New International Version
Esther 4:16
16“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.”
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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."
- 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 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?” 15Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “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.” 17So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
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 20:3Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
- Isaiah 22:12The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
- Joel 1:14Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
- Joel 2:12“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
- Jonah 3:4Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
- Esther 5:1On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
- Matthew 12:40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Acts 9:9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
- Acts 27:33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything.
- Genesis 18:19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
- Joshua 24:15But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
- Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
- Genesis 43:14And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
- 1 Samuel 19:5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
- 2 Samuel 10:12Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
- Luke 9:24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me 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
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