Esther 4:13

Esther 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
• New International Version (NIV)he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

Context of Esther 4:13

11‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’ 12When Mordecai heard this message from Esther, he sent this answer back to her: ‘Do not think that you will be safe because you live in the king's palace. You will not escape when they kill all the other Jews. 14You must speak now on behalf of all the Jewish people. If you do not, they will receive help from another place to make them safe and free. Then you and your father's family will come to an end. But I think that perhaps you have become queen so that you can help at a time like this.’ 15Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai:

Esther 4:13 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָרְדֳּכַ֖י לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אַל־תְּדַמִּ֣י בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט בֵּית־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִכָּל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• commandedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to answerשׁוּבshûb · to return: replyH7725
• Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
• Thinkדָּמָהdâmâh · to resembleH1819
• not with thyselfנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• that thou shalt escapeמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• in the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• more than all the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064

Cross-references for Esther 4:13

• Proverbs 24:1024. If you stop trying in times of trouble, you are really very weak.
• Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• John 12:25Anyone who loves his own life will lose it. But anyone who hates his life in this world will have true life for ever with God.
• Philippians 2:30He nearly died because he was working to serve Christ. He came to help me, because you could not help me yourselves. He was even ready to die so that he could do that on your behalf.
• Hebrews 12:3So think carefully about how Jesus lived on earth. Bad people did very bad things against him, but he continued to be strong. Think about him, and then you will not become weak as Christians. You will not stop trusting God.

Commentaries on Esther 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Think not - that thou shalt escape - This confirms the suspicion that Haman knew something of the relationship between Mordecai and Esther; and therefore he gives her to understand that, although in the king's palace, she should no more escape than the Jews.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-17Verses 5-17 We are prone to shrink from services that are attended with peril or loss. But when the cause of Christ and his people demand it, we must take up our cross, and follow him. When Christians are disposed to consult their own ease or safety, rather than the public good, they should be blamed. The law was express, all knew it. It is not thus in the court of the King of kings: to the footstool of his throne of grace we may always come boldly, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14Do not imagine...you alone will escape: Mordecai did not back down or excuse her because of the danger. He reminded her that staying silent would be more dangerous. relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place: Mordecai knew God's promises and understood that God would not allow his chosen people to be destroyed (see Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14; Isaiah 60:1–5). perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?: Esther's…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther--His answer was to this effect, that Esther need not indulge the vain hope she would, from her royal connection, escape the general doom of her race--that he (Mordecai) confidently believed God would interpose, and, if not through her, by some other deliverer, save His people; but that the duty evidently devolved on her, as there was great reason to believe that this was the design of Providence in her…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 4:13

• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Esther
• Mordecai
• Esther, Hadassah
• Esther, Book of

Commentaries on Esther 4

• 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