Esther 9:12
in Esther 9who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
KJV
And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
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This verse in Esther 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Thus the Jews smote all their enemies--The effect of the two antagonistic decrees was, in the meantime, to raise a fierce and bloody war between the Jews and their enemies throughout the Persian empire; but through the dread of Esther and Mordecai, the provincial governors universally favored their cause, so that their enemies fell in great numbers.
This site's exposition
On that day the number
on Esther 9:11-14
The count reaches the king, and his offer to Esther brings a request: that "the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows". The commentators generally read a queen securing her people in a capital still hostile to them. The text records the request without praise or blame.
This site's exposition
who said to Queen Esther
John Gill allows that the count may have reached the king from men hoping to turn him against the Jews. The king instead reckons the provinces from Susa's five hundred and asks what the rest have done. The offer that opened the banquets is made once more.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Queen Esther's endeavor to successfully crush her enemies and root them out reveals the eagerness and zeal of a true queen, namely, of the holy church that constantly fights against her enemies and strives to defeat them completely and subdue them. And it is her …
This contention of Queen Esther, in which she fights to have her enemies aggressively attacked and wiped out, expresses the zeal and ingenuity of the true queen, that is, of the holy Church which harasses her enemies without respite and struggles to scatter them completely …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
But their humanity forbade them to do that, though that was designed against them. They slew none but those they found in arms; and therefore they did not take the spoil, but left it to the women and little ones, whom they spared, for their subsistence; otherwise as good slay them as starve them, take away their lives as take away their livelihoods.
), and asked her what more she desired. "Nothing," says she, "but commission to do such another day's work." Esther surely was none of the blood-thirsty, none of those that delight in slaughter, but she had some very good reasons that moved her to make this request.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the king said unto Esther the queen,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And let Haman’s ten sons be hung from a gallows. Those who were slain.
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. 6 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
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר | leester | to Esther | H635 → | 55 times |
| הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה | hamalkah | the queen | H4436 → | 35 times |
| בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן | beshushan | in Susa | H7800 → | 21 times |
| הַבִּירָ֡ה | habirah | the citadel | H1002 → | 16 times |
| הָרְגוּ֩ | haregu | they have killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֨ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| וְאַבֵּ֜ד | veabed | and they have destroyed | H6 → | 184 times |
| חֲמֵ֧שׁ | chamesh | five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| מֵא֣וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת | ʾaseret | [the] ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָמָ֔ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| בִּשְׁאָ֛ר | bishar | in [the] rest of | H7605 → | |
| מְדִינ֥וֹת | medinot | [the] provinces of | H4082 → | 53 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מֶ֣ה | meh | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עָשׂ֑וּ | ʾasu | have they done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵךְ֙ | sheelatekh | [is] petition your | H7596 → | 14 times |
| וְיִנָּ֣תֵֽן | veyinaten | so it may be given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | to you | ||
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֥ךְ | bakashatekh | [is] request your | H1246 → | 8 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | more | H5750 → | 490 times |
| וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃ | veteas | and it may be done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לְאֶסְתֵּ֣רto Esther
leesterH635 →55 times
הַמַּלְכָּ֗הthe queen
hamalkahH4436 →35 times
בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ןin Susa
beshushanH7800 →21 times
הַבִּירָ֡הthe citadel
habirahH1002 →16 times
הָרְגוּ֩they have killed
hareguH2026 →167 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֨יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
וְאַבֵּ֜דand they have destroyed
veabedH6 →184 times
חֲמֵ֧שׁfive
chameshH2568 →343 times
מֵא֣וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אִ֗ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת[the] ten
ʾaseretH6235 →176 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
הָמָ֔ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
בִּשְׁאָ֛רin [the] rest of
bisharH7605 →
מְדִינ֥וֹת[the] provinces of
medinotH4082 →53 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
מֶ֣הwhat?
mehH4100 →752 times
עָשׂ֑וּhave they done
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵךְ֙[is] petition your
sheelatekhH7596 →14 times
וְיִנָּ֣תֵֽןso it may be given
veyinatenH5414 →2011 times
לָ֔ךְto you
lakh
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֥ךְ[is] request your
bakashatekhH1246 →8 times
ע֖וֹדmore
odH5750 →490 times
וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃and it may be done
veteasH6213 →2628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
4 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
Esther 5:6And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be…
it leads to
- Esther 5:3
“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Esther 7:2
and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to…
- Esther 5:3
Through
Esther 7:2and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to…
it leads to
- John 16:24
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
- Esther 5:6
And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be…
- John 16:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 12 and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.