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Esther 4:4

in Esther 4

When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Esther’s maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not.

KJV

So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

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This verse in Esther 4

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Then was the queen . . . grieved; and . . . sent raiment to . . . Mordecai--Her object in doing so was either to qualify him for resuming his former office, or else, perhaps, of fitting him to come near enough to the palace to inform her of the cause of such sudden and extreme distress.

This site's exposition

When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came

on Esther 4:4-6

Esther's first response is clothing, and "he would not accept them": comfort is refused until the truth is faced. The queen must learn of her people's death sentence through Hathach, because the palace has sealed her off from the city's news. Every message in these verses passes through a go-between.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Rabanus Maurus

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 7 · Written before 856.

proposed

When Mordecai heard about the destruction of the Jews which had been sanctioned with an imperial decree, he put on clothes for mourning and proceeded to the gates of the palace with bitterness in his soul and grief in his voice. In the same way, …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Esther Resolves to Petition the King. 5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was. 6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v4-6

So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Sent raiment - She supposed that he must have been spoiled of his raiment by some means; and therefore sent him clothing.
Esther’s maids ... told it her - Esther’s nationality and her relationship to Mordecai were probably by this time known to her attendants, though still concealed from the king. See Est 7:4.

The words behind it

19 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַ֠תָּבֹאינָהand they came

    vatevoeinahH935 →2568 times

  • נַעֲר֨וֹת[the] maids of

    naarotH5291 →63 times

  • אֶסְתֵּ֤רEsther

    ʾesterH635 →55 times

  • וְסָרִיסֶ֙יהָ֙and eunuchs her

    vesariseihaH5631 →42 times

  • וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּand they told

    vaiyagiduH5046 →370 times

  • לָ֔הּto her

    lah

  • וַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥לand she agonized

    vatitchalchalH2342 →

  • הַמַּלְכָּ֖הthe queen

    hamalkahH4436 →35 times

  • מְאֹ֑דexceedingly

    meodH3966 →

  • וַתִּשְׁלַ֨חand she sent

    vatishlachH7971 →845 times

  • בְּגָדִ֜יםgarments

    begadimH899 →

  • לְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁto clothe

    lehalbishH3847 →110 times

  • אֶֽת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • מָרְדֳּכַ֗יMordecai

    maredokhaiH4782 →60 times

  • וּלְהָסִ֥ירand to remove

    ulehasirH5493 →299 times

  • שַׂקּ֛וֹsackcloth his

    sakoH8242 →49 times

  • מֵעָלָ֖יוfrom on <the> him

    mealavH5921 →5755 times

  • וְלֹ֥אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • קִבֵּֽל׃he accepted [them]

    kibelH6901 →13 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Kings 25:29So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.7 worksPsalms 77:2In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.6 works1 Samuel 8:15He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.4 works2 Kings 9:32He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.4 worksGenesis 37:35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.4 worksIsaiah 56:3Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”4 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jeremiah 31:15This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”4 worksEsther 1:12Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.4 worksProverbs 31:26She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.4 worksActs 8:27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,3 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Psalms 77:2

    In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 26:9

      My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

    • Psalms 50:15

      Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

    • Isaiah 26:16

      O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.

    • Genesis 37:35

      All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

    • Hebrews 5:7

      During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…

  • Through

    Isaiah 56:3

    Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 6:17

      But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.

    • Acts 10:34

      Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,

    • Matthew 19:12–30

      For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can…

Where this verse is studied

About Esther

Esther Before the King, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Esther Before the King, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Esther: the study guide →Read Esther 4 →

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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 7 and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).

Read on in Esther 4 →