Esther 4:3

Esther 4:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.

Context of Esther 4:3

1When 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. 2But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

Esther 4:3 word by word

וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה מְקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתוֹ֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ אֵ֤בֶל גָּדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְצ֥וֹם וּבְכִ֖י וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And in every provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• whithersoeverמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• commandmentדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• and his decreeדָּתdâth · lawH1881
• cameנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• mourningאֵ֫בֶל'êbel · mourningH60
• among the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• and fastingצוֹםtsôm tsôm · fastH6685
• and weepingבְּכִיbekîy · weepingH1065
• and wailingמִסְפֵּדmispêd · mourningH4553
• and manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• layיָצַעyatsa‛ · to layH3331
• in sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• and ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665

Cross-references for Esther 4:3

• Esther 1:1This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush:
• Esther 3:12Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.
• 1 Samuel 4:13When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
• 1 Samuel 11:4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
• Isaiah 22:4Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.”
• Isaiah 37:1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord.
• Matthew 13:42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• Matthew 22:13“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
• Matthew 25:30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
• Isaiah 58:5Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Commentaries on Esther 4:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Fasting, and weeping, and wailing - How astonishing, that in all this there is not the slightest intimation given of praying to God!Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3there was great mourning among the Jews: Although these reports of lamenting do not mention God's name, the lamenting and fasting suggest they were praying for God to intervene and save his people (Exodus 2:23–25; Ezra 9:5–15; Daniel 9:1–19).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 4:3

• Ashes
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Ashes
• Esther, Book of
• Fast; Fasting

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