Esther 4:1
in Esther 4When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now when Mordecai knew 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;
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;
⋯
This verse in Esther 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseMordecai 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: Αιρεται εθνος μηδεν ηδικηκος, A people are going to be destroyed, who have done no evil!
This site's exposition
When Mordecai learned of all
on Esther 4:1-3
Mordecai puts on "sackcloth and ashes" and goes "wailing loudly and bitterly," as far as the king's gate, because the law barred sackcloth there. The Hebrew of his great and bitter cry is the phrase used of Esau at Genesis 27:34, a likeness the commentators note.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
When Mordecai heard about the destruction of the Jews which had been sanctioned with an imperial decree, he put on clothes for mourning and proceeded to the gates of the palace with bitterness in his soul and grief in his voice. In the same way, …
When Mordecai hears that the slaughter of the Jews has been fixed by imperial decree, he dresses himself in somber clothing and approaches the doors of the palace with a bitter soul and a wailing voice; and when the leaders of the Church hear about …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Cry - To express his deep sense of the mischief coming upon his people. It was bravely done, thus publickly to espouse a just cause though it seemed to be a desperate one.
When Mordecai perceived all that was done,....
It was nobly done thus publicly to espouse what he knew to be a righteous cause, and the cause of God, even when it seemed a desperate and a sinking cause.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י | umaredokhai | and Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| יָדַע֙ | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נַעֲשָׂ֔ה | naasah | it had been done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַיִּקְרַ֤ע | vaiyikra' | and he tore | H7167 → | |
| מָרְדֳּכַי֙ | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּגָדָ֔יו | begadav | clothes his | H899 → | |
| וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ | vaiyilbash | and he put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| שַׂ֖ק | sak | sackcloth | H8242 → | 49 times |
| וָאֵ֑פֶר | vaefer | and ash[es] | H665 → | |
| וַיֵּצֵא֙ | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בְּת֣וֹךְ | betokh | in [the] midst of | H8432 → | |
| הָעִ֔יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיִּזְעַ֛ק | vaiyizak | and he cried | H2199 → | |
| זְעָקָ֥ה | zeakah | a cry | H2201 → | |
| גְדֹלָ֖ה | gedolah | loud | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וּמָרָֽה׃ | umarah | and bitter | H4751 → |
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗יand Mordecai
umaredokhaiH4782 →60 times
יָדַע֙he knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נַעֲשָׂ֔הit had been done
naasahH6213 →2628 times
וַיִּקְרַ֤עand he tore
vaiyikra'H7167 →
מָרְדֳּכַי֙Mordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּגָדָ֔יוclothes his
begadavH899 →
וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁand he put on
vaiyilbashH3847 →110 times
שַׂ֖קsackcloth
sakH8242 →49 times
וָאֵ֑פֶרand ash[es]
vaeferH665 →
וַיֵּצֵא֙and he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
בְּת֣וֹךְin [the] midst of
betokhH8432 →
הָעִ֔ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וַיִּזְעַ֛קand he cried
vaiyizakH2199 →
זְעָקָ֥הa cry
zeakahH2201 →
גְדֹלָ֖הloud
gedolahH1419 →526 times
וּמָרָֽה׃and bitter
umarahH4751 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 9:3So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
- Jeremiah 29:10–13
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
- James 5:16–18
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Nehemiah 1:4–11
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- Jeremiah 33:3
Through
2 Samuel 13:19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.
it leads to
- Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 7:6
Through
Job 42:6Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
it leads to
- Ezra 9:6
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
- 1 Timothy 1:13–16
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- James 4:7–10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Ezra 9:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 7; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).