Esther 8:9
in Esther 8At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then were the king’s scribes called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
KJV
Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
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This verse in Esther 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe month of Sivan, which comes third after Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, is the same one the Greeks call Thessaroi and the Romans Junius. On the twenty-third day of that month new letters were dictated by Mordecai in order to refute the earlier letters …
This site's exposition
in the third month, that is, the month Sivan
on Esther 8:9-10
The counter-decree is drawn up in the third month, Sivan, on its twenty-third day, roughly seventy days after Haman's decree went out in the first month at 3:12, leaving the Jews some eight months' warning before the thirteenth of Adar arrives. The scribes write to the same hundred twenty and seven provinces in the same many languages Haman's decree used, and the letters travel the same royal courier system, posts on horseback and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries, a detail of the Persian relay system the commentators note as fact rather than ornament. The machinery Haman built for destruction now carries the opposite message over the identical roads.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
The month of Sivan, which is the third after Nisan among the Jews, and is called Thessari among the Greeks, is named June among Latin peoples. On the twenty-third day of this month new letters were written according to Mordecai's dictation in order to invalidate …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then were the king's scribes called at that time,.... As they were to write the former letter, Est 3:12, in the third month, that is the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; which answers to part of May, and part of June.
It was to be carefully dispersed throughout all the king's dominions, and true copies sent by expresses to all the provinces. The purport of this decree was to commission the Jews, upon the day which was appointed for their destruction, to draw together in a body for their own defence.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The month Sivan - This answers to a part of our May and June.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sivan corresponds nearly to our June; it was the second month from the issue of the first edict Est 3:12.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Carried by couriers. The horsemen, whom he [the king] commanded to hurry.
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. 4 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
43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקָּרְא֣וּ | vaiyikareu | and they were summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| סֹפְרֵֽי־ | soferei- | [the] scribes of | H5613 → | |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּֽעֵת־ | baet- | at the time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| הַ֠הִיא | hahi' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ | bachodesh | in the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י | hashelishi | <the> third | H7992 → | |
| הוּא־ | hu'- | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| חֹ֣דֶשׁ | chodesh | [is] [the] month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| סִיוָ֗ן | sivan | Sivan | H5510 → | |
| בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֣ה | bishloshah | on [day] three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| וְעֶשְׂרִים֮ | veesrim | and twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| בּוֹ֒ | bo | in <the> it | ||
| וַיִּכָּתֵ֣ב | vaiyikatev | and it was written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| כְּֽכָל־ | kekhol- | according to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֣ה | tzivah | he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| מָרְדֳּכַ֣י | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| וְאֶ֣ל | veel | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִֽים־ | haachashdarpenim- | the satraps | H323 → | 4 times |
| וְהַפַּחוֹת֩ | vehapachot | and the governors | H6346 → | 28 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֨י | vesarei | and [the] officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַמְּדִינ֜וֹת | hamedinot | the provinces | H4082 → | 53 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מֵהֹ֣דּוּ | mehodu | [were] from India | H1912 → | |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| כּ֗וּשׁ | kush | Cush | H3568 → | |
| שֶׁ֣בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים | veesrim | and twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| וּמֵאָה֙ | umeah | and a hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| מְדִינָ֔ה | medinah | province[s] | H4082 → | 53 times |
| מְדִינָ֤ה | medinah | province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וּמְדִינָה֙ | umedinah | and province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ | kikhtavah | according to writing its | H3791 → | 17 times |
| וְעַ֥ם | veam | and people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וָעָ֖ם | vaam | and people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כִּלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ | kilshono | according to language its | H3956 → | 117 times |
| וְאֶ֨ל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| כִּכְתָבָ֖ם | kikhtavam | according to writing their | H3791 → | 17 times |
| וְכִלְשׁוֹנָֽם׃ | vekhilshonam | and according to language their | H3956 → | 117 times |
וַיִּקָּרְא֣וּand they were summoned
vaiyikareuH7121 →733 times
סֹפְרֵֽי־[the] scribes of
soferei-H5613 →
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּֽעֵת־at the time
baet-H6256 →296 times
הַ֠הִיא<the> that
hahi'H1931 →1879 times
בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁin the month
bachodeshH2320 →284 times
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י<the> third
hashelishiH7992 →
הוּא־that
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
חֹ֣דֶשׁ[is] [the] month of
chodeshH2320 →284 times
סִיוָ֗ןSivan
sivanH5510 →
בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֣הon [day] three
bishloshahH7969 →432 times
וְעֶשְׂרִים֮and twenty
veesrimH6242 →315 times
בּוֹ֒in <the> it
bo
וַיִּכָּתֵ֣בand it was written
vaiyikatevH3789 →224 times
כְּֽכָל־according to all
kekhol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֣הhe commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
מָרְדֳּכַ֣יMordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֡יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
וְאֶ֣לand to
veelH413 →5510 times
הָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִֽים־the satraps
haachashdarpenim-H323 →4 times
וְהַפַּחוֹת֩and the governors
vehapachotH6346 →28 times
וְשָׂרֵ֨יand [the] officials of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
הַמְּדִינ֜וֹתthe provinces
hamedinotH4082 →53 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מֵהֹ֣דּוּ[were] from India
mehoduH1912 →
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
כּ֗וּשׁCush
kushH3568 →
שֶׁ֣בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
וְעֶשְׂרִ֤יםand twenty
veesrimH6242 →315 times
וּמֵאָה֙and a hundred
umeahH3967 →581 times
מְדִינָ֔הprovince[s]
medinahH4082 →53 times
מְדִינָ֤הprovince
medinahH4082 →53 times
וּמְדִינָה֙and province
umedinahH4082 →53 times
כִּכְתָבָ֔הּaccording to writing its
kikhtavahH3791 →17 times
וְעַ֥םand people
veamH5971 →1873 times
וָעָ֖םand people
vaamH5971 →1873 times
כִּלְשֹׁנ֑וֹaccording to language its
kilshonoH3956 →117 times
וְאֶ֨ל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֔יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
כִּכְתָבָ֖םaccording to writing their
kikhtavamH3791 →17 times
וְכִלְשׁוֹנָֽם׃and according to language their
vekhilshonamH3956 →117 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
Esther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
it leads to
- Daniel 9:1
In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—
- Ezra 4:6
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
- Daniel 9:1
Through
Daniel 4:1King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
it leads to
- Daniel 6:25
Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound.
- 1 Peter 1:2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
- Daniel 3:4
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:
- Daniel 6:25
Through
Esther 1:22He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his…
it leads to
- Esther 3:12
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of…
- Ephesians 5:22–24
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
- Esther 3:12
Through
2 Kings 18:26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the…
it leads to
- Ezra 4:7
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
- Ezra 4:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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, Commentary on Esther and Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 11.