English Standard Version
Esther 4:16
16"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."
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.”
- 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!”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
Context of Esther 4:16
14For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 15Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "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." 17Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Read all of Esther 4Esther 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 20:3Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
- Isaiah 22:12In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth;
- Joel 1:14Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
- Joel 2:12"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
- Jonah 3:4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
- Esther 5:1On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace.
- Matthew 12:40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Acts 9:9And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
- Acts 27:33As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing.
- Genesis 18:19For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."
- Joshua 24:15And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
- Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,
- Genesis 43:14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
- 1 Samuel 19:5For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?"
- 2 Samuel 10:12Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him."
- Luke 9:24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries