Esther 8:11
in Esther 8By 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 to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
KJV
Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
⋯
This verse in Esther 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This fresh decree allowed the Jews to stand on their defense, and to kill all who attacked them. It has been pronounced incredible that any king would thus have sanctioned civil war in all the great cities of his empire; but some even of the more skeptical critics allow that “Xerxes” might not improbably have done so.
This site's exposition
By these letters the king permitted
on Esther 8:11-14
The decree uses the words of Haman's decree at 3:13, "to destroy, kill, and annihilate," with the target reversed. The Jews may "assemble and defend themselves". It grants them leave "to plunder their possessions," so the refusal of plunder three times in chapter 9 is a chosen restraint.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
So when this earthly king orders his couriers to gather the Jews in each place, and to command them to assemble so that they might fight for their lives and kill all their enemies together with their wives and children and all their houses, this …
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
This was the reason on account of which the king was laid under a necessity not to reverse, but to issue a contradictory edict; according to which it was enacted that if, pursuant to the first decree, the Jews were assaulted, they might, by virtue of the second, defend themselves and even slay their enemies.
To destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish - The same words as in Haman’s decree: therefore the Jews had as much authority to slay their enemies, as their enemies had to slay them. Little ones and women - This was the ordinary custom, to destroy the whole family of those convicted of great crimes; and whether this was right or wrong, it was the custom of the people, and according to the laws. Besides, as this edict was to give the Jews the same power against their enemies as they had by the former decree against them, and the women and children were there included; consequently they must be included here.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
With their booty to be taken. As was written in the first [letters], but they did not lay their hands upon the spoils, for they showed everyone that this was not done for the sake of money.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Carried by couriers. The horsemen, whom he [the king] commanded to hurry.
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. 4 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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֨ן | natan | he had permitted | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לַיְּהוּדִ֣ים׀ | laiyehudim | to the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | [were] in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עִיר־ | ʾir- | city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וָעִ֗יר | vair | and city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| לְהִקָּהֵל֮ | lehikahel | to assemble | H6950 → | 39 times |
| וְלַעֲמֹ֣ד | velaamod | and to make a stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נַפְשָׁם֒ | nafsham | life their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְהַשְׁמִיד֩ | lehashmid | to annihilate | H8045 → | 90 times |
| וְלַהֲרֹ֨ג | velaharog | and to kill | H2026 → | 167 times |
| וּלְאַבֵּ֜ד | uleabed | and to destroy | H6 → | 184 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֵ֨יל | cheil | army of | H2428 → | |
| עַ֧ם | ʾam | people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וּמְדִינָ֛ה | umedinah | and province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| הַצָּרִ֥ים | hatzarim | which attacks | H6696 → | |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| טַ֣ף | taf | little one[s] | H2945 → | |
| וְנָשִׁ֑ים | venashim | and women | H802 → | 781 times |
| וּשְׁלָלָ֖ם | ushelalam | and spoil their | H7998 → | |
| לָבֽוֹז׃ | lavoz | to take as plunder | H962 → |
אֲשֶׁר֩that
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֨ןhe had permitted
natanH5414 →2011 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לַיְּהוּדִ֣ים׀to the Jews
laiyehudimH3064 →75 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּכָל־[were] in every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
עִיר־city
ʾir-H5892 →1090 times
וָעִ֗ירand city
vairH5892 →1090 times
לְהִקָּהֵל֮to assemble
lehikahelH6950 →39 times
וְלַעֲמֹ֣דand to make a stand
velaamodH5975 →521 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
נַפְשָׁם֒life their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
לְהַשְׁמִיד֩to annihilate
lehashmidH8045 →90 times
וְלַהֲרֹ֨גand to kill
velaharogH2026 →167 times
וּלְאַבֵּ֜דand to destroy
uleabedH6 →184 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֵ֨ילarmy of
cheilH2428 →
עַ֧םpeople
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
וּמְדִינָ֛הand province
umedinahH4082 →53 times
הַצָּרִ֥יםwhich attacks
hatzarimH6696 →
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
טַ֣ףlittle one[s]
tafH2945 →
וְנָשִׁ֑יםand women
venashimH802 →781 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
Ezekiel 39:10They will not gather wood from the countryside or cut it from the forests, for they will use the weapons for fuel. They will loot those who looted them and plunder those who plundered…
it leads to
- Isaiah 33:1
Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.
- Isaiah 14:2
The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their…
- Micah 5:8
Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which…
- Isaiah 33:1
Through
Esther 3:13And 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…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 30:6
So 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…
- Esther 9:10
They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
- Esther 8:10–14
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
- 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…
- James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- 2 Chronicles 30:6
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; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 11 and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).