Esther 8:11

Esther 8:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
• New International Version (NIV)The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.
• English Standard Version (ESV)saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,
• New King James Version (NKJV)By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,

Context of Esther 8:11

9They called the king's secretaries to come and write the new law. They did that on the 23rd day of the third month (Sivan). Mordecai told them what to write. They sent the letters to the Jews, the rulers and the officers in all the regions of the kingdom. There were 127 regions, from India as far as Ethiopia. They wrote the letters in the languages that people spoke in each region. They also wrote to the Jews in their own language. Everyone would know what the new law said. 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. The 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. 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). 13A copy of the law would go to every region of the kingdom, so that everyone would know what the law said. Then the Jews would be ready on the right day to punish their enemies.

Esther 8:11 word by word

אֲשֶׁר֩ נָתַ֨ן הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לַיְּהוּדִ֣ים׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּכָל־עִיר־וָעִ֗יר לְהִקָּהֵל֮ וְלַעֲמֹ֣ד עַל־נַפְשָׁם֒ לְהַשְׁמִיד֩ וְלַהֲרֹ֨ג וּלְאַבֵּ֜ד אֶת־כָּל־חֵ֨יל עַ֧ם וּמְדִינָ֛ה הַצָּרִ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם טַ֣ף וְנָשִׁ֑ים וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם לָבֽוֹז׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherein the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• grantedנָתַןnâthan · to give: allowH5414
• the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• in every cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · excitementH5892
• to gather themselves togetherקָהַלqâhal · to gatherH6950
• and to standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• for their lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• to slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• and to cause to perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• all the powerחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• that would assaultצוּרtsûr · to provokeH6696
• little onesטַףţaph · childH2945
• and womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• the spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• of them for a preyבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962

Cross-references for Esther 8:11

• Esther 9:2In all the cities in each region of the kingdom where the Jews lived, they joined together. They punished anyone who tried to hurt them. Nobody could fight against them because all the people were very afraid of them.
• Psalms 37:14Wicked people get out their swords, and they prepare to shoot their arrows. They try to make poor and helpless people fall down. They try to destroy people who do what is right.
• Psalms 68:3But righteous people will be happy, when they come near to you. They will shout with joy, because they are so happy!
• Psalms 137:8People of Babylon, an army will soon destroy you! They will punish you in the same way that you punished us. May God bless whoever does that to you!
• Psalms 146:6The Lord made the skies, the earth and the sea. He also made everything that is in them. He always does what he has promised to do.
• Ezekiel 39:10They will not have to go into the fields or forests to find wood. They will take away the things from those who took their things, says the Lord God.
• Esther 3:13Men 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.
• 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 8:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11To destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish - The same words as in Haman's decree: therefore the Jews had as much authority to slay their enemies, as their enemies had to slay them. Little ones and women - This was the ordinary custom, to destroy the whole family of those convicted of great crimes; and whether this was right or wrong, it was the custom of the people, and according to the laws. Besides, as this edict was to give the Jews the same power…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11This fresh decree allowed the Jews to stand on their defense, and to kill all who attacked them. It has been pronounced incredible that any king would thus have sanctioned civil war in all the great cities of his empire; but some even of the more skeptical critics allow that “Xerxes” might not improbably have done so.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-14Verses 3-14 It was time to be earnest, when the church of God was at stake. Esther, though safe herself, fell down and begged for the deliverance of her people. We read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but although she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. According to the constitution of the Persian government, no law or decree could be repealed or recalled. This is so far from…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11The king's decree allowed the Jewish people to defend themselves and take the property of their attackers. This reversed the earlier decree in Esther 3:13. The phrase destroy, kill, and annihilate ironically repeats the words from Haman's original order (Esther 3:13; see also 9:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. the king granted the Jews ... to stand for their life ... to slay ... all ... that would assault them--The fixed and unalterable character claimed for Persian edicts often placed the king in a very awkward dilemma; for, however bitterly he might regret things done in a moment of haste and thoughtlessness, it was beyond even his power to prevent the consequences. This was the reason on account of which the king was laid under a necessity not to…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 8:11

• Proclamation

In the dictionaries

• Assault
• Esther, Book of
• Captivities of the Jews

Commentaries on Esther 8

• 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