Esther 4:1

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 about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. 3And 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.

Esther 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• When Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• perceivedיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• all that was doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• and put onלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
• sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• with ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665
• and went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• into the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• and criedזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• with a loudגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• and a bitterמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
• cryזְעָקָהza‛aq ze‛âqâh · outcryH2201

Cross-references for Esther 4:1

• Esther 3:8Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.
• 2 Samuel 1:11David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news.
• Job 1:20Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.
• Jonah 3:4On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”
• Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting,
• Esther 4:3And 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.
• Joshua 7:6Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening.
• 2 Samuel 13:19But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.
• Job 2:8Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.
• Job 42:6I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
• Isaiah 58:5You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
• Ezekiel 27:30They cry aloud over you and weep bitterly. They throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.
• Jonah 3:6When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes.
• Matthew 11:21“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.
• Genesis 27:34When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.

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

• Ashes
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Mordecai
• Dress
• Sackcloth
• Bitter; Bitterness
• Esther, Book of
• Gesture

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