Esther 3:13

Esther 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
• New International Version (NIV)Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

Context of Esther 3:13

11He said to Haman, ‘Keep your money. You should do anything that you want with these people.’ 12On the 13th day of the first month, Haman asked the king's secretaries to come to him. They wrote Haman's commands in letters to the king's rulers and officers in every region. They wrote the letters in the languages that people spoke in the different regions. Haman used the authority of King Xerxes and he marked the letters with the king's special ring. Men delivered the letters to all the regions of the kingdom. Haman's command said that on the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar) people should completely destroy and kill all the Jews. They should kill old people and young people, women and children. Then they should take all the Jews' valuable things for themselves. 14Haman sent copies of his command to every region, so that it would be read aloud to the people. Everyone would know what the law said, and everyone would be ready on the right day. 15King Xerxes told his men to take the letters quickly to all the people. They also read the law to the people in Susa city. Then Haman and the king sat down to drink wine together. But the people in the city were very upset.

Esther 3:13 word by word

וְנִשְׁל֨וֹחַ סְפָרִ֜ים בְּיַ֣ד הָרָצִים֮ אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינ֣וֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ לְהַשְׁמִ֡יד לַהֲרֹ֣ג וּלְאַבֵּ֣ד אֶת־כָּל־הַ֠יְּהוּדִים מִנַּ֨עַר וְעַד־זָקֵ֜ן טַ֤ף וְנָשִׁים֙ בְּי֣וֹם אֶחָ֔ד בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר לְחֹ֥דֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֖ר הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֑ר וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם לָבֽוֹז׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the lettersסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
• were sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• byיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• postsרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
• into all the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• to killהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• and to cause to perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• all Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• both youngנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• and oldזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
• little childrenטַףţaph · childH2945
• and womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• upon the thirteenthעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• upon the thirteenthשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• of the twelfthשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• Adarאֲדָר'ădâr · AdarH143
• the spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• of them for a preyבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962

Cross-references for Esther 3:13

• Esther 8:10Mordecai used King Xerxes' authority to write the letters. He made a mark on the letters with the king's special ring. Men who rode on the king's fastest horses quickly took the letters everywhere in the kingdom.
• 2 Chronicles 30:6So men took the letters from the king and his officers to all the people in Israel and Judah. The king's command said this: ‘A message to the people of Israel who have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. Turn back now to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Then he will turn back to you.
• Job 9:25The days of my life are passing very quickly, like a fast runner. None of my days makes me happy.
• Jeremiah 51:31Now people run to send the news to the king of Babylon. They pass this message along the line: “The enemy has taken power over the whole city!
• Romans 3:15They hurry to kill people.
• 1 Samuel 15:3Now go and attack the Amalekites. Completely destroy everything that they have. Do not save anything. Kill the men and women, as well as their children and babies. Kill their cows, sheep, camels and donkeys.” ’
• 1 Samuel 22:19He also killed all the people in Nob, which was the town where the priests lived. He killed the men and women, children and babies. He also killed the cows, donkeys and sheep.
• Esther 8:12The law said that the Jews in all the regions of the kingdom could do this on one day. That day was the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar).
• James 2:13God will not forgive anyone who has not forgiven other people. But God is kind! He judges us, but even more than that, he forgives us!
• Esther 8:11The king's new law said this: The Jewish people who lived in every city could fight against anyone who attacked them. They could join together to keep themselves safe. If an army of any kind attacked them, the Jews could kill and destroy them completely, as well as their women and children. They could take away their enemies' things for themselves.
• Esther 9:10Those men were the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. But the Jews did not take any of the things that belonged to the people that they killed.
• Isaiah 10:6I send Assyria's army against a nation that does not serve God. I command them to attack the people with whom I am angry. I tell them to take that nation's valuable things for themselves. I tell them to walk all over them, as if they were walking on dirt in the streets.

Commentaries on Esther 3:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13To destroy, so kill, and to cause to perish - To put the whole of them to death in any manner, or by every way and means. Take the spoil of them for a prey - Thus, whoever killed a Jew had his property for his trouble! And thus the hand of every man was armed against this miserable people. Both in the Greek version and in the Latin the copy of this order is introduced at length, expressing "the king's desire to have all his dominions in quiet and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Present, the Jews keep three days - the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar - as connected with “the Feast of Purim;” but they make the 13th a fast, commemorative of the fast of Esther Esther 4:16, and keep the feast itself on the 14th and 15th of Adar.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. 13The phrase destroy, kill, and annihilate is repeated with irony in Esther 8:11 and 9:5. the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month: Haman's "lucky day," chosen by casting lots (Esther 3:7), was eleven months after the decree. By God's plan, this gave time to overcome the decree. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. Haman cleverly bribed the potential executioners.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1512-15. Then were the king's scribes called ... and there was written--The government secretaries were employed in making out the proclamation authorizing a universal massacre of the Jews on one day. It was translated into the dialects of all the people throughout the vast empire, and swift messengers were sent to carry it into all the provinces. On the day appointed, all Jews were to be put to death and their property confiscated; doubtless, the means by…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 3:13

• Babylon
• Mail
• Malice
• Post
• Revenge

In the dictionaries

• Adar
• Captive
• Mordecai
• Post
• Epistle
• Esther, the Rest of
• Guard
• Sent

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