Esther 8: A second decree, and gladness for the Jews
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What happens?
The king gives Haman's house to Esther and his ring to Mordecai, and Esther sets Mordecai over the house. Esther pleads again with tears for Haman's plan to be reversed, and the king tells her and Mordecai to write to the Jews in the king's name and seal it with his ring. The letters, written on the twenty-third day of Sivan and sent by couriers to the 127 provinces, let the Jews in every city gather and stand for their lives, to destroy, kill and cause to perish any force of a people or province that attacks them, with their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions, on the thirteenth day of Adar. Mordecai goes out in royal clothing, Susa shouts and is glad, and the Jews have gladness in every province, while many from the peoples become Jews (or: declare themselves Jews).
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Esther speaks in verses 5 and 6, and the king speaks in verses 7 and 8. Mordecai's command is written down in verse 9, and what the letters say is told in verses 11 to 13. The narrator tells the rest. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1On that day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.
In plain English: On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her.
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2The king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
In plain English: The king took off his ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
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3Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his plan that he had planned against the Jews.
In plain English: Esther spoke again before the king. She fell down at his feet, wept, and begged him for favor, asking him to take away the evil (or: harm) of Haman the Agagite and his plan that he had planned against the Jews.
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4Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king.
In plain English: The king held out the golden scepter to Esther. Esther rose and stood before the king.
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5She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
In plain English: She said, "If it is good to the king, and if I have found favor before him, and the matter is right before the king, and I am good in his eyes, let it be written to revoke (or: reverse) the letters, the plan of Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.
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6For how can I endure to see the evil that would come to my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?”
In plain English: For how can I bear to look at the evil that will find my people? How can I bear to look at the destruction of my relatives?"
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7Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he laid his hand on the Jews.
In plain English: King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, "Look, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he stretched out his hand against the Jews.
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8Write also to the Jews as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.”
In plain English: And you, write about the Jews (or: to the Jews) as it seems good in your eyes, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring. For a writing that is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring cannot be reversed."
The Hebrew word: "Ring" is tabbaat, which the dictionary gives as "properly, a seal (as sunk into the wax), i.e. signet (for sealing); hence (generally) a ring of any kind". It is in 5 verses of Esther, and the WEB says "ring" in all 5: , where the king gives it to Haman, , where Haman's writing is sealed with it, , where it goes to Mordecai, this verse, and .
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9Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language.
In plain English: The king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month. It was written, all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, to the local governors, and to the governors and princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces: to every province in its own writing, to every people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own writing and their own language.
The Hebrew word: "Ethiopia" is Kush, which the dictionary gives as "Cush (or Ethiopia), the name of a son of Ham, and of his territory; also of an Israelite". It is in 2 verses of Esther, here and , and the WEB says "Ethiopia" in both. Both verses give the same number, 127 provinces, from India to Cush.
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10He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bred from swift steeds.
In plain English: He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's ring. He sent letters by the hand of couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds (the last words of the Hebrew are rare: see the note).
The Hebrew words: The last words of the verse are rare. "Royal" is achashtaran, which the dictionary gives as "a mule". It is in this verse and only, in the whole Bible. "Steeds" is rekesh, which the dictionary gives as "a relay of animals on a post-route (as stored up for that purpose); by implication, a courser". It is in 4 verses of the Bible. The last words, "the sons of the mares", have rammak, which the dictionary gives as "a brood mare". It is in this verse only in the whole Bible.
What changes: The WEB reads "royal horses that were bred from swift steeds". Word by word the Hebrew gives riders of the relay horses, the achashtaran, the sons of the mares. Because the dictionary gives "a mule" for the middle word, the animals are not certain. The text does not say more.
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11In those letters, the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to defend their lives—to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions,
In plain English: In the letters the king permitted the Jews in every city to gather together and to stand for their lives: to destroy, to kill and to cause to perish all the power (or: army) of the people and province that would attack them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions (the Hebrew can be read two ways here: see the note),
The Hebrew words: "Destroy", "kill" and "cause to perish" are the same three Hebrew words, shamad, harag and abad, that are in (Haman's letters) and (Esther's words). These are the only 3 verses of Esther that have all three. Esther 3:13 also ends with plunder. In the Hebrew there is no "their" before "little ones and women".
What changes: The Hebrew can be read two ways. One reading is that the force attacks them, little ones and women, meaning the Jews with their little ones and women. The other is that the little ones and women are part of what the Jews may destroy. The text does not say which is meant.
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12on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
In plain English: on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
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13A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that the Jews should be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
In plain English: A copy of the writing was to be given out as a law in every province and made known to all the peoples, and the Jews were to be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
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14So the couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. The decree was given out in the citadel of Susa.
In plain English: The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hurried and pressed on by the king's word. The law was given out in Susa the citadel (or: palace).
The Hebrew word: "Citadel" is birah, which the dictionary gives as "a castle or palace". It is in 10 verses of Esther. The WEB says "citadel" in 8 of them and "palace" in the other 2.
What changes: "Susa the citadel" can be the fortress part of Susa or its palace. The text does not say which.
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15Mordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and was glad.
In plain English: Mordecai went out from before the king in royal clothing of blue (or: violet) and white, with a great crown of gold and a robe of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted and was glad.
The Hebrew word: "Shouted" is tsahal, which the dictionary gives as "to gleam, i.e. (figuratively) be cheerful; by transference to sound clear (of various animal or human expressions)". It is in this verse only in Esther, and the WEB says "shouted".
What changes: With "shouted" the city made a loud cry of joy. With "be cheerful" the verse can read that the city was cheerful, and then it goes on "and was glad". The text does not say which.
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16The Jews had light, gladness, joy, and honor.
In plain English: The Jews had light, gladness, joy and honor.
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17In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness, joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
In plain English: In every province and every city, wherever the king's word and his law reached, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a good day. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews (or: declared themselves Jews), for fear (or: dread) of the Jews had fallen on them.
The Hebrew word: "Became Jews" is yahad, which the dictionary gives as "to Judaize, i.e. become Jewish". It is in this verse only in the whole Bible, and the WEB says "became Jews".
What changes: The Hebrew can be read as "became Jews" or as "declared themselves Jews". The text does not say more about what they did.
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