Esther 7:4

Esther 7:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
• New International Version (NIV)For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”

Context of Esther 7:4

2Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.” 3Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased, spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire. For my people and I have been sold to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.” 5King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?” 6Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman.” Haman stood terrified before the king and queen.

Esther 7:4 word by word

כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For we are soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• I and my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• to be destroyedשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• to be slainהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• and to perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• But ifאִלּוּ'illû · ifH432
• for bondmenעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and bondwomenשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• I had held my tongueחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
• although the enemyצַרtsar tsâr · distressH6862
• could not countervailשָׁוָהshâvâh · be likeH7737
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• damageנֶ֫זֶקnêzeq · injuryH5143

Cross-references for Esther 7:4

• Esther 3:9If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to the officials for deposit in the royal treasury.”
• Esther 4:7Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.
• Deuteronomy 28:68The Lord will take you back in ships to Egypt by a route that I said you would never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”
• 1 Samuel 22:23Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.”
• Esther 3:13Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people — young and old, women and children — and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
• Esther 8:11The king’s edict gave the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate every ethnic and provincial army hostile to them, including women and children, and to take their possessions as spoils of war.
• Psalms 44:22Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
• Genesis 37:26Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
• Joshua 9:23Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves — woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
• Nehemiah 5:5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
• Joel 3:6You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks to remove them far from their own territory.
• Amos 2:6The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.
• Esther 7:6Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman.” Haman stood terrified before the king and queen.

Commentaries on Esther 7:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To be destroyed, to be slain - She here repeats the words which Haman put into the decree. See Esther 3:13. Could not countervail the king's damage - Even the ten thousand talents of silver could not be considered as a compensation to the state for the loss of a whole nation of people throughout all their generations.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The king now learned, perhaps for the first time, that his favorite was a Jewess. Although the enemy … - i. e. “although the enemy (Haman) would not (even in that case) compensate (by his payment to the treasury) for the king‘s loss of so many subjects.”Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4my life...and the lives of my people: The statement that someone wanted to kill the queen and her family likely surprised and shocked the king. my people and I have been sold: Esther carefully mentioned the large sum Haman paid the king to approve the decree (Esther 3:8–11). She also used the exact words from Haman’s decree, stating its purpose was to destroy, kill, and annihilate (see Esther 3:13). If we had merely been sold as menservants and…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-64. we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed--that is, by the cruel and perfidious scheme of that man, who offered an immense sum of money to purchase our extermination. Esther dwelt on his contemplated atrocity, in a variety of expressions, which both evinced the depth of her own emotions, and were intended to awaken similar feelings in the king's breast. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue--Though a great calamity…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 7:4

• Readings, Select
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Banquet
• Esther
• Countervail
• Damage
• Esther, Book of
• Peace

Commentaries on Esther 7

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings