Berean Standard Bible
Esther 3:9
9If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver1 into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”
Esther 3:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.
- New International Version (NIV)If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries."
- New King James Version (NKJV)If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
Context of Esther 3:9
7In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 8Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.” 10So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”
Read all of Esther 3Esther 3:9 word by word
אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב יִכָּתֵ֖ב לְאַבְּדָ֑ם וַעֲשֶׂ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֜ים כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף אֶשְׁקוֹל֙ עַל־יְדֵי֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה לְהָבִ֖יא אֶל־גִּנְזֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
- Ifאִם'im · ifH518
- ·עַל‛al · uponH5921
- it pleasesטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- let a decree be issuedכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- to destroy themאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- and I will depositבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- talentsכִּכָּרkikâr · talentH3603
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- intoאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- treasuryגְּנָזִיםgenez · treasuryH1595
- to payשָׁקַלshâqal · to weighH8254
- to payיָדyâd · handH3027
- those who carry it outעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- those who carry it outמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
Cross-references for Esther 3:9
Commentaries on Esther 3:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Let it be written that they may be destroyed - Let it be enacted that they may all be put to death. By this he would throw all the odium off himself, and put it on the king and his counsellors; for he wished the thing to pass into a law, in which he could have but a small share of the blame. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver - He had said before that it was not for the king's profit to suffer them; but here he is obliged to acknowledge that there…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Ten thousand talents of silver - According to Herodotus, the regular revenue of the Persian king consisted of 14,560 silver talents; so that, if the same talent is intended, Haman‘s offer would have exceeded two-thirds of one year‘s revenue (or two and one-half million British pound sterling). Another Persian subject, Pythius, once offered to present Xerxes with four millions of gold darics, or about four and one-half pounds.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Without some acquaintance with the human heart, and the history of mankind, we should not think that any prince could consent to a dreadful proposal, so hurtful to himself. Let us be thankful for mild and just government. Haman inquires, according to his own superstitions, how to find a lucky day for the designed massacre! God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and the lot, by delaying the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Haman revealed his intentions by offering to bribe the king with a large amount of silver. This should have made the king suspicious of Haman's motives. The value of the proposed gift was so high that Haman may have exaggerated to show his intended generosity.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver ... into the king's treasuries--This sum, reckoning by the Babylonish talent, will be about £2,119,000; but estimated according to the Jewish talent, it will considerably exceed £3,000,000, an immense contribution to be made out of a private fortune. But classic history makes mention of several persons whose resources seem almost incredible.Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 3:9
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Esther 3:9 10,000 talents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver. ↩
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
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