Esther 3:13
in Esther 3And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
KJV
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
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This verse in Esther 3
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Present, the Jews keep three days - the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar - as connected with “the Feast of Purim;” but they make the 13th a fast, commemorative of the fast of Esther Est 4:16, and keep the feast itself on the 14th and 15th of Adar.
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.
This site's exposition
And the letters were sent by couriers
The order to plunder their possessions gave every man in the provinces a reason to kill a Jew, as Clarke notes. Henry observes that the letters name no crime and offer no terms for the lives of the people. Barnes notes the Jews later kept that day as a fast.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Nor is it merely a straightforward fact that it was the twelfth month of the year, which is called Adar, that was set aside by lot for the murder of Israel; it signifies rather that the grace of Christ, which has been entrusted to the …
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.
And the letters were sent by post into all the king's provinces,....
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.
To destroy, so kill, and to cause to perish - To put the whole of them to death in any manner, or by every way and means. Take the spoil of them for a prey - Thus, whoever killed a Jew had his property for his trouble! And thus the hand of every man was armed against this miserable people. Both in the Greek version and in the Latin the copy of this order is introduced at length, expressing “the king’s desire to have all his dominions in quiet and prosperity; but that he is informed that this cannot be expected, while a certain detestable people are disseminated through all his provinces, who not only are not subject to the laws, but endeavor to change them; and that nothing less than their utter extermination will secure the peace and prosperity of the empire; and therefore he orders that they be all destroyed, both male and female, young and old,” etc.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The terms. An Aramaic term [meaning] the account of the writ, disreinement in O.F. [text, content, account].
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
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִשְׁל֨וֹחַ | venishloach | and they were sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| סְפָרִ֜ים | sefarim | documents | H5612 → | 186 times |
| בְּיַ֣ד | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָרָצִים֮ | haratzim | the runners | H7323 → | 103 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְדִינ֣וֹת | medinot | [the] provinces of | H4082 → | 53 times |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לְהַשְׁמִ֡יד | lehashmid | to annihilate | H8045 → | 90 times |
| לַהֲרֹ֣ג | laharog | to kill | H2026 → | 167 times |
| וּלְאַבֵּ֣ד | uleabed | and to destroy | H6 → | 184 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַ֠יְּהוּדִים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| מִנַּ֨עַר | minaar | from young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and unto | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| זָקֵ֜ן | zaken | old [man] | H2205 → | |
| טַ֤ף | taf | little one[s] | H2945 → | |
| וְנָשִׁים֙ | venashim | and women | H802 → | 781 times |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | on a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֥ה | bishloshah | on [day] thir- | H7969 → | 432 times |
| עָשָׂ֛ר | ʾasar | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| לְחֹ֥דֶשׁ | lechodesh | of month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| שְׁנֵים־ | sheneim- | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֖ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| הוּא־ | hu'- | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| חֹ֣דֶשׁ | chodesh | [is] [the] month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| אֲדָ֑ר | ʾadar | Adar | H143 → | 8 times |
| וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם | ushelalam | and spoil their | H7998 → | |
| לָבֽוֹז׃ | lavoz | to take as plunder | H962 → |
וְנִשְׁל֨וֹחַand they were sent
venishloachH7971 →845 times
סְפָרִ֜יםdocuments
sefarimH5612 →186 times
בְּיַ֣דby [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
הָרָצִים֮the runners
haratzimH7323 →103 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מְדִינ֣וֹת[the] provinces of
medinotH4082 →53 times
הַמֶּלֶךְ֒the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לְהַשְׁמִ֡ידto annihilate
lehashmidH8045 →90 times
לַהֲרֹ֣גto kill
laharogH2026 →167 times
וּלְאַבֵּ֣דand to destroy
uleabedH6 →184 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַ֠יְּהוּדִיםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
מִנַּ֨עַרfrom young man
minaarH5288 →239 times
וְעַד־and unto
vead-H5704 →1261 times
זָקֵ֜ןold [man]
zakenH2205 →
טַ֤ףlittle one[s]
tafH2945 →
וְנָשִׁים֙and women
venashimH802 →781 times
בְּי֣וֹםon a day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֥הon [day] thir-
bishloshahH7969 →432 times
עָשָׂ֛רteen
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
לְחֹ֥דֶשׁof month
lechodeshH2320 →284 times
שְׁנֵים־two [plus]
sheneim-H8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֖רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
הוּא־that
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
חֹ֣דֶשׁ[is] [the] month of
chodeshH2320 →284 times
אֲדָ֑רAdar
ʾadarH143 →8 times
וּשְׁלָלָ֖םand spoil their
ushelalamH7998 →
לָבֽוֹז׃to take as plunder
lavozH962 →
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
1 Samuel 15:3Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and…
it leads to
- Numbers 24:20
Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”
- Deuteronomy 20:16–18
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Isaiah 14:21–22
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.
- Numbers 24:20
Through
1 Samuel 22:19He also put to the sword Nob, the city of the priests, with its men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and…
- 1 Samuel 15:3
Through
2 Chronicles 30:6So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:31
One courier races to meet another, and messenger follows messenger, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end.
- Esther 8:14
The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
- Jeremiah 51:31
Through
Esther 9:10They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
it leads to
- Esther 8:11
By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile…
- Esther 5:11
Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
- Esther 8:11
Where this verse is studied
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 and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.