Esther 6:13
in Esther 6Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him—for surely you will fall before him.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
KJV
And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
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This verse in Esther 6
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBut shalt surely fall before him - The Septuagint adds, ὁτι ὁ Θεος ὁ ζων μετ’ αυτου, for the living God is with him. But this is a sentiment that could scarcely be expected to proceed from the mouth of heathens, such as these were.
This site's exposition
If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews
on Esther 6:13-14
Zeresh and the wise men read the day's events as an omen rather than an accident: if Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. Pagan counselors state the book's hidden doctrine more plainly than the narrator ever does in his own voice. Commentators who trace Haman's line back to Agag read the seed language against the old war with Amalek, a connection the words themselves carry no further than the name.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
This is the change caused by the right hand of the Highest: the one who had just boasted about his power and was arrogant towards everyone else becomes viler and weaker than anyone else. When Mary the mother of our Lord considered the greatness of …
This is the change in the right hand of the Most High, when someone who was only recently boasting that he had power over others, and was more arrogant than anyone, suddenly becomes more wretched than anyone else and weaker than all of them. It …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Two things they grounded their prognostications upon:-- (1.) This Mordecai was of the seed of the Jews; feeble Jews their enemies sometimes called them, but formidable Jews they sometimes found them. They are a holy seed, a praying seed, in covenant with God, and a seed that the Lord hath all along blessed, and therefore let not their enemies expect to triumph over them.
And Haman told Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, every thing that had befallen him,....
We read of no bodily indisposition he was under, that might break his sleep; but God, whose gift sleep is, withheld it from him. Those that are ever so much resolved to cast away care cannot always do it; they find it in their pillows when they neither expect nor welcome it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Since you have begun to fall, etc. She said, “This nation has been compared to the stars and to the dust. When they descend, they descend to the dust, and when they ascend, they ascend up to the sky and the stars.” 6 Maseches Megillah 15a.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Mordechai then returned. To his sackcloth, and to his fasting. 4 Maseches Megillah 16a. This was the last day of Mordechai’s three day fast. (Sifsei Chachomim)
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר | vaysaper | and he recounted | H5608 → | |
| הָמָ֜ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| לְזֶ֤רֶשׁ | lezeresh | to Zeresh | H2238 → | 4 times |
| אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| וּלְכָל־ | ulekhol- | and to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֹ֣הֲבָ֔יו | ʾohavav | friends his | H157 → | 211 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָרָ֑הוּ | karahu | it had happened to him | H7136 → | |
| וַיֹּ֩אמְרוּ֩ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֨וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| חֲכָמָ֜יו | chakhamav | wise [men] his | H2450 → | |
| וְזֶ֣רֶשׁ | vezeresh | and Zeresh | H2238 → | 4 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| אִ֣ם | ʾim | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מִזֶּ֣רַע | mizera' | [is] one of [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| מָרְדֳּכַ֞י | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הַחִלּ֨וֹתָ | hachilota | you have begun | H2490 → | |
| לִנְפֹּ֤ל | linpol | to fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| לְפָנָיו֙ | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תוּכַ֣ל | tukhal | you will prevail | H3201 → | 194 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָפ֥וֹל | nafol | certainly <to fall> | H5307 → | 435 times |
| תִּפּ֖וֹל | tipol | you will fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| לְפָנָֽיו׃ | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַיְסַפֵּ֨רand he recounted
vaysaperH5608 →
הָמָ֜ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
לְזֶ֤רֶשׁto Zeresh
lezereshH2238 →4 times
אִשְׁתּוֹ֙wife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
וּלְכָל־and to all
ulekhol-H3605 →5413 times
אֹ֣הֲבָ֔יוfriends his
ʾohavavH157 →211 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
קָרָ֑הוּit had happened to him
karahuH7136 →
וַיֹּ֩אמְרוּ֩and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
ל֨וֹto him
lo
חֲכָמָ֜יוwise [men] his
chakhamavH2450 →
וְזֶ֣רֶשׁand Zeresh
vezereshH2238 →4 times
אִשְׁתּ֗וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
אִ֣םif
ʾimH518 →1069 times
מִזֶּ֣רַע[is] one of [the] offspring of
mizera'H2233 →229 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֡יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
מָרְדֳּכַ֞יMordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֲשֶׁר֩whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הַחִלּ֨וֹתָyou have begun
hachilotaH2490 →
לִנְפֹּ֤לto fall
linpolH5307 →435 times
לְפָנָיו֙<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תוּכַ֣לyou will prevail
tukhalH3201 →194 times
ל֔וֹto him
lo
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נָפ֥וֹלcertainly <to fall>
nafolH5307 →435 times
תִּפּ֖וֹלyou will fall
tipolH5307 →435 times
לְפָנָֽיו׃<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
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
Hosea 14:9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in…
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:29
The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.
- Psalms 107:43
Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.
- John 8:47
Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
- Daniel 12:10
Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.
- Proverbs 10:29
Through
Proverbs 28:18He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:9
He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
- Proverbs 28:6
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
- Revelation 3:3
Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will…
- Proverbs 10:9
Through
Genesis 41:8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
it leads to
- Daniel 4:7
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
- Daniel 4:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this chapter
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); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 9; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).