God’s Word Translation
Esther 4:14
14The fact is, even if you remain silent now, someone else will help and rescue the Jews, but you and your relatives will die. And who knows, you may have gained your royal position for a time like this.”
Esther 4:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
- New International Version (NIV)For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For 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?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Context of Esther 4:14
12So Esther’s servants told Mordecai what Esther said. 13Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther, “Do not imagine that just because you are in the king’s palace you will be any safer than all the rest of the Jews. The fact is, even if you remain silent now, someone else will help and rescue the Jews, but you and your relatives will die. And who knows, you may have gained your royal position for a time like this.” 15Esther sent this reply back to Mordecai, 16“Assemble all the Jews in Susa. Fast for me: Do not eat or drink at all for three entire days. My servants and I will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even if it is against a royal decree. If I die, I die.”
Read all of Esther 4Esther 4:14 word by word
כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For if thou altogetherחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
- at this timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- shall there enlargementרֶ֫וַחrevach · spaceH7305
- and deliveranceהַצָּלָהhatstsâlâh · deliveranceH2020
- ariseעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: riseH5975
- to the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
- from anotherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
- placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- but thou and thy father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- shall be destroyedאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- and who knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- whether thou art comeנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
- to the kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
Cross-references for Esther 4:14
- Genesis 22:14Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. It is still said today, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
- Numbers 23:22The God who brought them out of Egypt has the strength of a wild bull.
- Deuteronomy 32:26I said that I would cut them in pieces and erase everyone’s memory of them.
- 1 Samuel 12:22For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not abandon his people, because the Lord wants to make you his people.
- Isaiah 54:17No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the Lord’s servants. Their victory comes from me,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 30:11I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the Lord. “I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I won’t let you go entirely unpunished.
- Jeremiah 33:24“Haven’t you noticed what these people have said? They have said that the Lord has rejected the two families he has chosen. They despise my people, and they no longer consider them a nation.
- Jeremiah 46:28Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,” declares the Lord. “I am with you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I won’t let you go entirely unpunished.”
- Amos 9:8I, the Almighty Lord, have my eyes on this sinful kingdom. I will wipe it off the face of the earth. But I won’t totally destroy the descendants of Jacob, declares the Lord.
- Matthew 16:18You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it.
- Matthew 24:22If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.
- Ezra 9:9We are slaves, but our God hasn’t abandoned us in our slavery. Instead, he has made the kings of Persia treat us kindly. He did this to give us an opportunity to rebuild our God’s temple and restore its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
- Job 9:18He would not let me catch my breath. He fills me with bitterness.
- Esther 2:7Mordecai had raised Hadassah, also known as Esther, his uncle’s daughter, because she was an orphan. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
- Judges 14:15On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us. If you don’t, we’ll burn you and your family to death. Did the two of you invite us ⌞just to make us poor⌟?”
- Judges 15:6Some Philistines asked, “Who did this?” They were told, “Samson! He’s the son-in-law of the man at Timnah. Samson did it because the man at Timnah took Samson’s wife and gave her to his best man.” So the Philistines burned Samson’s wife and her father to death.
Commentaries on Esther 4:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise - He had a confidence that deliverance would come by some means; and he thought that Esther would be the most likely; and that, if she did not use the influence which her providential station gave her, she would be highly culpable. And who knoweth whether thou art come - As if he had said, "Is it likely that Divine providence would have so distinguished thee, and raised thee from a state of abject…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14From another place - i. e. “from some other quarter.” Mordecai probably concluded from the prophetic Scriptures that God would NOT allow His people to be destroyed before His purposes with respect to them were accomplished, and was therefore satisfied that deliverance would arise from one quarter or another. Thou and thy father‘s house shall be destroyed - i. e. “a divine vengeance will overtake thee and thine, if thou neglectest thy plain duty.” Though…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 4:14
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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