New American Standard Bible 2020
Esther 4:1
1When Mordecai learned of 1everything that had been done, 2he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.
Esther 4:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
- New International Version (NIV)When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.
- New King James Version (NKJV)When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry.
Context of Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.
Read all of Esther 4Esther 4:1 word by word
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י יָדַע֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֔ה וַיִּקְרַ֤ע מָרְדֳּכַי֙ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ שַׂ֖ק וָאֵ֑פֶר וַיֵּצֵא֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר וַיִּזְעַ֛ק זְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּמָרָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- When Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
- learnedיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- everythingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- that had been doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- he toreקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
- his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- putלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- and ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665
- and wentיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and wailedזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
- and wailedזְעָקָהza‛aq ze‛âqâh · outcryH2201
- loudlyגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and bitterlyמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
Cross-references for Esther 4:1
- Esther 3:8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.
- 2 Samuel 1:11Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him.
- Job 1:20Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped.
- Jonah 3:4Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
- Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out
- Esther 4:3In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.
- Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
- 2 Samuel 13:19Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went on her way, crying out as she went.
- Job 2:8And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes.
- Job 42:6Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”
- Isaiah 58:5Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
- Ezekiel 27:30And they will make their voice heard over you And cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads, They will wallow in ashes.
- Daniel 9:3So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
- Jonah 3:6When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his robe from himself, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the dust.
- Matthew 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Genesis 27:34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me as well, my father!”
Commentaries on Esther 4:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Mordecai rent his clothes - He gave every demonstration of the most poignant and oppressive grief. Nor did he hide this from the city; and the Greek says that he uttered these words aloud: , A people are going to be destroyed, who have done no evil!Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Jews lament their danger. (1-4) Esther undertakes to plead for the Jews. (5-17) Verses 1-4 Mordecai avowed his relation to the Jews. Public calamities, that oppress the church of God, should affect our hearts more than any private affliction, and it is peculiarly distressing to occasion sufferings to others. God will keep those that are exposed to evil by the tenderness of their consciences.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Mordecai's intense reaction showed deep sorrow and mourning (see 2 Samuel 1:11; Ezra 9; Jonah 3:5–9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-141-2. When Mordecai perceived all that was done--Relying on the irrevocable nature of a Persian monarch's decree (Da 6:15), Hamman made it known as soon as the royal sanction had been obtained; and Mordecai was, doubtless, among the first to hear of it. On his own account, as well as on that of his countrymen, this astounding decree must have been indescribably distressing. The acts described in this passage are, according to the Oriental fashion…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 4:1
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Esther 4:1 2 Sam 1:11; Esth 3:8-10; Jon 3:5, 6 ↩
- 2. Esther 4:1 Lit Mordecai ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries