Esther 4: Mordecai's mourning, Esther's message, and the three-day fast
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Mordecai learns what was done, tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth and ashes, and cries out in the city, and there is great mourning among the Jews in every province. Esther sends Hathach to find out why, and Mordecai gives him a copy of the decree and asks her to go in to the king for her people. Esther answers that anyone who goes in to the king uncalled is to be put to death unless he holds out the golden scepter, and that she has not been called for thirty days. Mordecai replies, and Esther asks the Jews of Susa to fast for her, three days, night or day, before she goes in.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. The narrator tells the story. Esther's message to Mordecai is in verse 11, Mordecai's answer is in verses 13 and 14, and Esther's reply is in verse 16. The commands in verses 5, 8 and 10 are told, not quoted. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.
In plain English: When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry.
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2He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
In plain English: He came as far as in front of the king's gate, because no one was allowed to go into the king's gate wearing sackcloth.
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3In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
In plain English: In every province, in every place where the king's word and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
The Hebrew word: "Fasting" is tsom, which the dictionary gives as "a fast". It is in 2 verses of Esther, here and . The verb "fast" is in 1 verse, .
Good to know: The verse names fasting, weeping, wailing, sackcloth and ashes. The word "pray" is in none of the 167 verses of Esther in the WEB, and this verse says nothing about prayer.
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4Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.
In plain English: Esther's maids and her eunuchs (or: officials) came and told her. The queen was in great distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to put on and to take his sackcloth off him, but he did not accept them.
The Hebrew word: "Eunuchs" is saris, which the dictionary gives as "a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially of the female apartments), and thus, a minister of state". It is in 12 verses of Esther, and the WEB says "eunuch" or "eunuchs" in all 12.
What changes: The dictionary gives the Hebrew word both senses, a eunuch and a minister of state. With "officials", these are men of rank who serve Esther. With "eunuchs", they are eunuchs of her household. The text does not say which is meant.
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5Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.
In plain English: Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs (or: officials), whom the king had made to stand before her. She commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was and why it was.
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6So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.
In plain English: Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square in front of the king's gate.
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7Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
In plain English: Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the silver that Haman had said he would weigh out to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
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8He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.
In plain English: He also gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that had been given out in Susa to destroy them, to show to Esther and to tell her. He told him to command her to go in to the king, to ask his favor and to make request before him for her people.
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9Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
In plain English: Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
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10Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:
In plain English: Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai:
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11“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
In plain English: "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes in to the king, into the inner court, without being called, has one law: to be put to death, unless the king holds out the golden scepter to him, and he lives. I have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
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12They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
In plain English: They told Mordecai the words of Esther.
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13Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
In plain English: Mordecai said to bring back this answer to Esther: "Do not imagine in yourself that you will escape in the king's house more than all the Jews.
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14For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
In plain English: For if you stay completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place (or: another source), but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this? (Or, read as a statement: you have come to the kingdom for a time like this.)"
The Hebrew words: "Relief" is revach, which the dictionary gives as "room, literally (an interval) or figuratively (deliverance)". "Deliverance" is hatsalah, which the dictionary gives as "rescue". Each is in 1 verse of Esther. "A place" is maqom, which the dictionary gives as "properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)". It is in 3 verses of Esther, and the WEB says "place" in 1, this one. The Hebrew reads "from a place another". "Stay completely silent" is the Hebrew charash said twice, "keep quiet, keep quiet". It is in 2 verses of Esther. "Time" is et and is used twice in this verse: "at this time" and "for a time like this". "Kingdom" is malkut, which the dictionary gives as "a rule; concretely, a dominion". It is in 21 verses of Esther, and the WEB says "kingdom" in 12 and "royal" in 9.
What changes: The WEB sets "Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this?" as a question. It can also be read as a statement that Esther has come to the kingdom for a time like this. The text does not say which.
What changes: With "another place" as a spot, help would come from somewhere else. With the wider sense, it could be another source or another person. The verse does not say who or what it is, and it does not name God.
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15Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,
In plain English: Then Esther said to bring back an answer to Mordecai:
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16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
In plain English: "Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat and do not drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast in the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish."
The Hebrew words: "Fast" is tsum, which the dictionary gives as "to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast". The Hebrew of the last words repeats the verb "perish": word for word it is "as I have perished, I have perished". It is abad, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)". It is in 11 verses of Esther, and the WEB says "perish" in 5 of them.
What changes: The WEB reads "if I perish, I perish". It can be read as Esther accepting whatever comes, or as a statement of what may happen to her. The text does not say which.
Good to know: The verse gives a three-day fast, with no eating and no drinking, night or day, for Esther and her maids and for the Jews in Susa. It does not mention prayer.
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17So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
In plain English: Mordecai went his way and did all that Esther had commanded him.
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