Esther 4:13

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

Complete Jewish Bible:

asked them to give Ester this answer: "Don't suppose that merely because you happen to be in the royal palace you will escape any more than the other Jews.

Berean Standard Bible:

he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews.

American Standard Version:

Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Then Mordecai^{H4782} commanded^{H559} to answer^{H7725} Esther^{H635}, Think^{H1819} not with thyself^{H5315} that thou shalt escape^{H4422} in the king's^{H4428} house^{H1004}, more than all the Jews^{H3064}.

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Commentary for Esther 4:13

Esther 4:13 is a pivotal verse in the Book of Esther, which is set in the Persian Empire during the 5th century BCE. The verse captures a moment of urgency and moral clarity amidst a crisis facing the Jewish people. Esther, a Jewess, has become queen of Persia, but her identity is unknown to the king. Mordecai, her cousin, refuses to bow to Haman, the king's advisor, leading Haman to plot a genocide against all Jews in the empire.

In this context, Mordecai sends a message to Esther, challenging her to consider the gravity of the situation. The verse conveys a stark warning that Esther's position in the king's palace will not spare her from the impending danger targeting her people. Mordecai's words serve to awaken Esther to her responsibility, suggesting that her elevated status may, in fact, have been providentially arranged for such a time as this—to intercede on behalf of her people.

The themes present in this verse include the courage to confront injustice, the sense of duty to one's community, and the recognition that privilege does not guarantee immunity from peril. It also touches on the idea of divine providence, hinting that Esther's queenship might be part of a larger plan for the deliverance of the Jews. This verse sets the stage for Esther's subsequent actions, where she risks her life to save her people, exemplifying leadership and self-sacrifice. The historical context of the Persian period, with its diverse population and the potential for ethnic tension, provides a backdrop for the narrative's exploration of identity, loyalty, and the role of individuals in shaping history.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H4782
   There are 52 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מׇרְדְּכַי
   Transliteration: Mordᵉkay
   Pronunciation: mor-dek-ah'-ee
   Description: of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite; Mordecai.
   
2. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7725
   There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שׁוּב
   Transliteration: shûwb
   Pronunciation: shoob
   Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
   
4. Strong's Number: H635
   There are 73 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶסְתֵּר
   Transliteration: ʼEçtêr
   Pronunciation: es-tare'
   Description: of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine; Esther.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1819
   There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּמָה
   Transliteration: dâmâh
   Pronunciation: daw-maw'
   Description: a primitive root; to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider; compare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think, use similitudes.
   
6. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
7. Strong's Number: H4422
   There are 85 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָלַט
   Transliteration: mâlaṭ
   Pronunciation: maw-lat'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit sparks; deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone, let go, preserve, save, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] surely.
   
8. Strong's Number: H4428
   There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
   Transliteration: melek
   Pronunciation: meh'-lek
   Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
   
9. Strong's Number: H1004
   There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּיִת
   Transliteration: bayith
   Pronunciation: bah'-yith
   Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out).
   
10. Strong's Number: H3064
    There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהוּדִי
    Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdîy
    Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-dee'
    Description: patronymically from יְהוּדָה; a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah); Jew.