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Esther Chapter
Four
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Esther 4:1. When Mordecai
learned all that had happened
he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and
ashes
and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and
bitter cry.
YLT 1And Mordecai hath known all
that hath been done
and Mordecai rendeth his garments
and putteth on
sackcloth and ashes
and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth -- a
cry loud and bitter
When Mordecai
perceived all that was done
....
By the king
at the
instigation of Haman
against the Jews; which he came to the knowledge of
either by some of the conflicts or by common fame
or on the sight of the
edicts which were published in Shushan; though the Jews think it was made known
to him in a supernatural way
either by Elijah
as the former TargumF24So
Midrash Esther
fol. 94. 1.
or by the Holy Ghost
as the latter:
Mordecai rent
his clothes:
both behind and before
according to the same Targum; and this was a custom used in mourning
not only
with the Jews
but with the Persians also
as HerodotusF25Thalia
sive
l. 3. c. ----. Urania
sive
l. 8. c. 99. relates:
and put on
sackcloth with ashes;
upon his head
as the
former Targum; which was usual in mourning
even both; Job 2:12
and went out
into the midst of the city;
not Elam the province
as
Aben Ezra
but the city Shushan:
and cried with
a loud and bitter cry;
that all the Jews in the
city might be alarmed by it
and inquire the reason of it
and be affected with
it; and a clamorous mournful noise was used among the Persians
as well as
others
on sad occasionsF26Calliope
sive
l. 9. c. 24. .
Esther 4:2. 2 He
went as far as the front of the king’s gate
for no one might enter the
king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
YLT 2and he cometh in unto the
front of the gate of the king
but none is to come in unto the gate of the king
with a sackcloth-garment.
And came even
before the king's gate
....
Or court
that Esther
might if possible be made acquainted with this dreadful calamity coming upon
her people:
for none might
enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth:
or appear in such a dress
at court
where nothing was admitted to damp the pleasures of it.
Esther 4:3. 3 And
in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived
there was
great mourning among the Jews
with fasting
weeping
and wailing; and many lay
in sackcloth and ashes.
YLT 3And in every province and
province
the place where the word of the king
even his law
is coming
a
great mourning have the Jews
and fasting
and weeping
and lamenting:
sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.
And in every
province whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came
....
For destroying the Jews on
such a day
in every place where they were to be found:
there was great
mourning among the Jews
and weeping
and wailing;
which continued all day:
and many lay in
sackcloth and ashes:
all night; made use of no
other bed to lie on
nor clothes to cover them with.
Esther 4:4. 4 So
Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her
and the queen was deeply
distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth
away from him
but he would not accept them.
YLT 4And young women of Esther
come in and her eunuchs
and declare [it] to her
and the queen is exceedingly
pained
and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai
and to turn aside his
sackcloth from off him
and he hath not received [them].
So Esther's
maids and her chamberlains came and told it her
....
Her maids of honour and
eunuchs that attended her
which they might tell her merely as a piece of news
there being something shocking in it to tender minds; or perhaps nothing more than
that Mordecai was in sackcloth; and they might have observed
by some incident
or another
that there was some connection between Mordecai and Esther
and
that she had a peculiar respect for him:
then was the
queen exceedingly grieved;
even though she might not
know the whole of the matter; but perceiving whatever it was it greatly
affected Mordecai
with whom she sympathized:
and she sent
raiment to clothe Mordecai
and to take away his sackcloth from him;
that so he might appear at
court
and she get better intelligence of the cause of all this:
but he received
it not;
refusing to be comforted
or appear cheerful under such melancholy circumstances.
Esther 4:5. 5 Then
Esther called Hathach
one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed
to attend her
and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai
to learn what
and why this was.
YLT 5And Esther calleth to
Hatach
of the eunuchs of the king
whom he hath stationed before her
and
giveth him a charge for Mordecai
to know what this [is]
and wherefore this
[is].
Then called
Esther for Hatach
one of the king's chamberlains
whom he had appointed to
attend upon her
....
Which
according to the
Targum
was DanielF1So Midrash Esther
fol. 94. 3. & Jarchi in
Dan. iv. 5. ; but it is not likely that Daniel should have lived to this time;
however
this officer was not only intrusted with the care of the queen by the
king
but she had also an high opinion of him
and therefore employed him in
this affair:
and gave a
commandment to Mordecai
to know what it was
and why it was;
what was the reason of his
appearing in sackcloth
and why he did not receive the clothes she sent him.
Esther 4:6. 6 So
Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the
king’s gate.
YLT 6And Hatach goeth out unto
Mordecai
unto a broad place of the city
that [is] before the gate of the
king
So Hatach went
forth to Mordecai
unto the street of the city
....
Where he was
in a public
manner
expressing his grief and sorrow:
which was
before the king's gate:
that led to the royal
palace.
Esther 4:7. 7 And
Mordecai told him all that had happened to him
and the sum of money that Haman
had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews.
YLT 7and Mordecai declareth to
him all that hath met him
and the explanation of the money that Haman said to
weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews
to destroy them
And Mordecai
told him of all that had happened unto him
....
How that
for refusing to
reverence Haman
he was incensed against him
and against all the Jews for his
sake; and had vowed revenge on them
and had formed a scheme for the ruin of
them:
and of the sum
of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews
to destroy them
the 10
000 talents of
silver he proposed to pay into the king's exchequer in lieu of the Jews'
tribute; which Mordecai observes
to show how bent he was upon the destruction
of the Jews
and cared not what it cost him to gain his point; and perhaps
Mordecai as yet might not know that the king had remitted it.
Esther 4:8. 8 He
also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction
which was
given at Shushan
that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her
and
that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and
plead before him for her people.
YLT 8and the copy of the writing
of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he hath given to him
to shew Esther
and to declare [it] to her
and to lay a charge on her to go in
unto the king
to make supplication to him
and to seek from before him
for
her people.
Also he gave
him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy
them
....
Which had now been
published in the city; by which means Mordecai had had a sight of it
and had
transcribed it; see Esther 3:14
to show it unto
Esther
and to declare it unto her;
what Haman intended
against the people of the Jews; as the Targum adds:
and to charge
her;
in his name; whose charges
she had always regarded
both before and since she was queen; or in the name of
God:
that she should
go in unto the king to make supplication unto him
and to make request before
him for her people;
signifying there was a
necessity of doing it speedily
and of urging her request with great
earnestness and importunity
since it was not the life of a single person
but
the lives of a body of people
and her own
that lay at stake.
Esther 4:9. 9 So
Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
YLT 9And Hatach cometh in and
declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai
And Hatach came
and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Both the case of the Jews
and the cause of it
and what he would have her do at this critical juncture.
Esther 4:10. 10 Then
Esther spoke to Hathach
and gave him a command for Mordecai:
YLT 10and Esther speaketh to
Hatach
and chargeth him for Mordecai:
Again Esther
spake unto Hatach
....
For there was no other way
of corresponding and conversing but by an eunuch; the wives of kings being
altogether under their watch and care:
and gave him
commandment unto Mordecai;
to go unto him
and what
he should say to him from her
which is as follows.
Esther 4:11.
11 “All
the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or
woman who goes into the inner court to the king
who has not been called
he
has but one law: put all to death
except the one to whom the king
holds out the golden scepter
that he may live. Yet I myself have not been
called to go in to the king these thirty days.”
YLT 11`All servants of the king
and people of the provinces of the king
do know that any man and woman
who
cometh in unto the king
unto the inner court
who is not called -- one law
[of] his [is] to put [them] to death
apart from him to whom the king holdeth
out the golden sceptre
then he hath lived; and I -- I have not been called to
come in unto the king these thirty days.'
All the king's
servants and the people of the king's provinces do know
....
Not only the princes and
courtiers
but all the king's subjects
the meanest of them; there is scarce a
person throughout the whole empire
to whom the following law is not known;
this is said
to show how notorious it was:
that whosoever
whether man or woman
shall come unto the king into the inner court
who is not
called
there is one law of his to put him to death;
according to the former
Targum
Human got this law to be made now
to prevent any application to the
king about this affair; but then it would not have been so universally known as
before declared; and it appears that there was such a law among the Medes
made
by Dejoces
that none should go into the king's presence
but all should be
done by messengersF2Herodot. Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 99. ; and this was
altered among the Persians
for the seven princes that slew Smerdis made an
agreement
that whoever of them was chosen king
the rest should have the
liberty of going unto him when they pleased
without a messenger to introduce
themF3Herodot. Thalia
sive
l. 3. c. 84. ; it seems by this account
it was death to go into the inner parlour
where the king usually was
without
leave
or being called; this was made both for the king's safety
and for awe
and reverence of his majesty
and to prevent any insinuations into him by ill-designing
persons:
except such to
whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre
that he may live;
which
whether he would or
not
was very precarious; so that a person ran a great risk to go in uncalled:
but I have not
been called to go in unto the king these thirty days;
which looked as if the
king had not that fond affection for her he formerly had; and therefore there
was greater danger in going in to him uncalled
and the less hope of success.
Esther 4:12. 12 So
they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
YLT 12And they declare to
Mordecai the words of Esther
And they told
to Mordecai Esther's
words.
The messengers she sent to
him.
Esther 4:13. 13 And
Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that
you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.
YLT 13and Mordecai speaketh to
send back unto Esther: `Do not think in thy soul to be delivered [in] the house
of the king
more than all the Jews
Then Mordecai
commanded to answer Esther
....
Gave in charge to the
messengers what they should say to Esther from him
by way of reply:
think not with
thyself that thou shall escape in the king's house
more than all the Jews;
signifying that her being
queen
and in the king's palace
would be no protection to her; and she would
be no safer there than the Jews elsewhere
since they had no greater enemies
any where than in the king's court; and it was or would be known of what nation
she was
and therefore must not expect to escape the fury of the enemy.
Esther 4:14. 14 For
if you remain completely silent at this time
relief and deliverance will arise
for the Jews from another place
but you and your father’s house will perish.
Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?”
YLT 14but if thou keep entirely
silent at this time
respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another
place
and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth
whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'
For if thou
altogether holdest thy peace at this time
....
And will not speak to the
king in favour of the Jews
because of the danger she would be exposed to in
doing it:
then shall
there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place;
Mordecai seemed confident
of it
that by some means or another the Jews would be delivered; if not
through the intercession of Esther
yet from some other quarter
or by some
other hand:
but thou and
thy father's house shall be destroyed;
for such neglect of the
people of God when in distress
want of pity to them
and not exerting herself
as she might in their behalf; so that seeing she and her family must perish
it
was better to perish in a good cause than in a bad one:
and who knoweth
whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
he intimates that he
believed that the providence of God had raised her to that dignity
that she
might be an instrument of saving his people in the time of their distress; and
this he said to encourage her to make the experiment.
Esther 4:15. 15 Then
Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
YLT 15And Esther speaketh to send
back unto Mordecai:
Then Esther
bade them return Mordecai this answer.
Which follows
and was
sent by the messengers she sent the above to him.
Esther 4:16. 16 “Go
gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan
and fast for me; neither eat
nor drink for three days
night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And
so I will go to the king
which is against the law; and if I perish
I
perish!”
YLT 16`Go
gather all the Jews who
are found in Shushan
and fast for me
and do not eat nor drink three days
by
night and by day; also I and my young women do fast likewise
and so I go in
unto the king
that [is] not according to law
and when I have perished -- I
have perished.'
Go
gather
together all the Jews that are present in Shushan
....
To acquaint them with what
follows; but not to continue in a body together
which might cause suspicion of
an ill design in them; according to the latter Targum
12
000 chosen priests
were found in it; but that must be an exaggeration of their number; it can
hardly be thought there were so many Jews in all there:
and fast ye for
me;
that is
pray for her
that she might have courage to go in to the king
and meet with success; for
prayer was the principal thing
fasting only an accessory to it
and as fitting
for it
and expressive of affliction and humiliation of soul:
and neither eat
nor drink three days
night nor day; it was to
be a continued fast unto the third day; as Aben Ezra interprets it
they were
not to eat at evening
but fast two whole days
and two whole nights
until the
third day came
on which Esther went in to the king
Esther 5:1.
I also and my
maidens will fast likewise;
in the same manner and as
long; these maids of honour were either proselytes
perhaps of her making
or
Jewish ladies
she being allowed by the king to choose whom she pleased:
and so will I
go in unto the king
which is not according to the law;
or "afterwards"
or "and then"F4ובכן "et
postea"
Noldius
p. 198. No. 899. so the Targum
και τοτε
Sept.
"et tune"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus; "tum"
Tigurine
version. when they
and she and her maids
had fasted and prayed so long
then
she was determined in the strength of the Lord to go into the king's presence
with her petition
though it was contrary to law:
and if I
perish
I perish;
signifying
that she
readily and cheerfully risked her life for the good of her people; and if such
was the pleasure of God
that she should lose it
she was content
and
acquiesced in his will
leaving herself entirely in his hands
to dispose of
her as he thought fit.
Esther 4:17. 17 So
Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.[a]
YLT 17And Mordecai passeth on
and doth according to all that Esther hath charged upon him.
So Mordecai
went his way
....
About the business he was
directed to; the word used having sometimes the signification of passing over
or transgressing
Jarchi interprets it of Mordecai's transgressing the command
by fasting on a festival; the letter being written on the thirteenth of Nisan
Esther 3:12
the
next day was the passover
on which he supposes the fast began; and the three
days were
the fourteenth
fifteenth
and sixteenth of the month
and belonged
to the feast of the passover and of unleavened bread; so the Targum:
and did
according to all that Esther had commanded him;
got the Jews together
and
kept a fast three days; according to the MidrashF5Midrash Esther
fol. 94. 4. they were the thirteenth
fourteenth
and fifteenth of Nisan.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Esther 4:17
Septuagint adds a prayer of Mordecai here.