Esther 3:14
in Esther 3A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
KJV
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
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This verse in Esther 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe copy of the writing, for a commandment to be given in every province, was published unto all people,.... Not only letters were sent to the governors, but a copy, or the sum of the contents of them, was published by heralds, or stuck up as with us, in various places, that it might be publicly known by the common people everywhere: that they should be ready against that day; and fall upon the people of the Jews, and slay them, and seize on their goods as a prey.
This site's exposition
A copy of the text
on Esther 3:14-15
The chapter closes on two clauses: "the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion". The narrator adds no comment. The book, which never names God, leaves the city's distress to speak for itself.
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.
This Haman was an Agagite (an Amalekite, says Josephus), probably of the descendants of Agag, a common name of the princes of Amalek, as appears, Num. xxiv. Some think that he was by birth a prince, as Jehoiakim was, whose seat was set above the rest of the captive kings ( 2 Kings xxv.
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The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶן | patshegen | <the> copy of | H6572 → | 4 times |
| הַכְּתָ֗ב | haketav | the writing | H3791 → | 17 times |
| לְהִנָּ֤תֵֽן | lehinaten | [was] to be given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| דָּת֙ | dat | law | H1881 → | 22 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְדִינָ֣ה | medinah | province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וּמְדִינָ֔ה | umedinah | and province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| גָּל֖וּי | galui | [was] disclosed | H1540 → | 186 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָֽעַמִּ֑ים | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לִהְי֥וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֲתִדִ֖ים | ʾatidim | ready | H6264 → | |
| לַיּ֥וֹם | laiyom | for the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
פַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶן<the> copy of
patshegenH6572 →4 times
הַכְּתָ֗בthe writing
haketavH3791 →17 times
לְהִנָּ֤תֵֽן[was] to be given
lehinatenH5414 →2011 times
דָּת֙law
datH1881 →22 times
בְּכָל־in every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מְדִינָ֣הprovince
medinahH4082 →53 times
וּמְדִינָ֔הand province
umedinahH4082 →53 times
גָּל֖וּי[was] disclosed
galuiH1540 →186 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הָֽעַמִּ֑יםthe peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
לִהְי֥וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
עֲתִדִ֖יםready
ʾatidimH6264 →
לַיּ֥וֹםfor the day
laiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Esther
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).