Esther 4:16

Esther 4:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
• New International Version (NIV)“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

Context of Esther 4:16

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: ‘Tell all the Jews in Susa to meet together. Tell them to fast and to pray for me. They must not eat or drink for three days, during the day and the night. My female servants and I will also do that. After three days, I will go and speak to the king. I know that I will do that against the king's law. But if I must die because of that, I agree to die.’ 17Then Mordecai left the king's gate. He did everything that Esther had told him to do.

Esther 4:16 word by word

לֵךְ֩ כְּנ֨וֹס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָי֔וֹם גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• gather togetherכָּנַסkânas · to gatherH3664
• all the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• that are presentמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• in Shushanשׁוּשַׁןshûshan · SusaH7800
• and fastצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
• ye for me, and neither eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• nor drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• I also and my maidensנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
• likewise; and soכֵּןkên · rightH3651
• will I goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• in unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• not according to the lawדָּתdâth · lawH1881
• and if I perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6

Cross-references for Esther 4:16

• 2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was afraid. So he decided to ask the Lord what he should do. He commanded all the people in Judah that they must fast.
• Isaiah 22:12At that time, the Lord Almighty told you to be very sad and weep. He told you to cut all the hair off your heads and to wear rough clothes.
• Joel 1:14Tell everyone that they must not eat any food. Tell the people that they must all come to hear the Lord. Speak to the older leaders, and all the people who live in this country. Tell them that they must all come. They must come to the house of the Lord your God and they must shout out to the Lord.
• Joel 2:12‘Even now,’ the Lord says, ‘return to me and put me first. Eat no food. Cry and be very sad.
• Jonah 3:4When Jonah arrived in Nineveh, he walked for one day into the city. Then he shouted out to the people, ‘After 40 more days, God will destroy Nineveh.’
• Esther 5:1After they had fasted for three days, Esther put on her royal clothes. She went to King Xerxes' part of the palace. She stood in the yard outside his rooms. The king was sitting on his royal throne. He could see through the door of the room where he sat.
• Matthew 12:40Jonah stayed inside a big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will remain in the ground for three days and three nights.
• Acts 9:9For three days, Saul could not see anything. During that time, he did not eat any food or drink anything.
• Acts 27:33Now it was almost dawn. Paul said to everyone, ‘Please eat some food. You have now waited for 14 days for the storm to stop. You did not know what would happen. You have not eaten anything during all that time.
• Genesis 18:19I have chosen him so that he will teach my message to his children and their families. He will teach them to do what is right and what is fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham everything that I have promised to him.’
• Joshua 24:15But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then you should choose another god to worship. Decide today! Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshipped across the river? Will you serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living? You choose! But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.’
• Acts 10:7Then the angel who spoke to Cornelius went away. Cornelius told two of his servants and a soldier of his group to come to him. The soldier was one of those who served Cornelius. He was a good man who obeyed God.
• Genesis 43:14I pray that God Almighty will help you. I pray that God will cause the man to be kind to you. Then he will let your older brother go free. He and Benjamin will return here with you. As for me, if I must lose my sons, then I will lose them. There is nothing that I can do to stop it.’
• 1 Samuel 19:5David was not afraid to die when he fought against the Philistine, Goliath. When David killed Goliath, the Lord helped Israel to win a great battle. When you saw it, you were very happy. So why do you now want to kill David? He is not guilty of anything that is wrong. You have no reason to kill him.’
• 2 Samuel 10:12Be strong! We must be brave as we fight on behalf of our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he decides is good.’
• Luke 9:24Whoever wants to keep his own life safe will lose it. But whoever gives his life to serve me will have true life.

Commentaries on Esther 4:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days - What a strange thing, that still we hear nothing of prayer, nor of God! What is the ground on which we can account for this total silence? I know it not. She could not suppose there was any charm in fasting, sackcloth garments, and lying on the ground. If these were not done to turn away the displeasure of God, which seemed now to have unchained their enemies against them, what were they done for? If…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Again the religious element shows itself. Esther‘s fast could have no object but to obtain God‘s favor and protection in the dangerous course on which she was about to enter.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. 16fast for me: Esther was convinced, but she wanted as many Jews as possible to pray for God to save her life. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day: A complete fast without any food or water usually lasted only one day (Leviticus 16:29–31; Judges 20:26). The three-day duration showed the seriousness of the situation and the urgent need for God’s help. I will go to the king, even though it is against the law: Despite the danger, she decided she…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law--The appeal of Mordecai was irresistible. Having appointed a solemn fast of three days, she expressed her firm resolution to make an appeal to the king, though she should perish in the attempt. I ... and my maidens--It is probable that she had surrounded herself with Jewish maidens, or women who were proselytes to that religion.Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 4:16

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Courage
• Decision
• Fasting
• Readings, Select
• Resignation
• Self-Denial
• Shushan (Susa)
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Prayer
• Esther, Book of
• Fast; Fasting
• Feasts and Fasts
• Self-Surrender
• Fasts

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