1 When Mordecai H4782 perceived H3045 all that was done, H6213 Mordecai H4782 rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and put on H3847 sackcloth H8242 with ashes, H665 and went out H3318 into the midst H8432 of the city, H5892 and cried H2199 with a loud H1419 and a bitter H4751 cry; H2201
2 And came H935 even before H6440 the king's H4428 gate: H8179 for none might enter H935 into the king's H4428 gate H8179 clothed H3830 with sackcloth. H8242
3 And in every province, H4082 whithersoever H4725 the king's H4428 commandment H1697 and his decree H1881 came, H5060 there was great H1419 mourning H60 among the Jews, H3064 and fasting, H6685 and weeping, H1065 and wailing; H4553 and many H7227 lay H3331 in sackcloth H8242 and ashes. H665
4 So Esther's H635 maids H5291 and her chamberlains H5631 came H935 and told H5046 it her. Then was the queen H4436 exceedingly H3966 grieved; H2342 and she sent H7971 raiment H899 to clothe H3847 Mordecai, H4782 and to take away H5493 his sackcloth H8242 from him: but he received H6901 it not.
5 Then called H7121 Esther H635 for Hatach, H2047 one of the king's H4428 chamberlains, H5631 whom he had appointed H5975 to attend H6440 upon her, and gave him a commandment H6680 to Mordecai, H4782 to know H3045 what it was, and why it was.
6 So Hatach H2047 went forth H3318 to Mordecai H4782 unto the street H7339 of the city, H5892 which was before H6440 the king's H4428 gate. H8179
7 And Mordecai H4782 told H5046 him of all that had happened H7136 unto him, and of the sum H6575 of the money H3701 that Haman H2001 had promised H559 to pay H8254 to the king's H4428 treasuries H1595 for the Jews, H3064 to destroy H6 them.
8 Also he gave H5414 him the copy H6572 of the writing H3791 of the decree H1881 that was given H5414 at Shushan H7800 to destroy H8045 them, to shew H7200 it unto Esther, H635 and to declare H5046 it unto her, and to charge H6680 her that she should go in H935 unto the king, H4428 to make supplication H2603 unto him, and to make request H1245 before H6440 him for her people. H5971
9 And Hatach H2047 came H935 and told H5046 Esther H635 the words H1697 of Mordecai. H4782
10 Again Esther H635 spake H559 unto Hatach, H2047 and gave him commandment H6680 unto Mordecai; H4782
11 All the king's H4428 servants, H5650 and the people H5971 of the king's H4428 provinces, H4082 do know, H3045 that whosoever, whether man H376 or woman, H802 shall come H935 unto the king H4428 into the inner H6442 court, H2691 who is not called, H7121 there is one H259 law H1881 of his to put him to death, H4191 except H905 such to whom the king H4428 shall hold out H3447 the golden H2091 sceptre, H8275 that he may live: H2421 but I have not been called H7121 to come in H935 unto the king H4428 these thirty H7970 days. H3117
12 And they told H5046 to Mordecai H4782 Esther's H635 words. H1697
13 Then Mordecai H4782 commanded H559 to answer H7725 Esther, H635 Think H1819 not with thyself H5315 that thou shalt escape H4422 in the king's H4428 house, H1004 more than all the Jews. H3064
14 For if thou altogether H2790 holdest thy peace H2790 at this time, H6256 then shall there enlargement H7305 and deliverance H2020 arise H5975 to the Jews H3064 from another H312 place; H4725 but thou and thy father's H1 house H1004 shall be destroyed: H6 and who knoweth H3045 whether thou art come H5060 to the kingdom H4438 for such a time H6256 as this?
15 Then Esther H635 bade H559 them return H7725 Mordecai H4782 this answer,
16 Go, H3212 gather together H3664 all the Jews H3064 that are present H4672 in Shushan, H7800 and fast H6684 ye for me, and neither eat H398 nor drink H8354 three H7969 days, H3117 night H3915 or day: H3117 I also and my maidens H5291 will fast H6684 likewise; and so H3651 will I go H935 in unto the king, H4428 which is not according to the law: H1881 and if I perish, H6 I perish. H6
17 So Mordecai H4782 went his way, H5674 and did H6213 according to all that Esther H635 had commanded H6680 him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Esther 4
Commentary on Esther 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Es 4:1-14. Mordecai and the Jews Mourn.
1, 2. When Mordecai perceived all that was done—Relying on the irrevocable nature of a Persian monarch's decree (Da 6:15), Hamman made it known as soon as the royal sanction had been obtained; and Mordecai was, doubtless, among the first to hear of it. On his own account, as well as on that of his countrymen, this astounding decree must have been indescribably distressing. The acts described in this passage are, according to the Oriental fashion, expressive of the most poignant sorrow; and his approach to the gate of the palace, under the impulse of irrepressible emotions, was to make an earnest though vain appeal to the royal mercy. Access, however, to the king's presence was, to a person in his disfigured state, impossible: "for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth." But he found means of conveying intelligence of the horrid plot to Queen Esther.
4. Then was the queen … grieved; and … sent raiment to … Mordecai—Her object in doing so was either to qualify him for resuming his former office, or else, perhaps, of fitting him to come near enough to the palace to inform her of the cause of such sudden and extreme distress.
5. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her—Communication with the women in the harem is very difficult to be obtained, and only through the medium of the keepers. The chief eunuch receives the message from the lips of the queen, conveys it to some inferior office of the seraglio. When the commission is executed, the subaltern communicates it to the superintendent, by whom it is delivered to the queen. This chief eunuch, usually an old man who has recommended himself by a long course of faithful service, is always appointed by the king; but it is his interest, as well as his duty, to ingratiate himself with the queen also. Accordingly, we find Hatach rendering himself very serviceable in carrying on those private communications with Mordecai who was thereby enabled to enlist Esther's powerful influence.
8. charge her that she should go in unto the king—This language is exceedingly strong. As it can scarcely be supposed that Mordecai was still using authority over Esther as his adopted daughter, he must be considered as imploring rather than commanding her, in the name of her brethren and in the name of her God, to make a direct appeal to the feelings of her royal husband.
11. whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called—The Persian kings surrounded themselves with an almost impassable circle of forms. The law alluded to was first enacted by Deioces, king of Media, and afterwards, when the empires were united, adopted by the Persians, that all business should be transacted and petitions transmitted to the king through his ministers. Although the restriction was not intended, of course, to apply to the queen, yet from the strict and inflexible character of the Persian laws and the extreme desire to exalt the majesty of the sovereign, even his favorite wife had not the privilege of entree, except by special favor and indulgence. Esther was suffering from the severity of this law; and as, from not being admitted for a whole month to the king's presence, she had reason to fear that the royal affections had become alienated from her, she had little hope of serving her country's cause in this awful emergency.
13, 14. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther—His answer was to this effect, that Esther need not indulge the vain hope she would, from her royal connection, escape the general doom of her race—that he (Mordecai) confidently believed God would interpose, and, if not through her, by some other deliverer, save His people; but that the duty evidently devolved on her, as there was great reason to believe that this was the design of Providence in her elevation to the dignity of queen, and therefore that she should go with a courageous heart, not doubting of success.
16. so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law—The appeal of Mordecai was irresistible. Having appointed a solemn fast of three days, she expressed her firm resolution to make an appeal to the king, though she should perish in the attempt.
I … and my maidens—It is probable that she had surrounded herself with Jewish maidens, or women who were proselytes to that religion.