God’s Word Translation
Esther 7:4
4You see, we—my people and I—have been sold so that we can be wiped out, killed, and destroyed. If our men and women had only been sold as slaves, I would have kept silent because the enemy is not worth troubling you about, Your Majesty.”
Esther 7:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
- New International Version (NIV)For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king."
- New King James Version (NKJV)For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
Context of Esther 7:4
2On the second day, while they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. And what would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, Your Majesty, spare my life. That is my request. And spare the life of my people. That is what I ask for. You see, we—my people and I—have been sold so that we can be wiped out, killed, and destroyed. If our men and women had only been sold as slaves, I would have kept silent because the enemy is not worth troubling you about, Your Majesty.” 5Then King Xerxes interrupted Queen Esther and said, “Who is this person? Where is the person who has dared to do this?” 6Esther answered, “Our vicious enemy is this wicked man Haman!” Then Haman became panic-stricken in the presence of the king and queen.
Read all of Esther 7Esther 7:4 word by word
כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For we are soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- I and my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- to be destroyedשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
- to be slainהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- and to perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- But ifאִלּוּ'illû · ifH432
- for bondmenעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- and bondwomenשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
- I had held my tongueחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
- although the enemyצַרtsar tsâr · distressH6862
- could not countervailשָׁוָהshâvâh · be likeH7737
- the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- damageנֶ֫זֶקnêzeq · injuryH5143
Cross-references for Esther 7:4
- Esther 3:9If you approve, have the orders for their destruction be written. For this I will pay 750,000 pounds of silver to your treasurers to be put in your treasury.”
- Esther 4:7Mordecai informed him about everything that had happened to him. He told him the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasury to destroy the Jews.
- Deuteronomy 28:68The Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships on a journey that I said you would never take again. There you will try to sell yourselves as slaves to your enemies, but no one will buy you.
- 1 Samuel 22:23Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The one who is seeking my life is ⌞also⌟ seeking your life. However, you will be under my protection.”
- Esther 3:13Messengers were sent with official documents to all the king’s provinces. ⌞The people were ordered⌟ to wipe out, kill, and destroy all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Their possessions were also to be seized.
- Esther 8:11that the king had given permission for the Jews in every city to assemble, to defend themselves, to wipe out, to kill, and to destroy every armed force of the people and province that is hostile to them, even women and children, and to seize their goods.
- Psalms 44:22Indeed, we are being killed all day long because of you. We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.
- Genesis 37:26Judah asked his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death?
- Joshua 9:23You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
- Nehemiah 5:5We have the same flesh and blood as our relatives. Our children are just like theirs. Yet, we have to force our sons and daughters to become slaves. Some of our daughters have already become slaves. But we can’t do anything else when our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
- Joel 3:6You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. That way you could send them far away from their land.
- Amos 2:6This is what the Lord says: Because Israel has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans. The people of Israel sell the righteous for money and the needy for a pair of sandals.
- Esther 7:6Esther answered, “Our vicious enemy is this wicked man Haman!” Then Haman became panic-stricken in the presence of the king and queen.
Commentaries on Esther 7:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To be destroyed, to be slain - She here repeats the words which Haman put into the decree. See Esther 3:13. Could not countervail the king's damage - Even the ten thousand talents of silver could not be considered as a compensation to the state for the loss of a whole nation of people throughout all their generations.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The king now learned, perhaps for the first time, that his favorite was a Jewess. Although the enemy - i. e. “although the enemy (Haman) would not (even in that case) compensate (by his payment to the treasury) for the king‘s loss of so many subjects.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4my life...and the lives of my people: The statement that someone wanted to kill the queen and her family likely surprised and shocked the king. my people and I have been sold: Esther carefully mentioned the large sum Haman paid the king to approve the decree (Esther 3:8–11). She also used the exact words from Haman’s decree, stating its purpose was to destroy, kill, and annihilate (see Esther 3:13). If we had merely been sold as menservants and…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-64. we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed--that is, by the cruel and perfidious scheme of that man, who offered an immense sum of money to purchase our extermination. Esther dwelt on his contemplated atrocity, in a variety of expressions, which both evinced the depth of her own emotions, and were intended to awaken similar feelings in the king's breast. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue--Though a great calamity…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 7:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Esther 7
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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