Endnote 3 – The Hidden Hand of God

In Esther 2:4 the name STN (Satan) is formed by the second to the last letter of three successive words when read forward: ’Sr tyTb b‘yNy (asher titav b‘aynai, “who is good in the eyes of”). In Esther 2:3 the name STN is formed by the initial letter of three words when read backward: N‘rhbtwlh Twbt mr’h ’l-Swsm (na‘ara-betula tovat mar-eh el-Shushan, beautiful young Virgin to Susa”).