King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
Complete Jewish Bible:
All the officials of the provinces, the army commanders, the governors and those occupied with the king's affairs helped the Jews; because they were afraid of Mordekhai.
Berean Standard Bible:
And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them.
American Standard Version:
And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and they that did the king’s business, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And all the rulers{H8269} of the provinces{H4082}, and the lieutenants{H323}, and the deputies{H6346}, and officers{H6213}{H4399} of the king{H4428}, helped{H5375} the Jews{H3064}; because the fear{H6343} of Mordecai{H4782} fell{H5307} upon them.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezra 8:36
- And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.
Esther 3:2
- And all the king's servants, that [were] in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did [him] reverence.
Esther 3:6
- And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that [were] throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, [even] the people of Mordecai.
Daniel 3:2
- Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 6:1
- ¶ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
Daniel 6:2
- And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel [was] first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
Esther 8:9
- Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that [is], the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which [are] from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
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Commentary for Esther 9:3
Esther 9:3 is a verse set within the context of the Book of Esther, which recounts the story of a Jewish woman named Esther who becomes queen of Persia and thwarts a plot to commit genocide against her people. The historical context is somewhat ambiguous, as the book does not specify a particular Persian king or provide exact historical markers, but it is generally thought to be set during the Persian period, roughly around the 5th century BCE.
The verse itself reflects a turning point in the narrative where the tide has shifted in favor of the Jewish population living within the vast Persian Empire. Due to the courageous actions of Esther and her cousin Mordecai, who have exposed a treacherous scheme against the king and the Jews, Mordecai has been elevated to a position of high authority and influence within the court.
In Esther 9:3, we see the impact of Mordecai's newfound status as his fear, or more accurately, the respect and authority he commands, has become pervasive among the ruling class of the empire. The rulers of the provinces, lieutenants, deputies, and other officers are now actively assisting the Jews. This assistance is a direct consequence of the king's earlier decrees, influenced by Esther and Mordecai, which allowed the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies and which had been disseminated throughout the empire.
The themes present in this verse include the reversal of fortune, where those who were once oppressed are now supported by the same power structures that threatened them. It also highlights the influence of individual characters in shaping historical events and the role of divine providence in the deliverance of the Jewish people. The fear of Mordecai symbolizes the respect for Jewish wisdom and leadership, as well as the recognition by the Persian authorities of the Jews' right to live peacefully within the empire. This verse underscores the broader themes of the Book of Esther, which include the triumph of justice over injustice, the intervention of the powerless against the powerful, and the ultimate vindication of the Jewish community in the face of existential threat.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H8269
There are 368 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שַׂר
Transliteration: sar
Pronunciation: sar
Description: from שָׂרַר; a head person (of any rank or class); captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward. - Strong's Number: H4082
There are 40 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְדִינָה
Transliteration: mᵉdîynâh
Pronunciation: med-ee-naw'
Description: from דִּין; properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region; ([idiom] every) province. - Strong's Number: H323
There are 60 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן
Transliteration: ʼăchashdarpan
Pronunciation: akh-ash-dar-pan'
Description: of Persian derivation; a satrap or governorof amain province (of Persia); lieutenant. - Strong's Number: H6346
There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פֶּחָה
Transliteration: pechâh
Pronunciation: peh-khaw'
Description: of foreign origin; a prefect (of a city or small district); captain, deputy, governor. - Strong's Number: H6213
There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָשָׂה
Transliteration: ʻâsâh
Pronunciation: aw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. - Strong's Number: H4399
There are 149 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְלָאכָה
Transliteration: mᵉlâʼkâh
Pronunciation: mel-aw-kaw'
Description: from the same as מֲלְאָךְ; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor); business, [phrase] cattle, [phrase] industrious, occupation, ([phrase] -pied), [phrase] officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship). - 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. - Strong's Number: H5375
There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשָׂא
Transliteration: nâsâʼ
Pronunciation: naw-saw'
Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield. - 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. - Strong's Number: H6343
There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּחַד
Transliteration: pachad
Pronunciation: pakh'-ad
Description: from פָּחַד; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling); dread(-ful), fear, (thing) great (fear, -ly feared), terror. - 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. - Strong's Number: H5307
There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָפַל
Transliteration: nâphal
Pronunciation: naw-fal'
Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.