Esther

Esther 4:1–4

¹When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. ²But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.

³In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

Read all of Esther 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Esther 4:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Mordecai	וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י	ū·mā·rə·do·ḵay	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4782 Mordecai
learned of	יָדַע֙	yā·ḏa‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
that	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
had happened	נַעֲשָׂ֔ה	na·‘ă·śāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
he	מָרְדֳּכַי֙	mā·rə·do·ḵay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4782 Mordecai
tore	וַיִּקְרַ֤ע	way·yiq·ra‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7167 tear
his clothes	בְּגָדָ֔יו	bə·ḡā·ḏāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H899 treachery
put on	וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ	way·yil·baš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3847 put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
sackcloth	שַׂ֖ק	śaq	Noun - masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
and ashes	וָאֵ֑פֶר	wā·’ê·p̄er	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H665 ashes
and went out	וַיֵּצֵא֙	way·yê·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
into the middle	בְּת֣וֹךְ	bə·ṯō·wḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
of the city	הָעִ֔יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
wailing	וַיִּזְעַ֛ק	way·yiz·‘aq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2199 cry, cry out, call
loudly	גְדֹלָ֖ה	ḡə·ḏō·lāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
and bitterly	וּמָרָֽה׃	ū·mā·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - feminine singular	H4751 bitter, bitterness

Esther 4:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But he went only	וַיָּב֕וֹא	way·yā·ḇō·w	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
as	עַ֖ד	‘aḏ	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
far as the king’s	הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
gate	שַֽׁעַר־	ša·‘ar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8179 gate
because	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the law prohibited	אֵ֥ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
anyone wearing	בִּלְב֥וּשׁ	bil·ḇūš	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
sackcloth	שָֽׂק׃	śāq	Noun - masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
from entering	לָב֛וֹא	lā·ḇō·w	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H935 come in, come, go in, go
gate	שַׁ֥עַר	ša·‘ar	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8179 gate

Esther 4:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
In every	וּבְכָל־	ū·ḇə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
province	מְדִינָ֣ה	mə·ḏî·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4082 province
to which	מְקוֹם֙	mə·qō·wm	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4725 standing, spot, condition
the king’s	הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
command	דְּבַר־	də·ḇar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
and edict	וְדָתוֹ֙	wə·ḏā·ṯōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1881 decree, law, usage
came	מַגִּ֔יעַ	mag·gî·a‘	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
there was great	גָּדוֹל֙	gā·ḏō·wl	Adjective - masculine singular	H1419 great
mourning	אֵ֤בֶל	’ê·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular	H60 mourning
among the Jews	לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים	lay·yə·hū·ḏîm	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3064 Jewish
They fasted	וְצ֥וֹם	wə·ṣō·wm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6685 fasting, fast
wept	וּבְכִ֖י	ū·ḇə·ḵî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H1065 weeping
and lamented	וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד	ū·mis·pêḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4553 wailing
and many	לָֽרַבִּֽים׃	lā·rab·bîm	Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
lay	יֻצַּ֖ע	yuṣ·ṣa‘	Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3331 lay, spread
in sackcloth	שַׂ֣ק	śaq	Noun - masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
and ashes	וָאֵ֔פֶר	wā·’ê·p̄er	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H665 ashes

Esther 4:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Esther’s	אֶסְתֵּ֤ר	’es·têr	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H635 Esther
maidens	נַעֲר֨וֹת	na·‘ă·rō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H5291 girl, damsel
and eunuchs	וְסָרִיסֶ֙יהָ֙	wə·sā·rî·se·hā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H5631 eunuch
came	וַ֠תָּבוֹאינָה	wat·tå̄·ḇō·nå̄h	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and told	וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ	way·yag·gî·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5046 be conspicuous
her	לָ֔הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
the queen	הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה	ham·mal·kāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4436 queen
was overcome with distress	וַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥ל	wat·tiṯ·ḥal·ḥal	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2342 whirl, dance, writhe
She sent	וַתִּשְׁלַ֨ח	wat·tiš·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7971 send
clothes	בְּגָדִ֜ים	bə·ḡā·ḏîm	Noun - masculine plural	H899 treachery
for Mordecai	מָרְדֳּכַ֗י	mā·rə·do·ḵay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4782 Mordecai
to wear	לְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁ	lə·hal·bîš	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H3847 put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
instead of	וּלְהָסִ֥יר	ū·lə·hā·sîr	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5493 turn aside
his sackcloth	שַׂקּ֛וֹ	śaq·qōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
but he would not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
accept them	קִבֵּֽל׃	qib·bêl	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6901 receive, take

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Esther 4:1 Daniel 9:3 · 2 Samuel 13:19 · 2 Samuel 1:11 · Ezekiel 27:30–31 · Job 42:6 · Zephaniah 1:14 · Acts 14:14 · Revelation 18:17–19 · Micah 1:8

Esther 4:3 Isaiah 22:12 · Daniel 9:3 · Esther 4:16 · Isaiah 22:4 · Isaiah 58:5 · Isaiah 37:1–3 · Esther 3:12

Esther 4:4 Psalm 77:2 · Isaiah 56:3 · 1 Samuel 8:15 · Esther 1:12 · Genesis 37:35 · Jeremiah 31:15 · 2 Kings 9:32 · Acts 8:27

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.