Esther 3:4

Esther 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
• New International Version (NIV)Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

Context of Esther 3:4

2All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate [in royal service] bowed down and honored and paid homage to Haman; for this is what the king had commanded in regard to him. But Mordecai [a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin] neither bowed down nor paid homage [to him]. 3Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you disregarding the king’s command?” Now it happened when they had spoken to him day after day and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason [for his behavior] would stand [as valid]; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, he was furious. 6But he disdained laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were (his nationality); so Haman determined to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who lived throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Esther 3:4 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י כְּאָמְרָ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ י֣וֹם וָי֔וֹם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְהָמָ֗ן לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now it came to pass, when they spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• dailyיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• unto him, and he hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• not unto them, that they toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• to seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• whether Mordecai’sמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• mattersדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• would standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• a Jewיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064

Cross-references for Esther 3:4

• Genesis 39:10And so it was that she spoke to Joseph [persistently] day after day, but he did not listen to her [plea] to lie beside her or be with her.
• Daniel 3:8At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought [malicious] accusations against the Jews.
• Daniel 6:13Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not pay any attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you have signed, but keeps praying [to his God] three times a day.”
• Ezra 1:3Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is God who is in Jerusalem.
• Daniel 3:12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
• Daniel 6:20When he had come near the den, he called out to Daniel with a troubled voice. The king said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
• Jonah 1:9So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Commentaries on Esther 3:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Whether Mordecai‘s matters would stand - Rather, “whether Mordecai‘s words would hold good” - whether, that is, his excuse, that he was a Jew, would be allowed as a valid reason for his refusal.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-15Haman's hatred for Mordecai grows into a plan to kill all the Jewish people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-151. After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman ... set his seat above all the princes--that is, raised him to the rank of vizier, or prime confidential minister, whose pre-eminence in office and power appeared in the elevated state chair appropriated to that supreme functionary. Such a distinction in seats was counted of vast importance in the formal court of Persia.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Jew, Jewess, Jewish
• Matter

Commentaries on Esther 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings