Esther 9:20
in Esther 9Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
KJV
And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
⋯
This verse in Esther 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseMordecai wrote these things - It has been supposed that thus far that part of the book of Esther, which was written by Mordecai extends: what follows to the end, was probably added either by Ezra, or the men of the Great Synagogue; though what is said here may refer only to the letters sent by Mordecai to the Jews of the provinces.
This site's exposition
Mordecai recorded these events
on Esther 9:20-23
Mordecai's letters go to all the provinces to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar every year. The feast builds charity into its joy, "sending gifts to one another and to the poor," as at Nehemiah 8:10-12. So "the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started."
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
When the whole nation of Israel was about to perish, blessed Esther defeated the tyrant's anger simply by fasting and praying to God. By faith she changed the ruin of her people into safety. Those days are feast days for Israel; they used to call a feast when an enemy was slain or a conspiracy against the people was broken up and Israel was delivered. That is why Moses established the Feast of the Passover: because Pharaoh was killed and the people were delivered from bondage. So then, especially when tyrants were slain, temporal feasts and holidays were established in Judea. Now, however, the devil, that tyrant against the whole world, is slain. Therefore, our feast does not relate only to time but to eternity. It is a heavenly feast! We do not announce it as a shadow or a picture or a type but as the real thing.
In the face of all this, brothers and sisters, what should we do but give thanks to God, the king of all? Let us start by crying out the words of the psalm, "Blessed is the Lord, who has not let them eat us up." Let us keep the feast in that way that he has established for our salvation—the holy day of Easter—so that we, along with the angels, may celebrate the heavenly feast. Remember that Israel, coming out of affliction to a state of rest, sang a song of praise for the victory as they kept the feast.
The Medieval Church1 voice
For those who always faithfully perform pious labors, and good works, and who generously give charity, are fighting for this so that they will be worthy to win entry to eternal life in faith, hope and charity, in accordance with the teachings of the Gospels …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But, because there is so little of the language of Canaan in this book, many think it was not written by Mordecai, but was an extract out of the journals of the kings of Persia, giving an account of the matter of fact, which the Jews themselves knew how to comment upon.
12 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Mordecai wrote these things,.... The transactions of those two days, and the causes of them, as well as the following letter; some conclude from hence that he was the penman of the book; and so he might be, but it does not necessarily follow from hence: and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both nigh and far; such as were near the city Shushan, and those that were at the greatest distance from it; these were more especially the things he wrote.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Mordecai wrote these things--Commentators are not agreed what is particularly meant by "these things"; whether the letters following, or an account of these marvellous events to be preserved in the families of the Jewish people, and transmitted from one generation to another.
How the passage was read
On Esther 9:20-32On Esther 9:20-32
The feast this book founds
These verses are the founding charter of Purim, the one feast instituted inside the canon's own narrative books. Its name comes from the “pur,” the lot Haman cast for Israel's destruction. The text itself names the three practices that still define the day: feasting and gladness, sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor (9:22). To this day the whole book of Esther, called the Megillah (“scroll”), is read aloud in the synagogue, with the congregation drowning out Haman's name with noisemakers; the day is kept with costumes, feasting, food baskets to friends, and charity.
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.
Sources: Mishnah Megillah 1:1 (the scroll reading) · Esther 9:22 (the three practices, in the text itself)
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב | vaiyikhto | and he wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| מָרְדֳּכַ֔י | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| סְפָרִ֜ים | sefarim | letters | H5612 → | 186 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | [were] in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְדִינוֹת֙ | medinot | [the] provinces of | H4082 → | 53 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ | ʾachashveroosh | Ahasuerus | H325 → | 31 times |
| הַקְּרוֹבִ֖ים | hakerovim | <the> near | H7138 → | |
| וְהָרְחוֹקִֽים׃ | veharechokim | and <the> far | H7350 → |
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣בand he wrote
vaiyikhtoH3789 →224 times
מָרְדֳּכַ֔יMordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֖יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨חand he sent out
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
סְפָרִ֜יםletters
sefarimH5612 →186 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֗יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
אֲשֶׁר֙who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּכָל־[were] in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מְדִינוֹת֙[the] provinces of
medinotH4082 →53 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁAhasuerus
ʾachashverooshH325 →31 times
הַקְּרוֹבִ֖ים<the> near
hakerovimH7138 →
וְהָרְחוֹקִֽים׃and <the> far
veharechokimH7350 →
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
Esther 8:9At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors,…
it leads to
- Esther 1:22
He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his…
- Esther 1:1
This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
- Esther 3:12–13
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of…
- Esther 1:22
Through
Esther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
it leads to
- Daniel 9:1
In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—
- Ezra 4:6
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
- Esther 9:30
And Mordecai sent letters with words of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes,
- Daniel 6:1
Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
- Esther 8:9
At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors,…
- Daniel 9:1
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 4; Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 8; 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, Commentary on Esther and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).