Esther 3:12
in Esther 3On 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 each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then were the king’s scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
KJV
Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
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This verse in Esther 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseUnto the king’s lieutenants - אחשדרפני achashdarpeney. This is in all probability another Persian word, for there is nothing like it in the Hebrew language, nor can it be fairly deduced from any roots in that tongue. The Vulgate translates ad omnes satrapas regis, to all the satraps of the king.
This site's exposition
On the thirteenth day
on Esther 3:12-13
The scribes write Haman's order in every script and language, "sealed with the royal signet ring". The decree is exact: "to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews," on "a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar". Keil notes that the date is the one the lot chose at 3:7.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
No crime is laid to their charge; it is not pretended that they were obnoxious to the public justice, nor is any condition offered, upon performance of which they might have their lives spared; but die they must, without mercy.
Then were the king's scribes called, on the thirteenth day of the first month,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then were the king's scribes called . . . and there was written--The government secretaries were employed in making out the proclamation authorizing a universal massacre of the Jews on one day. It was translated into the dialects of all the people throughout the vast empire, and swift messengers were sent to carry it into all the provinces.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
On the thirteenth day - Haman had, apparently (compare Est 3:7 with Est 3:13), obtained by his use of the lot the 13th day of Adar as the lucky day for destroying the Jews. This may have caused him to fix on the 13th day of another month for the commencement of his enterprise. So, the Jews throughout the empire had from 9 to 11 months of warning of the peril which threatened them.
The words behind it
40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקָּרְאוּ֩ | vaiyikareu | and they were summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| סֹפְרֵ֨י | soferei | [the] scribes of | H5613 → | |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ | bachodesh | in the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן | harishon | <the> first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨ה | bishloshah | on thir- | H7969 → | 432 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ר | ʾasar | teenth | H6240 → | 338 times |
| יוֹם֮ | yom | day | H3117 → | 2304 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 |
| הָמָ֡ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| אֶ֣ל | ʾel | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵֽי־ | ʾachashdarpenei- | [the] satraps of | H323 → | 4 times |
| הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְֽאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַפַּח֞וֹת | hapachot | the governors | H6346 → | 28 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [were] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מְדִינָ֣ה | medinah | province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וּמְדִינָ֗ה | umedinah | and province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׂ֤רֵי | sarei | [the] officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| עַם֙ | ʾam | people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וָעָ֔ם | vaam | and people | H5971 → | 1873 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 |
| כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ | kilshono | according to language its | H3956 → | 117 times |
| בְּשֵׁ֨ם | beshem | in [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ֙ | ʾachashverosh | Ahasuerus | H325 → | 31 times |
| נִכְתָּ֔ב | nikhtav | [it was] written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם | venechtam | and [it was] sealed | H2856 → | 26 times |
| בְּטַבַּ֥עַת | betabaat | with [the] signet-ring of | H2885 → | 49 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיִּקָּרְאוּ֩and they were summoned
vaiyikareuH7121 →733 times
סֹפְרֵ֨י[the] scribes of
sofereiH5613 →
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁin the month
bachodeshH2320 →284 times
הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן<the> first
harishonH7223 →182 times
בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨הon thir-
bishloshahH7969 →432 times
עָשָׂ֣רteenth
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
יוֹם֮day
yomH3117 →2304 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
הָמָ֡ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
אֶ֣לto
ʾelH413 →5510 times
אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵֽי־[the] satraps of
ʾachashdarpenei-H323 →4 times
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְֽאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַפַּח֞וֹתthe governors
hapachotH6346 →28 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[were] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מְדִינָ֣הprovince
medinahH4082 →53 times
וּמְדִינָ֗הand province
umedinahH4082 →53 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
שָׂ֤רֵי[the] officials of
sareiH8269 →421 times
עַם֙people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
וָעָ֔םand people
vaamH5971 →1873 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
כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹaccording to language its
kilshonoH3956 →117 times
בְּשֵׁ֨םin [the] name of
beshemH8034 →864 times
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ֙Ahasuerus
ʾachashveroshH325 →31 times
נִכְתָּ֔ב[it was] written
nikhtavH3789 →224 times
וְנֶחְתָּ֖םand [it was] sealed
venechtamH2856 →26 times
בְּטַבַּ֥עַתwith [the] signet-ring of
betabaatH2885 →49 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
Daniel 6:15Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”
it leads to
- Daniel 6:12
So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 6:12
Through
Esther 8:2The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
it leads to
- Esther 3:10
So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
- Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
- Daniel 2:48
Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
- Esther 3:10
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 8:9
At 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,…
- Ephesians 5:22–24
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
- Esther 8:9
Through
Daniel 6:8Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
it leads to
- Daniel 6:15
Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”
- Esther 1:19
So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never…
- Daniel 6:15
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 & 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.