Revised Literal Translation
Esther 8:3
3And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.1
Esther 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
- New International Version (NIV)Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.
Context of Esther 8:3
1On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. 2And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 4Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, 5And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:
Read all of Esther 8Esther 8:3 word by word
וַתּ֣וֹסֶף אֶסְתֵּ֗ר וַתְּדַבֵּר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַתִּפֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י רַגְלָ֑יו וַתֵּ֣בְךְּ וַתִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֗וֹ לְהַֽעֲבִיר֙ אֶת־רָעַת֙ הָמָ֣ן הָֽאֲגָגִ֔י וְאֵת֙ מַֽחֲשַׁבְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃Read the interlinear
- And Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- yet againיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and fell downנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- and besoughtחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
- him with tearsבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- to put awayעָבַר‛âbar · to pass: bringH5674
- the mischiefרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- of Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
- the Agagiteאֲגָגִי'ăgâgîy · AgagiteH91
- and his deviceמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- that he had devisedחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: designH2803
- against the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
Cross-references for Esther 8:3
- 1 Samuel 25:24And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
- 2 Kings 4:27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and Yhwh hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
- Isaiah 38:2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto Yhwh,
- Hosea 12:4Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth–el, and there he spake with us;
- Hebrews 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
- Esther 3:8And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
- Esther 7:4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
Commentaries on Esther 8:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Though Haman was dead, his work was not yet undone. The royal decree had gone forth, and, according to Persian notions, could not be directly recalled or reversed Esther 8:8. Mordecai did not dare, without express permission from the king, to take any steps even to stay execution. And Esther, being in favor, once more took the initiative.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-14Verses 3-14 It was time to be earnest, when the church of God was at stake. Esther, though safe herself, fell down and begged for the deliverance of her people. We read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but although she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. According to the constitution of the Persian government, no law or decree could be repealed or recalled. This is so far from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Esther likely thought the king would cancel Haman’s decree immediately after Haman died, but that did not occur. This time, she was more determined to address Haman’s plan against her people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet--The king was then not reclining at table, but sitting on a divan, most probably in the Persian attitude, leaning back against the cushions, and one foot under him. besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman--that is, to repeal the sanguinary edict which, at the secret instigation of Haman, had been recently passed (Es 3:12).Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 8:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Esther 8:3 and besought…: Heb. and she wept, and besought him. ↩
Commentaries on Esther 8
- 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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries