Berean Standard Bible

Esther 3:1-10

1Afterאַחַ֣ר׀'a.CharH310theseהָאֵ֗לֶּהha.'E.lehH428eventsהַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.RimH1697,Kingהַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Xerxesאֲחַשְׁוֵר֜וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325אֶת־'et-H853honoredגִּדַּל֩gi.DalH1431Hamanהָמָ֧ןha.ManH2001sonבֶּֽן־ben-H1121of Hammedathaהַמְּדָ֛תָאha.me.Da.ta'H4099,the Agagiteהָאֲגָגִ֖יha.'a.ga.GiH91,elevating himוַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּ וַיָּ֙שֶׂם֙vay.na.se.'E.hu vai.Ya.semH5375 H7760אֶת־'et-H853to a positionכִּסְא֔וֹkis.'OH3678aboveמֵעַ֕לme.'AlH5921allכָּל־kol-H3605the princesהַשָּׂרִ֖יםha.sa.RimH8269whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834werewith himאִתּֽוֹ׃'i.ToH854.

2Allוְכָל־ve.kholH3605the royalהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834servantsעַבְדֵ֨י'av.DeiH5650at the king’sהַמֶּ֗לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateבְּשַׁ֣עַרbe.Sha.'arH8179bowed downכֹּרְעִ֤יםko.re.'ImH3766and paid homageוּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙u.mish.ta.cha.VimH7812to Hamanלְהָמָ֔ןle.ha.ManH2001,becauseכִּי־ki-H3588the kingהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428had commandedצִוָּה־tzi.vah-H6680that thisכֵ֖ןkhenH3651be done for him.But Mordecaiוּמָ֨רְדֳּכַ֔יu.Ma.re.do.KhaiH4782would notלֹ֥אlo'H3808bow downיִכְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֥אyikh.Ra' ve.Lo'H3766 H3808or pay homageיִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽה׃Yish.ta.cha.VehH7812.

3Then the royalהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834servantsעַבְדֵ֥י'av.DeiH5650at the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateבְּשַׁ֥עַרbe.Sha.'arH8179askedוַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּvai.Yo.me.RuH559Mordecaiלְמָרְדֳּכָ֑יle.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782, “Whyמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ma.Du.a'H4069do youאַתָּ֣ה'a.TahH859disobeyעוֹבֵ֔רo.VerH5674אֵ֖ת'etH853the commandמִצְוַ֥תmitz.VatH4687of the kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428?”

4וַיְהִ֗יvay.HiH1961Dayי֣וֹםYomH3117after dayוָי֔וֹםva.YomH3117they warnedכְּאָמְרָ֤םke.'a.me.ramH559himאֵלָיו֙'e.LavH413,but he would notוְלֹ֥אve.Lo'H3808complyשָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑םsha.Ma' 'a.lei.HemH8085 H413.So they reported itוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046to Hamanלְהָמָ֗ןle.ha.ManH2001to seeלִרְאוֹת֙lir.'OtH7200whether Mordecai’sמָרְדֳּכַ֔יma.re.do.KhaiH4782behaviorדִּבְרֵ֣יdiv.ReiH1697would be toleratedהֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ha.ya.'am.DuH5975,sinceכִּֽי־ki-H3588he had toldהִגִּ֥ידhi.GidH5046themאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834heה֥וּאhu'H1931was a Jewיְהוּדִֽי׃ye.hu.DiH3064.

5When Hamanהָמָ֔ןha.ManH2001sawוַיַּ֣רְאvai.Yar'H7200thatכִּי־ki-H3588Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֔יma.re.do.KhaiH4782would notאֵ֣ין'einH369bow downכֹּרֵ֥עַko.Re.a'H3766or pay him homageוּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖הu.mish.ta.cha.VehH7812,heהָמָ֖ןha.ManH2001was filledוַיִּמָּלֵ֥אvai.yi.ma.Le'H4390with rageחֵמָֽה׃che.MahH2534.

6And whenכִּֽי־ki-H3588he learned the identityהִגִּ֥ידוּhi.Gi.duH5046אֶת־'et-H853of Mordecai’sבְּמָרְדֳּכַ֣יbe.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782peopleעַ֣ם'amH5971,he scorned the notion ofוַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יוvai.Yi.vez be.'ei.NavH959 H5869layingלִשְׁלֹ֤חlish.LochH7971handsיָד֙yadH3027on Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782aloneלְבַדּ֔וֹle.va.DoH905.Instead, heהָמָ֗ןha.ManH2001soughtוַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁvay.va.KeshH1245to destroyלְהַשְׁמִ֧ידle.hash.MidH8045אֶת־'et-H853allכָּל־kol-H3605of Mordecai’sמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782peopleעַ֥ם'amH5971,the Jewsהַיְּהוּדִ֛יםhai.ye.hu.DimH3064אֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834,throughoutבְּכָל־be.kholH3605the kingdomמַלְכ֥וּתmal.KhutH4438of Xerxesאֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325.

7In the twelfthשְׁתֵּ֣יםshe.TeimH8147 H6240yearבִּשְׁנַת֙bish.NatH8141of Kingלַמֶּ֖לֶךְla.Me.lekhH4428Xerxesאֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325,in the firstהָרִאשׁוֹן֙ha.ri.shOnH7223monthH2320הוּא־hu'-H1931,the monthH2320of Nisanנִיסָ֔ןni.SanH5212,the Purפּוּר֩purH6332(that isה֨וּאhu'H1931,the lotH1486)was castH5307beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440Hamanהָמָ֗ןha.ManH2001to determine a dayH3117and monthH2320. And the lot fell onthe twelfthשְׁנֵים־ הוּא־she.neim- hu'-H8147 H6240 H1931monthH2320,the month of Adarאֲדָֽר׃ ס'a.DarH143.

8Then Hamanהָמָן֙ha.ManH2001informedוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559Kingלַמֶּ֣לֶךְla.Me.lekhH4428Xerxesאֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325, “Thereיֶשְׁנ֣וֹyesh.NoH3426is a certainאֶחָ֗ד'e.ChadH259peopleעַם־'am-H5971scatteredמְפֻזָּ֤רme.fu.ZarH6340and dispersedוּמְפֹרָד֙u.me.fo.RadH6504amongבֵּ֣יןbeinH996the peoplesהָֽעַמִּ֔יםha.'a.MimH5971of everyבְּכֹ֖לbe.KholH3605provinceמְדִינ֣וֹתme.di.NotH4082of your kingdomמַלְכוּתֶ֑ךָmal.khu.Te.khaH4438.Their lawsוְדָתֵיהֶ֞םve.da.tei.HemH1881are differentשֹׁנ֣וֹתsho.NotH8138from everyoneמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605else’sעָ֗ם'AmH5971וְאֶת־ve.'EtH853,and they do notאֵינָ֣ם'ei.NamH369obeyעֹשִׂ֔ים'o.SimH6213the king’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428lawsדָּתֵ֤יda.TeiH1881.So it is notאֵין־'ein-H369in the king’sוְלַמֶּ֥לֶךְve.la.Me.lekhH4428best interestשֹׁוֶ֖הsho.VehH7737to tolerate themלְהַנִּיחָֽם׃le.ha.ni.ChamH5117.

9Ifאִם־'im-H518עַל־'al-H5921it pleasesט֔וֹבTovH2896the kingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428,let a decree be issuedיִכָּתֵ֖בyi.ka.TevH3789to destroy themלְאַבְּדָ֑םle.'a.be.DamH6,and I will depositלְהָבִ֖יאle.ha.Vi'H935tenוַעֲשֶׂ֨רֶתva.'a.Se.retH6235thousandאֲלָפִ֜ים'a.la.FimH505talentsכִּכַּר־ki.kar-H3603of silverכֶּ֗סֶףKe.sefH3701intoאֶל־'el-H413the royalהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428treasuryגִּנְזֵ֥יgin.ZeiH1595to payאֶשְׁקוֹל֙ עַל־ יְדֵי֙'esh.kOl 'al- ye.DeiH8254 H5921 H3027those who carry it outעֹשֵׂ֣י הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה'o.Sei ha.me.la.KhahH6213 H4399.”

10So the kingהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428אֶת־'et-H853removedוַיָּ֧סַרvai.Ya.sarH5493the signet ringטַבַּעְתּ֖וֹta.ba'.ToH2885fromמֵעַ֣לme.'AlH5921his fingerיָד֑וֹya.DoH3027and gaveוַֽיִּתְּנָ֗הּvai.yi.te.NahH5414it to Hamanלְהָמָ֧ןle.ha.ManH2001sonבֶּֽן־ben-H1121of Hammedathaהַמְּדָ֛תָאha.me.Da.ta'H4099,the Agagiteהָאֲגָגִ֖יha.'a.ga.GiH91,the enemyצֹרֵ֥רtzo.RerH6887of the Jewsהַיְּהוּדִֽים׃hai.ye.hu.DimH3064.

Read all of Esther 3

Commentaries on Esther 3