Esther 9:3

Esther 9:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
• New International Version (NIV)And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

Context of Esther 9:3

1Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar) on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the [very] day when the enemies of the Jews had hoped to gain power over them [and slaughter them], it happened the other way around so that the Jews themselves gained power over those who hated them. 2The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to apprehend those who wanted to do them harm; and no one could stand before them, for the fear of them [and their God] had fallen on all the peoples. Even all the officials of the provinces and the chief rulers (satraps) and the governors and those who attended to the king’s business supported the Jews [in defeating their enemies], because the fear of Mordecai [and his God’s power] had fallen on them. 4For Mordecai was great and respected in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. 5So the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

Esther 9:3 word by word

וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֨י הַמְּדִינ֜וֹת וְהָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִ֣ים וְהַפַּח֗וֹת וְעֹשֵׂ֤י הַמְּלָאכָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מְנַשְּׂאִ֖ים אֶת־הַיְּהוּדִ֑ים כִּֽי־נָפַ֥ל פַּֽחַד־מָרְדֳּכַ֖י עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And all the rulersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• and the lieutenantsאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן'ăchashdarpan · satrapH323
• and the deputiesפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• and officersמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• and officersעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: [do]H6213
• of the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• helpedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: aidH5375
• the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• because the fearפַּ֫חַדpachad · dreadH6343
• of Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307

Cross-references for Esther 9:3

• Esther 3:12Then the king’s scribes (secretaries) were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps (chief rulers), and to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script (writing), each people according to their own language; being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.
• Esther 8:9So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month of Sivan) on the twenty-third day; and it was written in accordance with everything that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, to the chief rulers (satraps), and the governors and officials of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia (Cush), 127 provinces, to every province in its own script (writing), and to every people in their own language and to the Jews according to their script and their language.
• Ezra 8:36And they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps (lieutenants) and to the governors west of the [Euphrates] River, and they supported the people and God’s house.
• Daniel 3:2Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and lawyers and all the chief officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
• Daniel 6:1It seemed good to Darius [who became king after Belshazzar] to appoint over the kingdom 120 satraps who would be in charge throughout the kingdom,
• Esther 3:2All 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].
• Esther 8:5Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter is proper in the king’s view and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote [in order] to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Commentaries on Esther 9:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And all the rulers of the provinces - Mordecai being raised to the highest confidence of the king, and to have authority over the whole realm, these officers assisted the Jews, no doubt, with the troops under their command, to overthrow those who availed themselves of the former decree to molest the Jews. For it does not appear that the Jews slew any person who did not rise up to destroy them. See Esther 9:5.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3All the rulers … helped the Jews - i. e. the Persians, who formed the standing army which kept the Empire in subjection, and were at the disposal of the various governors of provinces, took the Jews‘ side. The enemies of the Jews (e. g. Esther 9:16) were almost entirely to be found among the idolatrous people of the subject nations, for whose lives neither the Persians generally, nor their monarchs, cared greatly.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4People saw that Mordecai was the leader, so they knew opposing him was unwise.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-191. in the twelfth month, ... on the thirteenth day of the same--This was the day which Haman's superstitious advisers had led him to select as the most fortunate for the execution of his exterminating scheme against the Jews [Es 3:7].Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 9:3

• Month

In the dictionaries

• Mordecai
• Deputy
• Lieutenant
• Tatnai
• Esther, Book of
• Governor
• Officer
• Satraps
• Text of the Old Testament

Commentaries on Esther 9

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings