Esther 8:17
in Esther 8In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen upon them.
KJV
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
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This verse in Esther 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseMany - became Jews; for - fear - These were a species of converts not likely to bring much honor to true religion: but the sacred historian states the simple fact. They did profess Judaism for fear of the Jews, whether they continued steady in that faith or not. It is only the Gospel which will not admit of coercion for the propagation and establishment of its doctrines. It is a spiritual system, and can be propagated only by spiritual influence.
This site's exposition
a time of light and gladness
on Esther 8:16-17
For the Jews it was "a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor". Verse 17 ends, "many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them". Some readers hold these were true converts, and others see prudence.
This site's exposition
In every province and every city
Henry and Barnes read the many who became Jews as proselytes who joined the Jewish people. Clarke doubted that converts made by fear would bring honor to the faith. The text records the fact and the fear, Clarke adds.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Thanks to the strength, wisdom and constancy of the holy martyrs—and to the virtue of Christ which shines among them—many among the Gentiles and the enemies of the church abandoned their idolatry and their pagan superstitions and were converted to the Christian faith because it …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was but lately that we had Esther and Mordecai in tears and in fears, but fasting and praying; now let us see how to them there arose light in darkness. Haman was hanged as a traitor, therefore his estate was forfeited to the crown, and the king gave it all to Esther, in recompence for the fright that wicked man had put her into and the vexation he had created her,
They were like those that dream; then was their mouth filled with laughter, Ps. cxxvi. One good effect of this deliverance was that many of the people of the land, that were considerate, sober, and well inclined, became Jews, were proselyted to the Jewish religion, renounced idolatry, and worshipped the true God only.
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Became Jews - Joined the nation as proselytes, so casting in their lot with them.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְדִינָ֨ה | medinah | province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וּמְדִינָ֜ה | umedinah | and province | H4082 → | 53 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וָעִ֗יר | vair | and city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| מְקוֹם֙ | mekom | [the] place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | <of> where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְדָתוֹ֙ | vedato | and law his | H1881 → | 22 times |
| מַגִּ֔יעַ | magia' | [was] reaching | H5060 → | 150 times |
| שִׂמְחָ֤ה | simchah | gladness | H8057 → | 94 times |
| וְשָׂשׂוֹן֙ | vesason | and joy | H8342 → | |
| לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים | laiyehudim | [belonged] to the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה | mishteh | a feast | H4960 → | 46 times |
| וְי֣וֹם | veyom | and a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| ט֑וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וְרַבִּ֞ים | verabim | and many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| מֵֽעַמֵּ֤י | meamei | of [the] peoples of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | |
| מִֽתְיַהֲדִ֔ים | mityahadim | [were] becoming Jews | H3054 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָפַ֥ל | nafal | it had fallen | H5307 → | 435 times |
| פַּֽחַד־ | pachad- | dread of | H6343 → | 49 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וּבְכָל־and in every
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
מְדִינָ֨הprovince
medinahH4082 →53 times
וּמְדִינָ֜הand province
umedinahH4082 →53 times
וּבְכָל־and in every
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
עִ֣ירcity
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
וָעִ֗ירand city
vairH5892 →1090 times
מְקוֹם֙[the] place
mekomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֨ר<of> where
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דְּבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְדָתוֹ֙and law his
vedatoH1881 →22 times
מַגִּ֔יעַ[was] reaching
magia'H5060 →150 times
שִׂמְחָ֤הgladness
simchahH8057 →94 times
וְשָׂשׂוֹן֙and joy
vesasonH8342 →
לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים[belonged] to the Jews
laiyehudimH3064 →75 times
מִשְׁתֶּ֖הa feast
mishtehH4960 →46 times
וְי֣וֹםand a day
veyomH3117 →2304 times
ט֑וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
וְרַבִּ֞יםand many
verabimH7227 →454 times
מֵֽעַמֵּ֤יof [the] peoples of
meameiH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙the land
haaretzH776 →
מִֽתְיַהֲדִ֔ים[were] becoming Jews
mityahadimH3054 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נָפַ֥לit had fallen
nafalH5307 →435 times
פַּֽחַד־dread of
pachad-H6343 →49 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֖יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃on them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 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
Deuteronomy 11:25No man will be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the fear and dread of you upon all the land, wherever you set foot, as He has promised you.
it leads to
- Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Deuteronomy 7:24
He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them.
- Exodus 23:27
I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.
- Deuteronomy 2:25
This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”
- Joshua 5:1
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until…
- Joshua 1:5
Through
Psalms 18:43You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:5
Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory…
- 2 Samuel 3:1
Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
- Isaiah 55:5
Through
Esther 9:19This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 8:10–12
Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 8:10–12
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 12 and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).