Revised Version 1895

Esther 4

1NowH1419whenMordecaiוּמָרְדֳּכַ֗יu.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782knewיָדַע֙ya.Da'H3045allכָּל־kol-H3605that wasdoneנַעֲשָׂ֔הna.'a.SahH6213,Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַי֙ma.re.do.KhaiH4782rent hisclothesבְּגָדָ֔יוbe.ga.DavH899, andputוַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁvai.yil.BashH3847onsackclothשַׂ֖קsakH8242withashesוָאֵ֑פֶרva.'E.ferH665, andwentH3318outH3318intoH8432themidstבְּת֣וֹךְbe.TokhH8432of thecityהָעִ֔ירha.'IrH5892, andcriedH2199with aloudH1419and abitterוּמָרָֽה׃u.ma.RahH4751cryH2199:

2and hecameH935evenעַ֖ד'adH5704beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440theking’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַֽׁעַר־sha.'ar-H8179: fornoneאֵ֥ין'einH369mightenterH935withinH935theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַׁ֥עַרSha.'arH8179clothedבִּלְב֥וּשׁbil.VushH3830withsackclothשָֽׂק׃SakH8242.

3And ineveryוּבְכָל־u.ve.Khol-H3605provinceH4082, whithersoever theking’sהַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428commandmentדְּבַר־de.var-H1697and hisdecreeוְדָתוֹ֙ve.da.ToH1881cameמַגִּ֔יעַma.Gi.a'H5060, there wasgreatגָּדוֹל֙ga.dOlH1419mourningאֵ֤בֶל'E.velH60among theJewsלַיְּהוּדִ֔יםlai.ye.hu.DimH3064, andfastingוְצ֥וֹםve.TzomH6685, andweepingוּבְכִ֖יu.ve.KhiH1065, andwailingוּמִסְפֵּ֑דu.mis.PedH4553; andmanyלָֽרַבִּֽים׃La.ra.BimH7227layיֻצַּ֖עyu.Tza'H3331insackclothשַׂ֣קsakH8242andashesוָאֵ֔פֶרva.'E.ferH665.

4AndEsther’sH635maidensנַעֲר֨וֹתna.'a.RotH5291andherH7971chamberlainscameH935andtoldוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046itherH7971; and thequeenהַמַּלְכָּ֖הha.mal.KahH4436wasexceedinglyמְאֹ֑דme.'OdH3966grieved: andsheH635sentH7971raiment toclotheלְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁle.hal.BishH3847Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֗יma.re.do.KhaiH4782, and totakeוּלְהָסִ֥ירu.le.ha.SirH5493hissackclothשַׂקּ֛וֹsa.KoH8242fromoffמֵעָלָ֖יוme.'a.LavH5921him: but hereceivedH935itnotוְלֹ֥אve.Lo'H3808.

5Thencalledוַתִּקְרָא֩va.tik.Ra'H7121Estherאֶסְתֵּ֨ר'es.TerH635forHathachלַהֲתָ֜ךְla.ha.TakhH2047, one of theking’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlains,whomאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834he hadappointedהֶעֱמִ֣ידhe.'e.MidH5975toattendלְפָנֶ֔יהָle.fa.Nei.haH6440uponעַֽל־'al-H5921herוְעַל־ve.'al-H5921, andchargedוַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּva.te.tza.Ve.huH6680him to go toMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782, toknowלָדַ֥עַתla.Da.'atH3045whatמַה־mah-H4100this was, andwhyמַה־mah-H4100it was.

6SoH3318Hathachהֲתָ֖ךְha.TakhH2047wentH3318forthH3318toMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782unto the broad place of thecityהָעִ֔ירha.'IrH5892,whichאֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.SherH834wasbeforeלִפְנֵ֥יlif.NeiH6440theking’sהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַֽׁעַר־sha.'ar-H8179.

7AndMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֔יma.re.do.KhaiH4782toldוַיַּגֶּד־vai.ya.ged-H5046him ofallכָּל־kol-H3605that hadhappenedקָרָ֑הוּka.Ra.huH7136unto him, and theexactפָּרָשַׁ֣תpa.ra.ShatH6575sum of themoneyהַכֶּ֗סֶףha.Ke.sefH3701thatHamanהָמָן֙ha.ManH2001hadpromisedאָמַ֤ר'a.MarH559topayלִ֠שְׁקוֹלLish.kolH8254to theking’sהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428treasuriesגִּנְזֵ֥יgin.ZeiH1595for theJewsבַּיְּהוּדִ֖יםbai.ye.hu.di.yimH3064, todestroyלְאַבְּדָֽם׃le.'a.be.DamH6them.

8Also hegaveH5414him thecopyפַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶןpat.She.genH6572of thewritingכְּתָֽב־ke.tav-H3791of thedecreeהַ֠דָּתHa.dotH1881that wasgivenH5414outH6440in Shushan todestroyלְהַשְׁמִידָם֙le.hash.mi.DamH8045them, to shew it untoEstherאֶסְתֵּ֖ר'es.TerH635, and todeclareוּלְהַגִּ֣ידu.le.ha.GidH5046it untoherH413; and tochargeH5921herH413thatsheאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834shouldgoלָב֨וֹאla.Vo'H935in unto thekingהַמֶּ֧לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428, tomakeH5414supplication unto him, and tomakeH5414requestוּלְבַקֵּ֥שׁu.le.va.KeshH1245beforeH6440him, forherH413peopleעַמָּֽהּ׃'a.MahH5971.

9AndHathachהֲתָ֑ךְha.TakhH2047cameוַיָּב֖וֹאvai.ya.Vo'H935andtoldוַיַּגֵּ֣דvai.ya.GedH5046Estherלְאֶסְתֵּ֔רle.'es.TerH635thewordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697ofMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782.

10ThenEstherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635spake untoHathachלַהֲתָ֔ךְla.ha.TakhH2047, andgaveוַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּva.te.tza.Ve.huH6680him a message untoMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782,sayingוַתֹּ֤אמֶרva.To.merH559:

11AllH3605theking’sהַמֶּ֡לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428servantsעַבְדֵ֣י'av.DeiH5650, and thepeopleוְעַם־ve.'am-H5971of theking’sהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428provincesמְדִינ֨וֹתme.di.NotH4082,doוַאֲנִ֗יva.'a.NiH589knowיֽוֹדְעִ֗יםyod.'ImH3045, that whosoever, whethermanאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376orwomanוְאִשָּׁ֡הve.'i.ShahH802, shallcomeיָבֽוֹא־ya.Vo'-H935unto thekingהַמֶּלֶךְ֩ha.me.leKhH4428intoH413theinnerהַפְּנִימִ֜יתha.pe.ni.MitH6442courtהֶחָצֵ֨רhe.cha.TzerH2691, who isnotH3808calledיִקָּרֵ֗אyi.ka.Re'H7121, there is onelawדָּתוֹ֙da.ToH1881for him, that he beputלְהָמִ֔יתle.ha.MitH4191todeathH4191,exceptH3808suchH2088towhomH834thekingהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428shall holdoutH3045thegoldenהַזָּהָ֖בha.za.HavH2091sceptre, that he mayliveוְחָיָ֑הve.cha.YahH2421: but I havenotH3808beencalledנִקְרֵ֙אתי֙nik.Re.tiH7121tocomeלָב֣וֹאla.Vo'H935in unto thekingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428theseH2088thirtyשְׁלוֹשִׁ֥יםshe.lo.ShimH7970daysיֽוֹם׃YomH3117.

12And theytoldוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046toMordecaiלְמָרְדֳּכָ֔יle.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782Esther’sאֶסְתֵּֽר׃ פ'es.TerH635wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697.

13ThenMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֖יma.re.do.KhaiH4782bade themreturnH7725answerH7725untoEstherאֶסְתֵּ֑ר'es.TerH635,Thinkוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559notאַל־'al-H408with thyself that thou shaltescapeלְהִמָּלֵ֥טle.hi.ma.LetH4422in theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּית־beit-H1004,moreבְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְve.naf.ShekhH5315thanH4428allמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605theJewsהַיְּהוּדִֽים׃hai.ye.hu.DimH3064.

14ForifH518thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shallreliefרֶ֣וַחRe.vachH7305anddeliveranceוְהַצָּלָ֞הve.ha.tza.LahH2020ariseיַעֲמ֤וֹדya.'a.ModH5975to theJewsלַיְּהוּדִים֙lai.ye.hu.DimH3064fromanotherאַחֵ֔ר'a.CherH312placeמִמָּק֣וֹםmi.ma.KomH4725, but thou and thyfather’sאָבִ֖יךְ'a.VikhH1houseוּבֵית־u.veit-H1004shallperishתֹּאבֵ֑דוּto.Ve.duH6: and who knowethwhetherH518thou artnotH518comeהִגַּ֖עַתְּhi.Ga.'atH5060to thekingdomלַמַּלְכֽוּת׃la.mal.KhutH4438forsuchH2063a time as this?

15ThenEstherאֶסְתֵּ֖ר'es.TerH635bade themreturnH7725answerH7725untoMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782,

16Goאָב֤וֹא'a.Vo'H935,gatherכְּנ֨וֹסke.NosH3664togetherH5921allכָּל־kol-H3605theJewsהַיְּהוּדִ֜יםhai.ye.hu.DimH3064that arepresentהַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣יםha.nim.tze.'ImH4672in Shushan, andfastוְצ֣וּמוּve.Tzu.muH6684ye formeאֶל־'el-H413, andneitherH3808eatתֹּאכְל֨וּto.khe.LuH398norH3808drinkתִּשְׁתּ֜וּtish.TuH8354threeשְׁלֹ֤שֶׁתshe.Lo.shetH7969daysיָמִים֙ya.MimH3117,nightלַ֣יְלָהLay.lahH3915ordayוָי֔וֹםva.YomH3117: I also and mymaidensוְנַעֲרֹתַ֖יve.na.'a.ro.TaiH5291willfastאָצ֣וּם'a.TzumH6684in likemannerכֵּ֑ןKenH3651; andsoוּבְכֵ֞ןu.ve.KhenH3651will IgoH935in unto thekingהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428,whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834isnotH3808accordingH5921to thelawכַדָּ֔תkha.DatH1881: andifוְכַאֲשֶׁ֥רve.kha.'a.SherH834Iperishאָבַ֖דְתִּי'a.Vad.tiH6, Iperishאָבָֽדְתִּי׃'a.Va.de.tiH6.

17SoH6213Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782went hiswayH3605, anddidH6213accordingעָלָ֖יו'a.LavH5921toallH3605thatEstherאֶסְתֵּֽר׃ ס'es.TerH635hadcommandedצִוְּתָ֥הtzi.ve.TahH6680him.

Commentaries on Esther 4

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain