scene (king and Haman with Esther) is an Ethiopic expansion; the Hebrew Bible has no such banquet where Haman drinks with the queen.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአንጐጒእዎ፡ ለሐማ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The verb 'an-gʷagʷaʿwo (they brought) is ambiguous: it may mean 'they led' or 'they forced'; the English draft reads 'brought' without coercion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'they brought Haman to the feast' could imply coercion or simple accompaniment; the Geʿez verb allows both.","The identity of the 'mediator' (mastawāddi) is not explicitly Mordecai in the text, though context suggests it."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"ወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዘተሀበለ፡ ይግበር፡ ዘንተ፡ ግብረ።\n\nወትቤ፡ አስቴር፡ ብእሲ፡ ጸላኢነ፡ ሐማ፡ ወሶበ፡ ሰምዐ፡ ሐማ፡ ፈርሀ፡ እምነ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወእምነ፡ ንግሥት።\n\nወተንሥአ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እምኀበ፡ ይሰቲ፡ ወቦአ፡ ውስተ፡ ገነት፡ ወሐማሰ፡ አስተብቊዓ፡ ለንግሥት፡ እስመ፡ አእመረ፡ ከመ፡ በጽሐቶ፡ እኪት።\n\nወገብአ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እምነ፡ ገነቱ፡ ወሐማሰ፡ ወድቀ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓራት፡ ወይትጋነይ፡ ላቲ፡ ለንግስት፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ትትዔገለኒኑ፡ ብእሲትየ፡ በቤትየ፡ ወሶበ፡ ሰብዐ፡ ሐማ፡ ጸልመ፡ ገጹ።\n\nወይቤሎ፡ ቡግታን፡ አሐዱ፡ እምሕዕዋኒሁ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሀለወ፡ ዕፅ፡ ዘአስተዳለዎ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ዘአይድዐ፡ በእንተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዕፅሰ፡ ትኩል፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሐማ፡ ዘሐምሳ፡ በእመት፡ ኑኁ፡ ወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ይስቅልዎ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nወሰቀልዎ፡ ዲበ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዕፅ፡ ዘአስተዳለወ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወእምዝ፡ ኀደገ፡ ንጉሥ፡ መዓቶ።\n\nChapter 9\n\nወበይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ ጸገዋ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ኵሎ፡ ንዋዮ፡ ለሐማ፡ መስተዋድይ፡ ወፀውዖ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወአይድዓቶ፡ አስቴር፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ በቤቱ፡ ልህቀት።","english":"The king said, “Who is this that has been humbled, that he should do this deed?”\n\nAnd Esther said, “Our enemy, Haman.” And when Haman heard, he feared the king and the queen.\n\nAnd the king arose from where he was drinking and entered the garden, and Haman troubled the queen, for he knew that his end was evil.\n\nAnd the king came from his garden, and Haman fell into the courtyard and prostrated himself before the queen. And the king said to him, “Do you mock me, my wife, in my house?” And when Haman was sated, his face darkened.\n\nAnd one of the eunuchs of the king said to him, “There is a tree which Mordecai had prepared, by which he knew concerning the king, a tree of fifty cubits in the house of Haman.” And the king said, “Hang him upon it.”\n\nAnd they hung him upon that tree which Mordecai had prepared. And after that, the king forgave his wrath.\n\nChapter 9\n\nAnd on that day, King Artaxerxes gave to Esther all the possessions of Haman the Agagite. And the king summoned Mordecai, and Esther made known to the king that he was her uncle.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይቤ፡ ንጉሥ፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዘተሀበለ፡ ይግበር፡ ዘንተ፡ ግብረ።","severity":"info","text":"The king's question, 'Who is this that has been humbled, that he should do this deed?' is ambiguous: it may refer to Haman's earlier humiliation or to Mordecai's, depending on how the preceding narrative is read.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕዕዋኒሁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሕዕዋኒሁ (ḥaʿwānīhu) is here translated 'eunuchs,' but it can also mean 'servants' or 'attendants.' The context of a royal court supports the specific sense of eunuch.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕፅ፡ ዘአስተዳለዎ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡","severity":"info","text":"The tree of fifty cubits (about 23 meters) prepared by Mordecai is a distinctive detail not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther, suggesting an independent Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 9","severity":"info","text":"The chapter division here (Chapter 9) is a later editorial insertion in the Ethiopic manuscript tradition, not original to the Geʿez text. It marks a transition from Haman's execution to the distribution of his property.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡","severity":"info","text":"The king is named Artaxerxes (አርጤክስስ፡), following the Greek tradition of the Septuagint, rather than the Hebrew Ahasuerus. This reflects the Ethiopic version's dependence on Greek sources.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"},{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሐማሰ፡ አስተብቊዓ፡ ለንግሥት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'Haman troubled the queen' (ሐማሰ፡ አስተብቊዓ፡) is textually uncertain; the verb could also mean 'approached' or 'accosted.' The sense of harassment is inferred from the narrative context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'humbled one' in the king's opening question is unclear: it could be Haman (who bowed his head in the previous passage) or Mordecai (who humbled himself before Haman).","The verb አስተብቊዓ፡ (astabqīʿa) is ambiguous between 'troubled' and 'approached,' affecting the interpretation of Haman's action toward Esther."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"ወነሥአ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ህልቀቶ፡ እንተ፡ ነሥአ፡ እምእደ፡ ሐማ፡ ወወሀቦ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወሤመቶ፡ አስቴር፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘሐማ።\n\nወእምዝ፡ ዳግመ፡ ነበበቶ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወአስተብቊዓቶ፡ ወሰገደት፡ ታሕተ፡ እገሪሁ፡ ከመ፡ ይኅድግ፡ ኵሎ፡ እኪተ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ሐማ፡ ላዕለ፡ አይሁድ።\n\nወአንሥአ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በትሮ፡ ዘወርቅ፡ ወአንበረ፡ ዲበ፡ ርእሳ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ወተንሥአት፡ ወቆመት፡ ቅድመ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nወትቤሎ፡ አስቴር፡ ለእመ፡ ትፈቅደኒ፡ ወረከብኩ፡ ሞገሰ፡ በቅድሜሁ፡ ለአክ፡ ያምጽኡ፡ መጽሐፈ፡ ዘጸሐፈ፡ ሐማ፡ ከመይቅትልዎሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ውስተ፡ መንግሥትከ።\n\nወእፎ፡ እክል፡ ርእዮተ፡ እኪቶሙ፡ ለሕዝብየ፡ ወእፎ፡ እክል፡ ሐይወ፡ እምድኅረ፡ ሞቶሙ፡ ለሕዝብየ።\n\nወይቤላ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ናሁ፡ ኵሎ፡ ንዋዮ፡ ለሐማ፡ ወሀብኩኪ፡ ወጸገውኩኪ፡ ወኪያሁ፡ ሰቀልኩ፡ ዲበ፡ ዕፅ፡ እስመ፡ አንሥአ፡ እዴሁ፡ ላዕለ፡ አይሁድ፡ ምንተ፡ ትፈቅዲ፡ ይጽሐፉ።\n\nንሥኢ፡ ህልቀትየ፡ ወይኅትሙ፡ እንከሰ፡ በማኅተምየ፡ ዘከመ፡ ትፈቅዲ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘተጽሕፈ፡ በትእዛዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ተኀትመ፡ በማኅተመ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአቢ።","english":"And the king took the ring which he had taken from Haman’s hand, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over all that was Haman’s.\n\nAnd then she again spoke to the king and entreated him, and she prostrated herself at his feet that he might forgive all the evil that Haman had done against the Jews.\n\nAnd the king raised the golden scepter and placed it upon Esther’s head, and she arose and stood before the king.\n\nAnd Esther said to him, “If you love me and I have found favor in your sight, let them bring the letter which Haman wrote, that he might kill the Jews throughout your kingdom.\n\nHow can I behold the evil of my people? And how can I live after the death of my people?”\n\nAnd the king said to Esther, “Behold, all the possessions of Haman I have given to you and bestowed upon you, and I have hanged him upon a tree because he raised his hand against the Jews. What do you desire to be written?\n\nLet us take my ring, and let them seal with my seal as you desire, because everything that is written by the king’s command is sealed with the king’s seal; there is none who can alter it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ህልቀቶ","severity":"info","text":"The king takes back the ring he had earlier given to Haman and gives it to Mordecai, symbolizing the transfer of authority.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"በትሮ ዘወርቅ","severity":"info","text":"The 'golden scepter' (በትሮ ዘወርቅ) is a royal emblem of authority; its placement on Esther's head signifies her elevation and the king's favor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows a narrative pattern: the king's judgment (giving ring, hanging Haman), Esther's intercession, and the king's decree to seal a new edict.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sealing of royal decrees with the king's ring (ማኅተም) reflects standard Achaemenid administrative practice, as known from biblical and extra-biblical sources.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This episode, where Esther prostrates and the king raises her with the scepter, is unique to the Ethiopic version and not found in the Hebrew or Greek Esther.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እንከሰ","severity":"caution","text":"The word እንከሰ (translated 'let them seal') is ambiguous: it could be a third-person plural imperative or a jussive; the sense is clear but the exact verbal form is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'እንከሰ በማኅተምየ' could be read as 'let them seal with my seal' or 'they shall seal with my seal'; the Geʿez form allows either.","The timing of Haman's hanging relative to the giving of the ring is not explicit; the narrative may be summarizing rather than strictly chronological."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"ወጸውዑ፡ ጸሐፍተ፡ በቀዳሚ፡ ወርኀ፡ ኔሳን፡ አመ፡ ዓሠርቱ፡ ወሠለስቱ፡ ዓመት፡ ወጸሐፉ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ዘከመ፡ አዘዞሙ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለመንግሥቱ፡ ወለመኳንንቱ፡ ወለመሳፍንቱ፡ እምነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ በበበሐውርቲሁ፡ ወበበነገረ፡ ብሔሮሙ።\n\nወጸሐፉ፡ በቃለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወኀተሙ፡ በማኅተሙ፡ ወፈነዉ፡ መጻሕፍቲሁ፡ ምስለ፡ ሐዋርያት።\n\nወከመዝ፡ አዘዞሙ፡ ይግበሩ፡ በስሙ፡ ለኵሉ፡ አህጉር፡ ወይርድእዎሙ፡ ወይዕቀብዎሙ፡ እምእደ፡ ፀሮሙ፡ ወእምእለ፡ ይቀውሙ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ በከመ፡ ይፈቅዱ፡ እሙንቱ።\n\nበይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ በኵሉ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለአከ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡ ለወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ ዘዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ።\n\nChapter 10\n\nኀበ፡ ተጽሕፋ፡ እማንቱ፡ መጻሕፍተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዓቢይ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ለብሔረ፡ ህንደኬ፡ ወለብሔረ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ለምእት፡ ዕሥራ፡ ወሰብዓቱ፡ በሐውርት፡ ወለመሳፍንት፡ ወለመኳንንት።\n\nላዕለ፡ መልእክተ፡ ዚአነ፡ ይግበሩ፡ ትፍሥሕተ፡ ለክሙ፡ ብዙኀን፡ በአፈድፍዶ፡ እለ፡ ይበቊዕዎሙ፡ በአስተምህሮ፡ ወበአፍጥኖ፡ ሢመት፡ አብዝኁ፡ ትዕቢተ።","english":"And they summoned the scribes at the beginning of the month of Nisan, in the thirteenth year, and they wrote to the Jews, as the king had commanded them, for his kingdom and for his governors and for his nobles, from India to Ethiopia, each in their own provinces and according to the custom of their lands.\n\nAnd they wrote in the king’s name and sealed with his seal, and they sent his letters with the messengers.\n\nAnd thus he commanded them to act in his name in all the provinces, and to instruct them and to protect them from the hands of their enemies and from those who would rise up against them, as they themselves desired.\n\nOn that day, throughout the whole kingdom of King Artaxerxes, on the tenth and twenty-third of the month of Adar, of the twelfth year.\n\nChapter 10\n\nWhere these great king Artaxerxes’ letters were written, for the land of India and for the land of Ethiopia, for one hundred twenty-seven provinces, and for the nobles and for the governors.\n\nUpon our embassy, they shall make a feast for you, many, with abundance, those who will pierce them with instruction and with swiftness, greatly increasing pride.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኀ፡ ኔሳን፡","severity":"info","text":"The month of Nisan is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, corresponding to March–April. The thirteenth year likely refers to the reign of Artaxerxes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"እምነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ እስከ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'from India to Ethiopia' reflects the Achaemenid Empire's vast extent as imagined in the Esther tradition, not historical geography.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 10","severity":"info","text":"The passage includes a chapter heading (Chapter 10) that is not present in the Masoretic text, indicating a distinct Ethiopic division of the book.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐዋርያት","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ḥawāryāt' (messengers) is used here for royal couriers, distinct from its usual Christian sense of 'apostles'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ።","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'of the twelfth year' (ዘዓሠርቱ ወክልኤቱ አውራኅ) is ambiguous: it may mean the twelfth year of the reign, but the preceding line mentions the thirteenth year, creating a chronological inconsistency.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ትዕቢተ","severity":"info","text":"The final phrase 'greatly increasing pride' (ትዕቢተ) may reflect a moralizing addition in the Ethiopic tradition, warning against the pride of the Jews' enemies.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The relationship between the thirteenth year (line 1) and the twelfth year (line 4) is unclear; possibly a scribal error or a reference to different events.","The phrase 'those who will pierce them with instruction and with swiftness' (እለ ይበቊዕዎሙ በአስተምህሮ ወበአፍጥኖ) is obscure; it may refer to enemies being overcome by learning and speed, but the syntax is difficult."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"ወአኮ፡ ላዕለ፡ እለ፡ ይትኴነኑ፡ ለነ፡ በእንቲአሆሙ፡ ዘይፈቅዱ፡ ያሕስሙ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ወጽጋቦሙ፡ ኢይክሉ፡ ፀዊረ፡ አላ፡ ላዕለ፡ እለ፡ ይበቊዕዎሙ፡ ይሔልዩ፡ ከመ፡ ይትመየንዎሙ።\n\nወአኮ፡ አኰቴተ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘይክሕዱ፡ ባሕቲቶ፡ ዓዲ፡ ከመ፡ ሐዲሳነ፡ ብዕል፡ ያሌዕሉ፡ ርእሶሙ፡ በትዕቢተ፡ ወለእግዚአብሔር፡ ዘኵሎ፡ ይሬኢ፡ ዘልፈ፡ ወእግዚአብሔር፡ ጸላኤ፡ እኪት፡ ይመስሎሙ፡ ዘያመሥጡ፡ እምኵነኔሁ።\n\nወመብዝኅጾሙ፡ ባሕቱ፡ ለብዙኃን፡ እለ፡ ይትኴነኑ፡ ወሥሩዓን፡ እለ፡ ተአመናሆሙ፡ ይትኰነኑ፡ በተአኅዎ፡ ከመ፡ ይትለ፡ አኩነ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ተሳተፉ፡ ላዕለ፡ ደም፡ ንጽሕ፡ ወሠርዑ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ሕማመ፡ ዕፁበ፡ በሐልዮ፡ እኩይ።\n\nወበሐስዎ፡ ምክር፡ ኀይጦሙ፡ መንግሥተ፡ እንተ፡ ትነብር፡ በየዋሃት፡ ወበኅድአት።\n\nወባሕቱ፡ በሐልዮ፡ ይከውን፡ ወአኮ፡ ከመ፡ ናፈድፍድ፡ እምነ፡ ዘቅድሜነ፡ ወዘከመ፡ ተወፈይነ፡ ሕጎ፡ ከማሁ፡ ሀለውነ።\n\nወእምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ባሕቱ፡ ነኃሥሥ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ሕግ፡ እስመ፡ ረከቡ፡ ክብረ፡ ዘኢይደልዎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኢይክሉ፡ ርቱዐ፡ ኰንኖ።","english":"And woe to those who are judged for us because of what they desire, to oppress them and to destroy them. They are unable to bear, except against those who pierce them, they hasten as if to honor them.\n\nAnd woe to the honor of men who are able alone, moreover, as if new evil, they raise their heads in pride, and to the Lord of all, who sees always, and the Lord, an evil enemy, appears to them as one who flees from his judgment.\n\nAnd the multitude of them only for the many who are judged, and the nobles who are trusted, are judged in agreement, as if it were said, \"Woe to them!\" They participate in innocent blood and inflict upon them a grievous punishment with evil intent.\n\nAnd by the counsel of the wise, they cast out the kingdom that dwells in peace and tranquility.\n\nAnd only by intent does it happen, and woe, as if we are scattered from what is before us, and as we were born, we have the law as it is.\n\nAnd after this, only we recount what was done without law, for they found honor that does not suit them, those who are unable to render a just judgment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአኮ፡","severity":"info","text":"The repeated exclamation 'woe' (አኮ) introduces a series of moral condemnations, shifting the passage from narrative to homiletic reflection.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢይክሉ፡ ፀዊረ፡ አላ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'they are unable to bear, except' (ኢይክሉ ፀዊረ አላ) is idiomatic, indicating a conditional limitation on the oppressors' power.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ወአኮ፡ አኰቴተ፡ ሰብእ፡","severity":"info","text":"The critique of pride and false honor echoes common Ethiopic wisdom literature, possibly influenced by the Book of Proverbs or monastic admonitions.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Cowley 1974"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a series of 'woe' sayings (አኮ) followed by explanatory clauses, forming a rhetorical pattern of judgment and lament.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወባሕቱ፡ በሐልዮ፡ ይከውን፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'only by intent does it happen' is ambiguous: it may refer to divine will or human intention; the Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage's moralizing tone suggests the Ethiopic Esther was received as a didactic text, not merely a historical narrative, in the Geʿez tradition.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'those who are judged for us' is unclear: possibly the Jews under Persian rule, or a generic group of the oppressed.","The phrase 'as we were born, we have the law as it is' may refer to natural law or Mosaic law; the Geʿez does not specify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"ወሐላይነ፡ እምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ በዘትነብር፡ መንግሥትነ፡ እንበለ፡ ሀውክ፡ ወበዘይረትዕ፡ ንብረተ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ወዘሰ፡ ያስተርኢ፡ ዘልፈ፡ ንኴንን፡ በየዋሃት።\n\nወከመ፡ ሐማሰ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ፡ ውፁዕ፡ ውእቱ፡ እምጽድቅ፡ ወእምቅድመ፡ ፋርስ፡ ርኁቀ፡ ኮነ፡ ብዙኀ፡ እምኂሩትነ፡ ወኮነ፡ ነኪረ፡ እንዘ፡ ንቡር፡ ውስቴትነ።\n\nረኪቦ፡ ውእቱኒ፡ እንተ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ሢመተ፡ ወምሕረተ፡ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ ሢመተ፡ ረከበ፡ እስከ፡ አቡነ፡ ንብሎ፡ ወመድግመ፡ መንግሥትነ፡ ወምስለ፡ መንበርነ፡ ረኪቦ።\n\nዓዲ፡ ኢአከሎ፡ ዝንቱ፡ አላ፡ አዕበየ፡ ተዓብዮ፡ ወሐለየ፡ ያውዕአነ፡ እመንግሥትነ፡ ወይትማልአነ፡ ነፍሰነ።\n\nወለመርዶክዮስ፡ ዘበኵሉ፡ ይበቊዓነ፡ ወይፌውሰነ፡ ወያሠልጥ፡ ለነ፡ ወለአስቴርኒ፡ ሱታፌ፡ መንግሥትነ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ኂስ፡ ምስለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሕዝቦሙ፡ በብዙኅ፡ ተመይኖ፡ ወበአስተጣዕሞ፡ ነገር፡ ስእነ፡ ያማስኖሙ።\n\nወበበይነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ እስመ፡ በየዋሃት፡ ንነብር፡ ረከብነ፡ መንግሥተ፡ ፋርስ፡ ወውእቱሰ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ያፍልስ፡ በሕገ፡ መቄዶንያ።","english":"And after this, our kingdom dwells without understanding, and while it increases the property of the peoples, and what is shown, we always judge with their hands.\n\nAnd like Hamasa, son of Amadotu, he is more exalted from righteousness, and before Persia, he was far, many from our nobility, and he was cunning while we dwell among us.\n\nHe found, moreover, what is above the people: mercy and compassion, and in turn he found mercy, until our father we call him, and the foundation of our kingdom, and with our throne he found.\n\nAgain, this one did not magnify his greatness, and he remained to drive us from our kingdom and to fill our soul.\n\nAnd for Mordecai, who in everything reproaches us and shames us and makes us stumble, and for Esther, the partner of our kingdom, without loss, with all their people, in much affliction and with a contrived plan, he makes them weak.\n\nAnd between us this matter, because with their hands we dwell, we found the kingdom of Persia, and he desired to change by the law of Macedonia.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሐላይነ፡ እምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ በዘትነብር፡ መንግሥትነ፡ እንበለ፡ ሀውክ፡","severity":"info","text":"The speaker laments that the kingdom endures without understanding (ሀውክ), a moral failing that leads to misrule. This reflects a homiletic tone common in the Ethiopic additions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐማሰ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ፡","severity":"info","text":"Hamasa, son of Amadotu, is an otherwise unattested figure, likely a symbolic or legendary villain in this Ethiopic expansion. The name may be a corruption or invention.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ሕገ፡ መቄዶንያ።","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'the law of Macedonia' (ሕገ መቄዶንያ) anachronistically invokes Hellenistic legal or cultural influence, likely reflecting later Ethiopian awareness of Macedonian rule in the ancient Near East.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወለመርዶክዮስ፡ ... ወለአስቴርኒ፡","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai and Esther are named together as targets of the speaker's hostility, framing them as usurpers. This aligns with the narrative's anti-Jewish polemic, unique to the Ethiopic version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ወእቱሰ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ያፍልስ፡ በሕገ፡ መቄዶንያ።","severity":"info","text":"The desire to change by Macedonian law may reflect Ethiopian Christian reception of the Seleucid or Ptolemaic past as a foil for Persian legitimacy.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ረኪቦ፡ ውእቱኒ፡ እንተ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሕዝብ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax of ረኪቦ (he found) is ambiguous: the subject may be Hamasa or an unnamed figure. The English draft takes Hamasa as subject, but the Geʿez allows other readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Hamasa, son of Amadotu, is unclear; he may be a symbolic figure or a textual corruption.","The subject of ረኪቦ (he found) in the third paragraph is ambiguous between Hamasa and an unnamed antecedent.","The phrase 'law of Macedonia' may refer to Hellenistic legal codes or be a generic term for foreign rule."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"ወንሕነ፡ ባሕቱ፡ ለእለ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ያማስኖሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ረከብናሆሙ፡ ከመ፡ አኮ፡ በእከዮሙ፡ አላ፡ በጽድቅ፡ ንብረተ፡ ሕጎሙ።\n\nወአማን፡ ውሉደ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ልዑል፡ ወዓቢይ፡ ወሕያው፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ዘያስተዳሉ፡ ለነ፡ ወለእለ፡ እምቅድሜነ፡ መንግሥተ፡ ወለነኒ፡ በከመ፡ ልብነ።\n\nወሠናየ፡ ባሕቱ፡ ትገብሩ፡ ለእመ፡ ኢሰማዕክሙ፡ ትእዛዘ፡ ሐማ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ፡ ወቃለ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ዘፈነወ።\n\nእስመ፡ ለሊሁ፡ ውእቱ፡ ሐለዩ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ግብር፡ በቅድመ፡ አንቀጸ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ተፀልበ፡ ምስለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሰብኡ፡ እስመ፡ ፍዳሁ፡ ዘኵሎ፡ ይመልክ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፍጡነ፡ ፈደዮ፡ ፎነኔሁ።\n\nወአርእይዋ፡ ለዛቲ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ሰፊሐክሙ፡ በኵሉ፡ መካን፡ ገሃደ፡ ወኅድግዎሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ይንበሩ፡ በከመ፡ ሕጎሙ።\n\nወርድእዎሙ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ምንዳቤሆሙ፡ ዘአጠቅዎሙ፡ ቀዲሙ፡ አመ፡ ዓሠሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር፡ ዘዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ እውራኅ፡ እምይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ እስከ፡ ዛቲ፡ ሰዓት።","english":"And we, only for those who wished to humiliate the Jews, we found them, not because of their wickedness, but because of the righteousness of their law.\n\nAnd Aman, son of God Most High, Great, and Living, God who rules over us and over those before us in the kingdom, and over us also, according to our heart.\n\nAnd you do only evil if you hear the command of Hamasa, son of Amadotu, and the word of the book he sent.\n\nFor he himself prepared for this deed before the gate of the city of Susa, fighting with all his people, for his ransom, which all will rule, God swiftly decreed his punishment.\n\nAnd show this book openly in every place, and leave the Jews to live according to their law.\n\nAnd kill them on the days of their affliction, which they established before, on the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar, from that day until this hour.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from a narrative of royal decree to a direct command for the public display of the book and the execution of Jews on specific dates, marking a structural transition from justification to prescription.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐማ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Hamasa, son of Amadotu' appears in the Geʿez text; in the English draft it is rendered as 'Aman, son of God Most High', which conflates the figure with Haman. The Geʿez likely preserves a variant or corruption of the biblical Haman.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርድእዎሙ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ምንዳቤሆሙ፡ ዘአጠቅዎሙ፡ ቀዲሙ፡ አመ፡ ዓሠሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር፡","severity":"info","text":"The command to kill Jews on the tenth and thirteenth of the month of Adar echoes Esther 9:1-19, where the Jews are authorized to defend themselves on those dates, but here it is inverted as a decree against them.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez Book of Esther is part of the broader Ethiopic biblical canon, which includes expansions and variations not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions. This passage reflects a unique tradition where Haman is given a divine epithet.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1362Esther","label":"source edition: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The command to display the book openly and to kill Jews on specific days has been interpreted in Ethiopic Christian tradition as a polemical reworking of the Purim story, possibly reflecting anti-Jewish sentiment in the Aksumite period.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አማን፡ ውሉደ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'Aman, son of God Most High' is theologically problematic; it may be a scribal error or a deliberate inversion. The Geʿez text is ambiguous whether this is a title of honor or irony.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Hamasa, son of Amadotu' is unclear; it may be a corruption of 'Haman, son of Hammedatha' (Esther 3:1).","The phrase 'son of God Most High' applied to Haman is ambiguous: it could be a scribal error, a theological polemic, or a remnant of a lost tradition.","The dates 'tenth and thirteenth of Adar' are given as days of affliction for Jews, but in the biblical account these are days of Jewish victory; the inversion is not explained."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"ዘእምኵሉ፡ ይጸንዕ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ህየንተ፡ ሙስናሆሙ፡ ለሕዝብ፡ ኅሩያኅ፡ ገብረ፡ ሎሙ፡ ትፍሥሕተ።\n\nወአንትሙኒ፡ ከመ፡ ስሙይ፡ በበዓላቲክሙ፡ በእሙር፡ ወፍሉጥ፡ ዕለት፡ ግበሩ፡ ከማሁ።\n\nወይእዜኒ፡ እምድኅረ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ሕይወት፡ ይከውን፡ ለእለ፡ ይፈቅዱ፡ ሠናየ፡ ለፋርስ፡ ወለእለ፡ ኪያነ፡ ይፈቅዱ፡ ይዕልዉ፡ ተዝካረ፡ ሙስናሆሙ።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ብሔር፡ አው፡ ሀገር፡ በኵለሄ፡ ዘኢገብረ፡ ከመዝ፡ በኲናት፡ ወበእሳት፡ የኀልቅ፡ በመዓት፡ ወአኮ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ባሕቲቶሙ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ሙስና፡ አላ፡ ለአራዊትኒ፡ ወለአዕዋፍኒ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡ ዘይከውን።\n\nወአርአይዋ፡ ለዛቲ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ገሃደ፡ ይስፍሕዋ፡ ወያርእይዋ፡ ወይኩን፡ ድልዋነ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ አይሁድ፡ በይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ ከመ፡ ይቅትሉ፡ ፀሮሙ።\n\nወወፅኡ፡ እለ፡ ይፄዓኑ፡ አፍራሰ፡ እንዘ፡ ይጔጒኡ፡ ከመ፡ ይግበሩ፡ ትእዛዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወተሠይመ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ትእዛዝ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር።\n\nወወፅአ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ እንዘ፡ ልቡስ፡ አልባሰ፡ መንግሥት፡ ዘበአክሊለ፡ ወርቅ፡ ወጽንብል፡ ሢራየ፡ ሜላት፡ ወርእዩ፡ እለ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ወተፈሥሑ።","english":"From all, the Lord God strengthens for the destruction of the chosen people; he made for them a feast of joy.\n\nAnd you also, as is customary on your festivals, on the day of the decree and separation, do likewise.\n\nAnd now after this life, it will be for those who desire good for Persia and for those who desire us, they will raise the memorial of their destruction.\n\nAnd every region or city that has done like this, with spears and fire, will be destroyed in wrath; and not only for humans alone will destruction occur, but also for wild animals and for birds, for the creeping thing it will be.\n\nAnd show this book openly; spread it and display it; and let all the Jews be prepared on that day to kill their enemies.\n\nAnd those who ride horses went out, galloping as if to execute the king's command; and this command was established in the city of Susa.\n\nAnd Mordecai went out, wearing the vestments of royalty, with a crown of gold and a necklace of precious stones; and those who were in Susa saw him and rejoiced.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘእምኵሉ፡ ይጸንዕ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ህየንተ፡ ሙስናሆሙ፡ ለሕዝብ፡ ኅሩያኅ፡ ገብረ፡ ሎሙ፡ ትፍሥሕተ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez states that God strengthens for the destruction of the chosen people, but the English draft renders this as God making a feast of joy, which inverts the sense. The clause likely means God fortifies the enemies to destroy the Jews, not that he provides joy.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"በእሙር፡ ወፍሉጥ፡ ዕለት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'on the day of the decree and separation' (በእሙር ወፍሉጥ ዕለት) likely refers to a specific festival or commemorative day in the Esther narrative, possibly Purim, though the Geʿez terms are not standard for that feast.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኵሉ፡ ብሔር፡ አው፡ ሀገር፡ ... በኲናት፡ ወበእሳት፡ የኀልቅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The threat of destruction by spears and fire for any region that opposes the decree echoes the language of total annihilation found in Esther 8:11 (LXX) and later Ethiopic expansions, though no direct verse is cited.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአርአይዋ፡ ለዛቲ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ገሃደ፡ ይስፍሕዋ፡ ወያርእይዋ፡","severity":"info","text":"The command to show the book openly and spread it reflects a liturgical or public reading practice, possibly tied to the Ethiopic tradition of reading Esther during a festival, though the specific occasion is not named.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወወፅኡ፡ እለ፡ ይፄዓኑ፡ አፍራሰ፡ ... ወተሠይመ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ትእዛዝ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from a general decree to a specific narrative action: riders go out to execute the king's command in Susa, marking a transition from legislative to narrative mode typical of the Ethiopic Esther.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወወፅአ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ... ልቡስ፡ አልባሰ፡ መንግሥት፡ ዘበአክሊለ፡ ወርቅ፡","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai's appearance in royal vestments with a gold crown and jeweled necklace is an addition not found in the Hebrew or Greek Esther, reflecting the Ethiopic tradition's embellishment of his triumph and possibly a local royal symbolism.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase 'ህየንተ ሙስናሆሙ ለሕዝብ ኅሩያኅ' is ambiguous: it could mean 'for the destruction of the chosen people' (i.e., the Jews) or 'for the destruction of the people of the chosen one' (possibly Haman). The English draft takes the latter, but the context of the decree suggests the former.","The identity of 'the chosen people' (ሕዝብ ኅሩያኅ) is ambiguous: it may refer to the Jews or to the Persians, depending on the narrative perspective."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"ወለአይሁድሰ፡ ኮነ፡ ብርሃን፡ ወትፍሥሕት፡ በበሀገሩ፡ ወበበብሔሩ፡ በኀበ፡ ተሠይመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ትእዛዝ፡ ወኀበ፡ ተረክበ፡ ውእቱ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ዘፍሥሓ፡ ወዘጽጋብ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ወዕረፍት፡ ወኀሤት።\n\nወብዙኀን፡ እለ፡ አምኑ፡ አሕዛብ፡ ወእለ፡ ተገዝሩ፡ ወተሐረሙ፡ በእንተ፡ ፍርሀቶሙ፡ ለአይሁድ።\n\nChapter 11\n\nእስመ፡ ዓሠርቱ፡ ወክልኤቱ፡ አውራኅ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወሠሉሱ፡ ለወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ በጽሐ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ዘጸሐፈ፡ ንጉሥ።\n\nበይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ ተኀጒሉ፡ እለ፡ ቆሙ፡ ላዕለ፡ አይሁድ፡ ወአልቦ፡ እንከ፡ ዘተቃተሎሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ እስመ፡ ፈርህዎሙ።\n\nወመላእክተ፡ አሕዛብኒ፡ ወመገብትኒ፡ ወጸሐፍትኒ፡ ወዓበይተ፡ ንጉሥኒ፡ ያከብርዎሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ በእንተ፡ ፍርሀተ፡ መርዶክዮስ።\n\nወይትሔዘቡ፡ እስመ፡ በመጽሐፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ተሠይመ፡ በኵሉ፡ መንግሥቱ።\n\nወበሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ቀተሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ ኃምስተ፡ ምእተ፡ ወሰብዓ፡ ወሠለስተ።\n\nወጎራንሂ፡ ወደላፎን፡ ወፋስጋ፡ ወፈርደንታ፡ ወቤርያ፡ ወሰርበካ፡ ወመርሶን፡ ወአሮፍዮን፡ ወኤርሴዎን፡ ወዘቦቲታን፡ ደቂቀ፡ ሐማ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ፡ ቡግያዊ፡ ጸላኢሆሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ለዐሠርቲሆሙ፡ አኃዝዎሙ፡ ወሰቀልዎሙ፡ ወበርበሩ፡ ንዋዮሙ፡ በይእቲ፡ ዕለት።","english":"And for the Jews, there was light and joy in each of their cities and in each of their regions, where the decree was established, and where the book of joy and gladness for the Jews, and rest and peace, was found.\n\nAnd many of the Gentiles who believed, and who were circumcised and became proselytes because of their fear of the Jews.\n\nChapter 11\n\nFor on the eleventh month, on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, the king’s decree arrived.\n\nOn that day, those who had risen against the Jews were destroyed, and there was no one who could kill the Jews, because they feared them.\n\nAnd the princes of the Gentiles, and the governors, and the scribes, and the king’s nobles honor the Jews because of their fear of Mordecai.\n\nAnd they tremble, because it was decreed in the king’s book throughout his entire kingdom.\n\nAnd in the city of Susa, the Jews killed five hundred and seventy-three.\n\nAnd Goran, and Delafon, and Fasga, and Ferdenta, and Berya, and Serbeka, and Mershon, and Arofyon, and Ersewon, and Zebotitan, the sons of Haman, son of Amedotu the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews—they seized ten of them, and hanged them, and plundered their goods on that day.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 11","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a chapter heading, 'Chapter 11', which is a structural marker not present in the Hebrew or Greek Esther but typical of the Ethiopic version's expansion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"ዓሠርቱ ወክልኤቱ አውራኅ አመ ዓሡሩ ወሠሉሱ ለወርኀ አዳር","severity":"info","text":"The date given, the thirteenth day of the eleventh month (Adar), corresponds to the traditional date of the Jewish festival of Purim, aligning with Esther 3:12 in the Hebrew Bible.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወብዙኀን እለ አምኑ አሕዛብ ወእለ ተገዝሩ ወተሐረሙ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Gentiles who believed, were circumcised, and became proselytes reflects a theme of conversion absent from the Hebrew Esther but present in later Jewish and Christian expansions, possibly influenced by the Ethiopic Christian context.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወጎራንሂ ወደላፎን ወፋስጋ ወፈርደንታ ወቤርያ ወሰርበካ ወመርሶን ወአሮፍዮን ወኤርሴዎን ወዘቦቲታን","severity":"info","text":"The list of ten sons of Haman, with names like Goran and Delafon, is an expansion unique to the Ethiopic tradition, not found in the Hebrew or Greek Esther, and may reflect local legendary development.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወበሱሳ ሀገር ቀተሉ አይሁድ ኃምስተ ምእተ ወሰብዓ ወሠለስተ","severity":"caution","text":"The number of Jews killed in Susa, 573, is given without a clear source; it may be a textual corruption or a local tradition, as the Hebrew Esther does not record such a figure.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Amedotu the Agagite' is unclear; it may be a variant of 'Hammedatha' (Haman's father) or a separate figure.","The phrase 'book of joy and gladness' could refer to the Esther scroll itself or a separate decree, but the text does not specify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"ወዜነውዎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሀኍቈ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘሞተ፡ በሱሳ፡ ሀገር።\n\nወይቤላ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለአስቴር፡ ቀተሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ በሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ኃምስተ፡ ምእተ፡ ወሰብዓ፡ ወሠለስተ፡ እደወ።\n\nወእፎ፡ እንጋ፡ ይገብሩ፡ በአድያም፡ ምንተ፡ እንከ፡ ታስተበቊዒ፡ በቅድሜየ፡ እግበር፡ ለኪ።\n\nወትቤሎ፡ አስቴር፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሀቦሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይግበሩ፡ እንተ፡ ጌሠም፡ ወይስቅሉ፡ ዓሠርቲሆሙ፡ ደቂቀ፡ ሐማ፡ ወአዝዝ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይግበሩ።\n\nወአዘዞሙ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር፡ ይስቅሉ፡ ሥጋሆሙ፡ ለደቂቀ፡ ሐማ።\n\nወተጋብኡ፡ አይሁድ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር፡ ወቀተሉ፡ ሠለስተ፡ ምእተ፡ እደወ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘበርበሩ።\n\nወእለ፡ ተርፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ይትቀነዩ፡ ወነገሥትኒ፡ ተጋብኡ፡ እሙንቱ፡ በበይናቲሆሙ፡ ተራድኡ፡ ወባሕቱ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘበርበሩ፡ ወአዕረፉ፡ እምነ፡ ቀትሎሙ፡ ወዘቀተሉሰ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር፡ እልፍ፡ ወኃምሳ፡ ምእት፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘበርበሩ።","english":"And they reported to the king the number of people who died in the city of Susa.\n\nAnd the king said to Esther, \"The Jews killed in the city of Susa five hundred and seventy-three men.\"\n\n\"And what, then, shall they do in the other provinces? How much more will you complain before me? I will do for you.\"\n\nAnd Esther said to the king, \"Let the Jews do as they have done, and let them hang the ten sons of Haman, and command that they do likewise.\"\n\nAnd he commanded the Jews who were in the city to hang the bodies of the sons of Haman.\n\nAnd the Jews assembled in the city of Susa on the tenth and thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and they killed three hundred men, and there was no one who fled.\n\nAnd the remaining Jews, who were circumcised, and the nobles also assembled, and they made peace among themselves, and there was no one who fled, and they ceased from killing them. And those who killed on the tenth and thirteenth day of the month of Adar were one thousand five hundred, and there was no one who fled.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወዜነውዎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ሀኍቈ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘሞተ፡ በሱሳ፡ ሀገር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez reports the number of dead to the king, but the English draft omits the specific count given in the source; the Geʿez states 'the number of people who died' without a numeral here.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"እደወ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term እደወ (ʾadaw) means 'men' or 'persons,' used here in counting the slain; the English draft renders it as 'men' consistently.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይስቅሉ፡ ዓሠርቲሆሙ፡ ደቂቀ፡ ሐማ","severity":"info","text":"The hanging of Haman's ten sons echoes Esther 9:7–10, where the ten sons are executed and displayed; the Geʿex text adds a command to hang their bodies, expanding the biblical account.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez specifies the tenth and thirteenth of Adar as the days of Jewish assembly and killing; this aligns with the biblical Purim timeline (Esther 9:1, 9:18), though the tenth is not standard in the Hebrew text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእለ፡ ተርፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ይትቀነዩ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez notes that remaining Jews were circumcised, a detail absent from the Hebrew Esther; this reflects later Jewish or Christian emphasis on identity markers in Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እልፍ፡ ወኃምሳ፡ ምእት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez states 'one thousand five hundred' killed, but the English draft reads 'one thousand five hundred'; the Geʿez numeral እልፍ (ʾalf) means 'thousand,' so the count is consistent, but the phrasing is ambiguous as to whether it totals the earlier numbers.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez does not specify whether the 1,500 killed on the tenth and thirteenth includes the earlier 573 or 300, leaving the total count ambiguous.","The phrase 'እለ፡ ተርፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ይትቀነዩ' could be read as 'the remaining Jews, who were circumcised' or 'the remaining Jews, those who were circumcised,' implying a subset, but the English draft treats it as all remaining Jews."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"ወአዕረፉ፡ እንከ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ወርኅ፡ ወረሰማይ፡ ለይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ በዓለ፡ ከመ፡ ይዕርፉ፡ ምስለ፡ ትፍሥሕት፡ ወጽጋብ።\n\nወአይሁድሰ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ሱሳ፡ ሀገር፡ ተጋብኡ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ አዳር፡ ወኢያዕረፉ፡ ይእተ፡ አሚረ፡ ወአመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወኃሙሱ፡ ገብሩ፡ በዓለ፡ ወትፍሥሕተ።\n\nወበበይነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ አይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ተዘርዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ በሐውርት፡ ይገብርዋ፡ ሠናይተ፡ ለይእቲ፡ ዕለት፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ዘጽጋብ፡ እንዘ፡ ይፌንዉ፡ ፍተ፡ ለቢጾሙ፡ ወለጎሮሙ፡ ወለእለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ደብረ፡ አህጉር፡ ወአመ፡ ዓሡር፡ ወኃምስ፡ ገብሩ፡ ላቲ፡ ትፍሥሕተ፡ ሠናየ፡ እንዘ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ይፌንዉ፡ ክፍለ፡ ለቢጾሙ፡ ወለጎሮሙ።\n\nወጸሐፎ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ ለዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ውስተ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ወፈነዎ፡ ለአይሁድ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለአርጤክስስ፡ ለቅሩባን፡ ወለርኁቃን፡ ከመ፡ ይግበርዎን፡ ለእላንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ በዓለ፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ወአመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወኃሙሱ፡ ለወርኀ፡ አዳር።","english":"And they rest, moreover, on the tenth and the twenty-third of that month, and they celebrate that day as a feast, as they rest with joy and gladness.\n\nAnd the Jews who were gathered in the city of Susa on the tenth and the twenty-third of the month of Adar did not rest until it was finished, and on the tenth and the fifteenth they made a feast and joy.\n\nAnd because of this matter, the Jews who are scattered throughout all the provinces make that day good on the tenth and the twenty-third of gladness, while they give gifts to their neighbors and to their relatives and to those who dwell in the mountains of the cities; and on the tenth and the fifth they made for it good joy, while they give a portion to their neighbors and to their relatives.\n\nAnd Mordecai wrote this matter in a book and sent it to the Jews who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to those near and far, that they should make those days a feast on the tenth and the twenty-third and on the tenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage establishes two distinct sets of commemorative dates: the 10th and 23rd for rest and gladness, and the 10th and 15th for feasting and joy, reflecting a dual observance.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ወርኅ (warḫ)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ወርኅ (warḫ) means 'month,' here specifying the month of Adar (አዳር), the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The dates 10th, 15th, and 23rd of Adar correspond to the Jewish fast of Esther (13th), Purim (14th), and Shushan Purim (15th), but the Geʿez tradition here diverges, possibly reflecting local calendrical adaptation.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Hollis 2023"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Mordecai's written decree sent to Jews near and far in the kingdom of Artaxerxes establishes a normative practice for the diaspora, emphasizing the authority of the written word in Geʿez tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft translates 'tenth and fifteenth' twice, but the Geʿez specifies 'tenth and twenty-third' for the first observance and 'tenth and fifteenth' for the second; the draft conflates these, obscuring the distinction.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text uses 'ወረቡዑ' (23rd) and 'ወኃሙሱ' (15th) but the English draft inconsistently renders 'twenty-third' as 'fifteenth' in one instance, creating confusion about the exact dates.","The phrase 'እለ ውስተ ደብረ አህጉር' (those who dwell in the mountains of the cities) is ambiguous: it may refer to rural or highland Jewish communities, but the exact demographic is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"እስመ፡ በእማንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ አዕረፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ እምነ፡ ፀሮሙ፡ ወጸላኢሆሙ፡ በወርኅ፡ ዘቦቱ፡ ገብኡ፡ እምነ፡ ላህ፡ ውስተ፡ ትፍሥሕት፡ ወእምነ፡ ሕማም፡ ውስተ፡ ዕለት፡ ሠናይት፡ ዘውእቱ፡ አዳር፡ ወገብርዎን፡ በኵሉ፡ መዋዕሊሆሙ፡ ከብካበ፡ ወጽጋበ፡ ወይጼግዉ፡ ለምስኪኖሙ፡ ወለዘተአኀዎሙ።\n\nወተወክፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ በከመ፡ ጸሐፈ፡ ሎሙ፡ መርዶክዮስ።\n\nዘከመ፡ ቀተሎሙ፡ ሐማ፡ ወልደ፡ አመዶቱ፡ ዘእምነ፡ መቈዶንያ፡ በከመ፡ ሐሰበ፡ ወአስተቃሰመ፡ ለአማስኖቶሙ።\n\nወዘከመ፡ ቦአ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሰአሎ፡ ከመ፡ ይስቅሎ፡ ለመርዶክዮስ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ዘሐለየ፡ ከመ፡ ይግበር፡ እኩየ፡ ላዕለ፡ አይሁድ፡ ገብአ፡ ላዕለ፡ ርእሱ፡ ወተሰቅለ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወደቂቁ።\n\nወበበይነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ተሰምያ፡ እማንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ ድኂን፡ በእንተ፡ ዘተዓፅዋ፡ እስመ፡ በነገሮሙ፡ ይሰምይዎን፡ ድኂነ፡ በእንተ፡ ቃለ፡ ዛቲ፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ወበእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘተረከበ፡ ውስቴታ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ።\n\nወበዘጸሐፉ፡ ተወክፉ፡ አይሁድ፡ ሎሙ፡ ወለዘርኦሙ፡ ወለዘይዴመር፡ ምስሌሆሙ፡ ወከመ፡ ኢይፍልሱ፡ እምዝንቱ፡ ወእላንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ ተዝካረ፡ ይትገበራ፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ በበአህጉር፡ ወበበበሐውርት፡ ወነገድ።","english":"For in those days the Jews rested from their enemies and their adversaries, in the month of Ṭaḫśaś (Ṭaḫśaś) they entered from sorrow into joy and from sickness into a good day, which is Adar (Adār), and they made it in all their days a festival and a feast, and they give gifts to their poor and to those who are in need.\n\nAnd the Jews accepted as Mordecai (Mardokəyōs) wrote to them.\n\nHow Haman (Ḥāmā), son of Amadathu (Amadotu) of the Macedonians (Maḳʷədonəyā), killed them, as he plotted and conspired for their destruction.\n\nAnd how he came to the king and asked him to crucify Mordecai, and all that he desired to do evil against the Jews turned upon his own head, and he himself and his sons were crucified.\n\nAnd by reason of this, those days are called \"Dəḥən\" (Dəḥən) because of what was established; for in their language they call \"Dəḥən\" (Dəḥən) \"salvation\" because of the word of this book and because of all that is found in it and all that happened to them.\n\nAnd in what they wrote, the Jews accepted for themselves and for their descendants and for those who would come after them, and that they should not transgress from these and those days; the commemoration shall be performed forever and ever, in every city and in every region and nation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ድኂን (Dəḥən)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term Dəḥən is glossed as 'salvation' in the passage, but it is a loanword from Hebrew (דְּחִין) meaning 'pushed' or 'driven,' not 'salvation.' The text's folk etymology reinterprets it as a feast of deliverance.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐማ (Ḥāmā)","severity":"info","text":"Haman is here called 'son of Amadathu of the Macedonians,' a unique Geʿez tradition that anachronistically links Haman to Macedonia, possibly reflecting later Hellenistic or Byzantine polemics.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage concludes the Geʿez Esther with an aetiological note on the feast of Dəḥən and a command for perpetual observance, mirroring the canonical Esther 9:20–28 but with added local details.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The instruction that the commemoration 'shall be performed forever and ever, in every city and in every region and nation' reflects the Geʿez Christian adoption of Purim as a fixed liturgical feast, distinct from Jewish practice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ጽጋበ (ṣəgāb)","severity":"caution","text":"The term ጽጋበ (ṣəgāb) is ambiguous: it may mean 'feast' or 'festival' in Geʿez, but its precise nuance here (contrasted with ከብካበ 'festival') is unclear; the translation 'feast' is conventional.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the month Ṭaḫśaś is uncertain; it may be a corruption or variant of Ṭəḫśaś (Tevet) or a local Ethiopian month name.","The phrase 'from sorrow into joy' may be a liturgical formula rather than a historical claim."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"ወበእማንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ ይትገበራ፡ ተዝካረ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡ እስመ፡ ቦቶን፡ ድኅኑ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይደምሰስ፡ ተዝካሮሙ፡ ለዓለም።\n\nወጸሐፈት፡ አስቴር፡ ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡ ወመርዶክዮስ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘገብሩ፡ ወአጽንዑ፡ መጽሐፈ፡ መድኃኒት።\n\nወመርዶክዮስ፡ ወአስቴር፡ ንግሥት፡ አሕረምዎን፡ ሎሙ፡ ለርእሶሙ፡ አሜሁ፡ ወመሐሉ፡ በሕይወቶሙ፡ ወበምክሮሙ።\n\nወአስቴርኒ፡ በዋላ፡ ለዓለም፡ ወተጽሕፈ፡ ለዝክር።\n\nChapter 12\n\nወጸሐፈ፡ ንጉሥኒ፡ ውስተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለዘበምድር፡ ወለዘበብሔር።\n\nወላዕለ፡ ጽንዑ፡ ወላዕለ፡ ስብሐቲሁ፡ ወላዕለ፡ ብዕሉ፡ ወክብሩ፡ ወመንግሥቱ፡ ዘታሕቴሁ፡ ናሁ፡ ልኩዕ፡ ውስተ፡ መጽሐፈ፡ ፋርስ፡ ወሜዶን፡ ለተዝካር።\n\nወመርዶክዮስ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ የዓቅብ፡ መንግሥተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ አርጤክስስ፡ ዓቢይ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወመንግሥቱኒ፡ ከቡር፡ ውእቱ፡ በኀበ፡ አይሁድ፡ ወይትፈቀድ፡ ወይነግር፡ ንብረታ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሕዝብ፡ በትውልዶሙ።\n\nወይቤ፡ መርዶክዮስ፡ እምነ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ኮነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር።","english":"And in those days the commemoration of the festival is performed, because they were saved, so that their memory may not be destroyed forever.\n\nAnd Esther, daughter of Aminadab, and Mordecai the Jew wrote all that they did and established the book of salvation.\n\nAnd Mordecai and Queen Esther decreed for themselves, and they swore and agreed in their lifetime and by their counsel.\n\nAnd Esther also commanded for eternity, and it was written for remembrance.\n\nChapter 12\n\nAnd the king also wrote throughout his kingdom, for every land and for every region.\n\nAnd upon his strength and upon his glory and upon his greatness and honor and his kingdom which is under him, behold, it is written in the book of Persia and Media for remembrance.\n\nAnd Mordecai alone guards the kingdom of the great king Artaxerxes; he is great, and his kingdom is honored among the Jews, and he is beloved and speaks the wealth of every people in their generations.\n\nAnd Mordecai said, \"From the Lord God this thing happened.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 12","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a chapter heading, 'Chapter 12,' marking a structural division in the Geʿez text. This heading is not present in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Esther.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መጽሐፈ፡ መድኃኒት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'book of salvation' (መጽሐፈ፡ መድኃኒት) is a distinctive Geʿez title for the Book of Esther, emphasizing deliverance. This reflects the Ethiopian tradition of interpreting Esther as a story of salvation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አርጤክስስ","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Artaxerxes' (አርጤክስስ) is used for the Persian king, consistent with the Septuagint tradition. In the Geʿez version, Mordecai is said to guard the kingdom, a role not found in other versions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወጸሐፈት፡ አስቴር፡ ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡ ወመርዶክዮስ፡","severity":"info","text":"Esther is called 'daughter of Aminadab' (ወለተ፡ አሚናዳብ፡), a patronymic not in the Hebrew or Greek texts. This may reflect a tradition linking her to the tribe of Judah, as Aminadab is an ancestor of David.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ተዝካረ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage emphasizes the establishment of the festival (ተዝካረ፡ ለዝሉፉ፡) as a permanent commemoration. This reflects the Ethiopian Christian reception of Purim as a liturgical feast, distinct from Jewish practice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወመርዶክዮስ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ የዓቅብ፡ መንግሥተ፡ ንጉሥ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The claim that Mordecai alone guards the kingdom of Artaxerxes is unique to the Geʿcz version and may be a scribal expansion. The phrase 'alone' (ባሕቲቱ፡) is ambiguous, possibly meaning 'by himself' or 'only he.'","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ባሕቲቱ፡' could mean 'alone' or 'only,' affecting the interpretation of Mordecai's role.","The identity of 'Aminadab' as Esther's father is not attested in other versions; it may be a genealogical tradition or a scribal error."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"ተዘከርኩ፡ በእንተ፡ ሕልም፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ በበይነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ እስመ፡ ኢኀለፈ፡ ዕድሜሁ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ሕልም።\n\nእንታክቲ፡ ንስቲት፡ ነቅዐ፡ ማይ፡ እንተኮነት፡ ፈለገ፡ ወኮነ፡ ብርሃነ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወማይ፡ ብዙኅ፡ አስቴር፡ ይእቲ፡ እንተ፡ አውሰባ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወረሰያ፡ ንግሥተ።\n\nወእልክቱሰ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ አክይስት፡ አነ፡ ወሐማ፡ ንሕነ።\n\nወአሕዛብኒ፡ እለ፡ ተጋብኡ፡ ከመ፡ ያማስኑ፡ ስሞሙ፡ ለአይሁድ።\n\nወሕዝበ፡ ዚእየ፡ እስራኤል፡ እሙንቱ፡ እለ፡ አውየዉ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወድኅኑ፡ ወአድኀኖሙ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለሕዝቡ፡ ወአድኃነነ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እምኵሉ፡ እኩይ።\n\nወገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ዓቢየ፡ ተአምረ፡ ወመንክረ፡ ወመድምመ፡ ዘኢኮነ፡ ከማሁ፡ በውስተ፡ አሕዛብ።\n\nወበበይነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ክልኤተ፡ ክፍለ፡ ገብረ፡ አሐዱ፡ ለሕዝበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወአሐደ፡ ለካልእ፡ አሕዛብ።\n\nወበጽሕ፡ እልክቱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ክፍል፡ በሰዓት፡ ወበጊዜ፡ ወበዕለተ፡ ደይን፡ በቅድመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሕዛብ።","english":"I remembered the dream that I saw in the midst of this matter, for the time of that dream had passed.\n\nThat little spring of water, which was a river, and there was the light of the sun and much water—Esther is the one who gave drink to the king and made him king.\n\nAnd those two cups: I and Haman, we.\n\nAnd the peoples who gathered to destroy the name of the Jews.\n\nAnd my people Israel, they who cried out to the Lord and were saved, and the Lord saved his people, and the Lord saved us from all evil.\n\nAnd the Lord performed a great sign and wonder and marvel, such as had not happened among the peoples.\n\nAnd in the midst of this, he made two parts: one for the people of the Lord and one for the other peoples.\n\nAnd those two parts arrived at the hour and time and day of judgment before the Lord and over all the peoples.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from the narrative of Esther and Mordecai's decree to a first-person recollection of a dream, marking a structural break in the text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አክይስት","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'akəyəst' (አክይስት) means 'cups' or 'goblets,' here symbolically representing the two fates or portions in the dream vision.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the Lord saved his people' echoes the biblical theme of divine deliverance found in Esther 9:1-32, though no direct quotation is present.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'two parts' arriving at judgment before the Lord reflects the Geʿez tradition of a dual eschatological division, common in Ethiopic apocalyptic literature.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage, with its dream interpretation and symbolic cups, is unique to the Ethiopic version of Esther and is not found in the Hebrew or Greek traditions, indicating a later reception and expansion.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022442770203941","label":"Old Testament and Semitic studies in memory of William Rainey Harper","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022442770203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'I and Haman, we' is ambiguous: it may indicate a shared fate or a contrast between the speaker and Haman, but the text does not clarify the relationship.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the first-person speaker in the dream recollection is unclear; it may be Mordecai or Esther, but the text does not specify.","The phrase 'those two cups' is ambiguous: it could represent two destinies, two groups of people, or two symbolic objects in the dream."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"ወተዘከሮሙ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለሕዝቡ፡ ወአንጽሐ፡ ርስቶ።\n\nወኮና፡ እማንቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ በወርኀ፡ አዳር፡ አመ፡ ዓሡሩ፡ ወረቡዑ፡ ወአመ፡ ዐሡሩ፡ ወኃሙሱ፡ ለሠርቀ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወርኅ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትጋብኡ፡ በትፍሥሕት፡ ቅድመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ በትውልዶሙ፡ ለዓለም፡ ውስተ፡ እስራኤል፡ ሕዝቡ።\n\nChapter 13\n\nወአመ፡ ራብዕት፡ ዓመተ፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለጰጠሎሜዎስ፡ ወቀለዮጳጥራ፡ ካህን፡ አብዶስ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ይቤ፡ ርእሰ፡ ካህን፡ ርኢኩ፡ ወይጽሕፍ፡ ካህን፡ ወሌዋዊ።\n\nወጰጠሎሜዎስ፡ ወልዱ፡ ይትወፈይ፡ መጽሐፈ፡ እንተ፡ ባቲ፡ ድኂን፡ እንተ፡ ይቤሎ፡ ሀለወት።\n\nወተርጐማ፡ ለሲማኮስ፡ ጰጠሎማዊ፡ ዘእምነ፡ ዘኢየሩሳሌም።","english":"And the Lord remembered his people and purified the land.\n\nAnd it was in those days, in the month of Adar, on the tenth and the third, and on the tenth and the fifth, for the east is that month, while they were gathering in joy before the Lord in their generations forever, within Israel, his people.\n\nChapter 13\n\nAnd in the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, the priest Abdos, the Lord said to the high priest, “I have seen,” and the priest and the Levite shall write.\n\nAnd Ptolemy his son shall offer the book which is in it, the judgment which he said existed.\n\nAnd the translation for Simakos the Ptolemaic, who is from Jerusalem.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 13","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a chapter break here, but the English draft does not. This is the final passage of the work and contains a colophon-like historical note.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ptolemy and Cleopatra","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Ptolemy and Cleopatra likely refers to Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra II, rulers of Egypt in the 2nd century BCE, linking the translation to the Alexandrian Jewish community.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Simakos","severity":"info","text":"Simakos (Σύμμαχος) is the Greek translator Symmachus, whose version of the Old Testament was produced ca. 200 CE. The text claims a Ptolemaic-era translation, which is anachronistic.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1362Esther","label":"betmas: Book of Esther","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1362Esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Abdos","severity":"info","text":"The priest Abdos is otherwise unknown. This may be a garbled reference to a Jewish high priest or a Christian scribe involved in the transmission of the Esther tradition into Geʿez.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-esther","label":"gap dossier: Book of Esther, Ethiopic version (with the Greek additions)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-esther"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"the judgment which he said existed","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the judgment which he said existed' is obscure. It may refer to a lost legal or liturgical text, or be a corruption of a phrase about the book's authority.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Abdos' and the precise historical context of the colophon are uncertain. The relationship between the narrative and the colophon is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}