Esther 3:13

Esther 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
• New International Version (NIV)Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

Context of Esther 3:13

11The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.” 12So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. 14A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 15At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Esther 3:13 word by word

וְנִשְׁל֨וֹחַ סְפָרִ֜ים בְּיַ֣ד הָרָצִים֮ אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינ֣וֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ לְהַשְׁמִ֡יד לַהֲרֹ֣ג וּלְאַבֵּ֣ד אֶת־כָּל־הַ֠יְּהוּדִים מִנַּ֨עַר וְעַד־זָקֵ֜ן טַ֤ף וְנָשִׁים֙ בְּי֣וֹם אֶחָ֔ד בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר לְחֹ֥דֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֖ר הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֑ר וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם לָבֽוֹז׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the lettersסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
• were sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• byיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• postsרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
• into all the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• to killהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• and to cause to perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• all Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• both youngנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• and oldזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
• little childrenטַףţaph · childH2945
• and womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• upon the thirteenthעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• upon the thirteenthשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• of the twelfthשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• Adarאֲדָר'ădâr · AdarH143
• the spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• of them for a preyבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962

Cross-references for Esther 3:13

• Esther 8:10The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king’s service.
• 2 Chronicles 30:6At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: “O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings.
• Job 9:25“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
• Jeremiah 51:31The news is passed from one runner to the next as the messengers hurry to tell the king that his city has been captured.
• Romans 3:15“They rush to commit murder.
• 1 Samuel 15:3Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
• 1 Samuel 22:19Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
• Esther 8:12The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was March 7 of the next year.
• James 2:13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
• Esther 8:11The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies.
• Esther 9:10the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder.
• Isaiah 10:6I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.

Commentaries on Esther 3:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13To destroy, so kill, and to cause to perish - To put the whole of them to death in any manner, or by every way and means. Take the spoil of them for a prey - Thus, whoever killed a Jew had his property for his trouble! And thus the hand of every man was armed against this miserable people. Both in the Greek version and in the Latin the copy of this order is introduced at length, expressing "the king's desire to have all his dominions in quiet and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Present, the Jews keep three days - the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar - as connected with “the Feast of Purim;” but they make the 13th a fast, commemorative of the fast of Esther Esther 4:16, and keep the feast itself on the 14th and 15th of Adar.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Without some acquaintance with the human heart, and the history of mankind, we should not think that any prince could consent to a dreadful proposal, so hurtful to himself. Let us be thankful for mild and just government. Haman inquires, according to his own superstitions, how to find a lucky day for the designed massacre! God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and the lot, by delaying the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13The phrase destroy, kill, and annihilate is repeated with irony in Esther 8:11 and 9:5. the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month: Haman's "lucky day," chosen by casting lots (Esther 3:7), was eleven months after the decree. By God's plan, this gave time to overcome the decree. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. Haman cleverly bribed the potential executioners.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1512-15. Then were the king's scribes called ... and there was written--The government secretaries were employed in making out the proclamation authorizing a universal massacre of the Jews on one day. It was translated into the dialects of all the people throughout the vast empire, and swift messengers were sent to carry it into all the provinces. On the day appointed, all Jews were to be put to death and their property confiscated; doubtless, the means by…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 3:13

• Babylon
• Mail
• Malice
• Post
• Revenge

In the dictionaries

• Adar
• Captive
• Mordecai
• Post
• Epistle
• Esther, the Rest of
• Guard
• Sent

Commentaries on Esther 3

• 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