Esther 10:2
in Esther 10And all of Mordecai’s powerful and magnificent accomplishments, together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
KJV
And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
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This verse in Esther 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe book of the chronicles of Media and Persia? - The Persians have ever been remarkable for keeping exact chronicles of all public events. Their Tareekhs, which are compositions of this kind, are still very numerous, and indeed very important.
This site's exposition
Now King Xerxes imposed tribute
on Esther 10:1-3
Mordecai's deeds are referred to "the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia". The last verse names him "seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen". The war with Agag of 1 Samuel 15 closes in an archive.
This site's exposition
And all of Mordecai’s powerful and magnificent
The Berean gives the powerful accomplishments to Mordecai, and Albert Barnes read the power and might as the king's, shown in his buildings at Persepolis. Barnes explains the order Media and Persia: Media's kingdom came first. Matthew Henry notes that those Persian chronicles are lost, while this book remains.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
What does the text mean when it says that King Ahasuerus made all lands and all islands of the sea subject to his tributes? Since the historical king of the Persians and Medes did not have all lands under his rule, nor was he able …
That King Ahasuerus exacted tribute from all the islands, which is where the Hebrew version of the story of Esther comes to an end... Why are we told that King Ahasuerus exacted tribute from every land, and from all the islands of the sea? Because …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. How great and powerful king Ahasuerus was.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:90%@v1-3
), which are long since lost and buried in oblivion, while the sacred writings live, live in honour, and will live till time shall be no more. When the kingdoms of men, monarchs and monarchies, are destroyed, and their memorial has perished with them ( Ps. ix. 6 ), the kingdom of God among men, and the records of that kingdom, shall remain and be as the days of heaven, Dan. ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And all the acts of his power, and of his might,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Acting uniformly on the great principles of truth and righteousness, his greatness rested on a firm foundation. His faith was openly avowed, and his influence as a professor of the true religion was of the greatest usefulness for promoting the welfare of the Jewish people, as well as for advancing the glory of God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Power and ... might - In the later years of Xerxes his “power and might” were chiefly shown in the erection of magnificent buildings, more especially at Persepolis. He abstained from military expeditions. Kings of Media and Persia - Media takes precedence of Persia because the kingdom of Media had preceded that of Persia, and in the “book of the Chronicles” its history came first.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
By most of his brethren. By not by all his brethren, this teaches us that part of the Sanhedrin separated from him because he became close to the monarchy and neglected his studies. 1 Maseches Megillah 16b and see Rashi there.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land. [Areas] that were not under his kingship, but feared him, and also on islands distant from him. And the verse mentions this to inform that he succeeded in all of his ways, and his strength was seen, now that Mordekhai was his deputy.
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. 3 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה | maaseh | [the] achievement of | H4639 → | |
| תָקְפּוֹ֙ | takepo | power his | H8633 → | |
| וּגְב֣וּרָת֔וֹ | ugevurato | and might his | H1369 → | |
| וּפָרָשַׁת֙ | ufarashat | and [the] full account of | H6575 → | |
| גְּדֻלַּ֣ת | gedulat | [the] greatness of | H1420 → | 12 times |
| מָרְדֳּכַ֔י | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| גִּדְּל֖וֹ | gidelo | he had made great him | H1431 → | 117 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הֲלוֹא־ | halo'- | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֵ֣ם | hem | [are] they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| כְּתוּבִ֗ים | ketuvim | written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| סֵ֙פֶר֙ | sefer | [the] scroll of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַיָּמִ֔ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לְמַלְכֵ֖י | lemalkhei | of [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מָדַ֥י | madai | Media | H4074 → | 16 times |
| וּפָרָֽס׃ | ufaras | and Persia | H6539 → | 28 times |
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה[the] achievement of
maasehH4639 →
תָקְפּוֹ֙power his
takepoH8633 →
וּגְב֣וּרָת֔וֹand might his
ugevuratoH1369 →
וּפָרָשַׁת֙and [the] full account of
ufarashatH6575 →
גְּדֻלַּ֣ת[the] greatness of
gedulatH1420 →12 times
מָרְדֳּכַ֔יMordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
גִּדְּל֖וֹhe had made great him
gideloH1431 →117 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הֲלוֹא־¿ not
halo'-H3808 →5168 times
הֵ֣ם[are] they
hemH1992 →553 times
כְּתוּבִ֗יםwritten
ketuvimH3789 →224 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
סֵ֙פֶר֙[the] scroll of
seferH5612 →186 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַיָּמִ֔יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
לְמַלְכֵ֖יof [the] kings of
lemalkheiH4428 →2525 times
מָדַ֥יMedia
madaiH4074 →16 times
וּפָרָֽס׃and Persia
ufarasH6539 →28 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 6:1That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
it leads to
- Daniel 2:1
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
- Daniel 6:18
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
- Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Esther 5:8
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the…
- Daniel 2:1
Through
Psalms 18:35You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 22:36
You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.
- James 3:17–18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- Psalms 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.
- Galatians 5:22–23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- 2 Samuel 22:36
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 & 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, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 14 and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.