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Esther 4

Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.

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The text

1When 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;

2And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

3And 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.

4So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

5Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.

6So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

7And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

8Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

9And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

11All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

12And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

15Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

17So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Words in this chapter

Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.

  • מֶלֶךְmelekH442814× in this chapter

    a king

  • אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH83414× in this chapter

    who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

  • מׇרְדְּכַיMordᵉkayH478212× in this chapter

    Mordecai, an Israelite

  • אֵלʼêlH41311× in this chapter

    near, with or among; often in general, to

  • אֵתʼêthH85311× in this chapter

    properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

  • אֶסְתֵּרʼEçtêrH6359× in this chapter

    Ester, the Jewish heroine

  • כֹּלkôlH36058× in this chapter

    properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

  • עַלʻalH59218× in this chapter

    above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

  • בּוֹאbôwʼH9358× in this chapter

    to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

  • יְהוּדִיYᵉhûwdîyH30645× in this chapter

    a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah)

  • נָגַדnâgadH50465× in this chapter

    properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise

  • דָּתdâthH18814× in this chapter

    a royal edict or statute

  • הֲתָךְHăthâkH20474× in this chapter

    Hathak, a Persian eunuch

  • יָדַעyâdaʻH30454× in this chapter

    to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)

  • לֹאlôʼH38084× in this chapter

    not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

  • אָמַרʼâmarH5594× in this chapter

    to say (used with great latitude)

  • אָבַדʼâbadH64× in this chapter

    properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)

  • פָּנִיםpânîymH64404× in this chapter

    the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)

  • צָוָהtsâvâhH66804× in this chapter

    (intensively) to constitute, enjoin

  • שַׂקsaqH82424× in this chapter

    properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run through), i.e. coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grain, etc.)

  • דָּבָרdâbârH16973× in this chapter

    a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

  • זֶהzehH20883× in this chapter

    the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

  • יוֹםyôwmH31173× in this chapter

    a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

  • אַלʼalH4083× in this chapter

    not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

  • מְדִינָהmᵉdîynâhH40823× in this chapter

    properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region

  • קָרָאqârâʼH71213× in this chapter

    to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

  • שַׁעַרshaʻarH81793× in this chapter

    an opening, i.e. door or gate

  • בַּיִתbayithH10042× in this chapter

    a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

  • גָּדוֹלgâdôwlH14192× in this chapter

    great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

  • זֹאתzôʼthH20632× in this chapter

    this (often used adverb)

  • חָרַשׁchârashH27902× in this chapter

    to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)

  • יָצָאyâtsâʼH33182× in this chapter

    to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.

  • כִּיkîyH35882× in this chapter

    (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

  • כֵּןkênH36512× in this chapter

    properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)

  • לָבַשׁlâbashH38472× in this chapter

    properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively

  • מָהmâhH41002× in this chapter

    properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses

  • מָקוֹםmâqôwmH47252× in this chapter

    properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)

  • נָגַעnâgaʻH50602× in this chapter

    properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)

  • אִםʼimH5182× in this chapter

    used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not

  • נַעֲרָהnaʻărâhH52912× in this chapter

    a girl (from infancy to adolescence)

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