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
Therefore said H559 I, Look away H8159 from me; I will weep H1065 bitterly, H4843 labour H213 not to comfort H5162 me, because of the spoiling H7701 of the daughter H1323 of my people. H5971
And in that day H3117 did the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 call H7121 to weeping, H1065 and to mourning, H4553 and to baldness, H7144 and to girding H2296 with sackcloth: H8242
Is it such a fast H6685 that I have chosen? H977 a day H3117 for a man H120 to afflict H6031 his soul? H5315 is it to bow down H3721 his head H7218 as a bulrush, H100 and to spread H3331 sackcloth H8242 and ashes H665 under him? wilt thou call H7121 this H2088 a fast, H6685 and an acceptable H7522 day H3117 to the LORD? H3068
And I set H5414 my face H6440 unto the Lord H136 God, H430 to seek H1245 by prayer H8605 and supplications, H8469 with fasting, H6685 and sackcloth, H8242 and ashes: H665
And when he came, H935 lo, Eli H5941 sat H3427 upon a seat H3678 by the wayside H1870 H3027 H3197 watching: H6822 for his heart H3820 trembled H2730 for the ark H727 of God. H430 And when the man H376 came H935 into the city, H5892 and told H5046 it, all the city H5892 cried out. H2199 And when Eli H5941 heard H8085 the noise H6963 of the crying, H6818 he said, H559 What meaneth the noise H6963 of this tumult? H1995 And the man H376 came H935 in hastily, H4116 and told H5046 Eli. H5941
Now it came to pass in the days H3117 of Ahasuerus, H325 (this is Ahasuerus H325 which reigned, H4427 from India H1912 even unto Ethiopia, H3568 over an hundred H3967 and seven H7651 and twenty H6242 provinces:) H4082
Then were the king's H4428 scribes H5608 called H7121 on the thirteenth H7969 H6240 day H3117 of the first H7223 month, H2320 and there was written H3789 according to all that Haman H2001 had commanded H6680 unto the king's H4428 lieutenants, H323 and to the governors H6346 that were over every province, H4082 and to the rulers H8269 of every people H5971 of every province H4082 according to the writing H3791 thereof, and to every people H5971 after their language; H3956 in the name H8034 of king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 was it written, H3789 and sealed H2856 with the king's H4428 ring. H2885
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
And it came to pass, when king H4428 Hezekiah H2396 heard H8085 it, that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and covered H3680 himself with sackcloth, H8242 and went H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And he sent H7971 Eliakim, H471 who was over the household, H1004 and Shebna H7644 the scribe, H5608 and the elders H2205 of the priests H3548 covered H3680 with sackcloth, H8242 unto Isaiah H3470 the prophet H5030 the son H1121 of Amoz. H531 And they said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 Hezekiah, H2396 This day H3117 is a day H3117 of trouble, H6869 and of rebuke, H8433 and of blasphemy: H5007 for the children H1121 are come H935 to the birth, H4866 and there is not strength H3581 to bring forth. H3205
And G2532 shall cast G906 them G846 into G1519 a furnace G2575 of fire: G4442 there G1563 shall be G2071 wailing G2805 and G2532 gnashing G1030 of teeth. G3599
Then G5119 said G2036 the king G935 to the servants, G1249 Bind G1210 him G846 hand G5495 and G2532 foot, G4228 and take G142 him G846 away, G142 and G2532 cast G1544 him into G1519 outer G1857 darkness; G4655 there G1563 shall be G2071 weeping G2805 and G2532 gnashing G1030 of teeth. G3599
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.