TRV
Translation
King James Version
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
Complete Jewish Bible
A copy of the document to be issued as a decree in every province was to be publicly proclaimed to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for that day.
Berean Standard Bible
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.
American Standard Version
A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
World English Bible Messianic
A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The contents of the writing was, that there shoulde be giuen a commandement in all prouinces, and published vnto all people, that they should be ready against the same day.
Young's Literal Translation
a copy of the writing to be made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.
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In the KJVVerse 12,762 of 31,102
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Commentary on Esther 3 verses 7–15
7 ¶ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
Haman values himself upon that bold and daring thought, which he fancied well became his great spirit, of destroying all the Jews - an undertaking worthy of its author, and which he promised himself would perpetuate his memory. He doubts not but to find desperate and bloody hands enough to cut all their throats if the king will but give him leave. How he obtained leave, and commission to do it, we are here told. He had the king's ear, let him alone to manage him.
I. He makes a false and malicious representation of Jews, and their character, to the king, Est 3:8. The enemies of God's people could not give them such bad treatment as they do if they did not first give them a bad name. He would have the king believe, 1. That the Jews were a despicable people, and that it was not for his credit to harbour them:"A certain people there is," without name, as if nobody knew whence they came and what they were; "they are not incorporated, but scattered abroad and dispersed in all the provinces as fugitives and vagabonds on the earth, and inmates in all countries, the burden and scandal of the places where they live." 2. That they were a dangerous people, and that it was not safe to harbour them. "They have laws and usages of their own, and conform not to the statutes of the kingdom and the customs of the country; and therefore they may be looked upon as disaffected to the government and likely to infect others with their singularities, which may end in a rebellion." It is no new thing for the best of men to have such invidious characters as these given of them; if it be no sin to kill them, it is no sin to belie them.
II. He bids high for leave to destroy them all, Est 3:9. He knew there were many that hated the Jews, and would willingly fall upon them if they might but have a commission: Let it be written therefore that they may be destroyed. Give but orders for a general massacre of all the Jews, and Haman will undertake it shall be easily done. If the king will gratify him in this matter, he will make him a present of ten thousand talents, which shall be paid into the king's treasuries. This, he thought, would be a powerful inducement to the king to consent, and would obviate the strongest objection against him, which was that the government must needs sustain loss in its revenues by the destruction of so many of its subjects; so great a sum, he hoped, would be equivalent for that. Proud and malicious men will not stick at the expenses of their revenge, nor spare any cost to gratify it. Yet no doubt Haman knew how to re-imburse himself out of the spoil of the Jews, which his janizaries were to seize for him (Est 3:13), and so to make them bear the charges of their own ruin; while he himself hoped to be not only a saver but a gainer by the bargain.
III. He obtains what he desired, a full commission to do what he would with the Jews, Est 3:10, Est 3:11. The king was so inattentive to business, and so bewitched with Haman, that he took no time to examine the truth of his allegations, but was as willing as Haman could wish to believe the worst concerning the Jews, and therefore he gave them up into his hands, as lambs to the lion: The people are thine, do with them as it seemeth good unto thee. He does not say, "Kill them, slay them" (hoping Haman's own cooler thoughts would abate the rigour of that sentence and induce him to sell them for slaves); but "Do what thou wilt with them." And so little did he consider how much he should lose in his tribute, and how much Haman would gain in the spoil, that he gave him withal the ten thousand talents: The silver is thine. Such an implicit confidence likewise he had in Haman, and so perfectly had he abandoned all care of his kingdom, that he gave Haman his ring, his privy-seal, or sign-manual, wherewith to confirm whatever edict he pleased to draw up for this purpose. Miserable is the kingdom that is at the disposal of such a head as this, which has one ear only, and a nose to be led by, but neither eyes nor brains, nor scarcely a tongue of its own.
IV. He then consults with his soothsayers to find out a lucky day for the designed massacre, Est 3:7. The resolve was taken up in the first month, in the twelfth year of the king, when Esther had been his wife about five years. Some day or other in that year must be pitched upon; and, as if he doubted not but that Heaven would favour his design and further it, he refers it to the lot, that is, to the divine Providence, to choose the day for him; but that, in the decision, proved a better friend to the Jews than to him, for the lot fell upon the twelfth month, so that Mordecai and Esther had eleven months to turn themselves in for the defeating of the design, or, if they could not defeat it, space would be left for the Jews to make their escape and shift for their safety. Haman, though eager to have the Jews cut off, yet will submit to the laws of his superstition, and not anticipate the supposed fortunate day, no, not to gratify his impatient revenge. Probably he was in some fear lest the Jews should prove too hard for their enemies, and therefore durst not venture on such a hazardous enterprise but under the smiles of a good omen. This may shame us, who often acquiesce not in the directions and disposals of Providence when they cross our desires and intentions. He that believeth the lot, much more that believeth the promise, will not make haste. But see how God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and to the lot he shall go, which, by adjourning the execution, gives judgment against him and breaks the neck of the plot.
V. The bloody edict is hereupon drawn up, signed, and published, giving orders to the militia of every province to be ready against the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and, on that day, to murder all the Jews, men, women, and children, and seize their effects, Est 3:12-14. Had the decree been to banish all the Jews and expel them out of the king's dominions, it would have been severe enough; but surely never any act of cruelty appeared so barefaced as this, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the Jews, appointing them as sheep for the slaughter without showing any cause for so doing. No crime is laid to their charge; it is not pretended that they were obnoxious to the public justice, nor is any condition offered, upon performance of which they might have their lives spared; but die they must, without mercy. Thus have the church's enemies thirsted after blood, the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus, and drunk of it till they have been perfectly intoxicated (Rev 17:6); yet still, like the horse-leech, they cry, Give, give. This cruel offer is ratified with the king's seal, directed to the king's lieutenants, and drawn up in the king's name, and yet the king knows not what he does. Posts are sent out, with all expedition, to carry copies of the decree to the respective provinces, Est 3:15. See how restless the malice of the church's enemies is: it will spare no pains; it will lose no time.
VI. The different temper of the court and city hereupon. 1. The court was very merry upon it: The king and Haman sat down to drink, perhaps to drink "Confusion to all the Jews." Haman was afraid lest the king's conscience should smite him for what he had done and he should begin to wish it undone again, to prevent which he engrossed him to himself, and kept him drinking. This cursed method many take to drown their convictions, and harden their own hearts and the hearts of others in sin. 2. The city was very sad upon it (and the other cities of the kingdom, no doubt, when they had notice of it): The city Shushan was perplexed, not only the Jews themselves, but all their neighbours that had any principles of justice and compassion. It grieved them to see their king so abused, to see wickedness in the place of judgment (Ecc 3:16), to see men that lived peaceably treated so barbarously; and what would be the consequences of it to themselves they knew not. But the king and Haman cared for none of these things. Note, It is an absurd and impious thing to indulge ourselves in mirth and pleasure when the church is in distress and the public are perplexed.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–15. Public domain.
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EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 6
The fact that the twelfth month, which is called Adar, was chosen for the destruction of Israel after casting lots is not with its own spiritual meaning. It is referring, in fact, to the grace of Christ which has been prepared for the faithful in the fullness of time when the faithful will undergo a fierce persecution in the world in the last days. And writing about this to Timothy, the teacher of the Gentiles says, “You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” And the Lord himself says in the Gospel, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” And a bit further: “For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Esther 3:14 meticulously details the official and widespread dissemination of Haman's genocidal decree throughout the vast Persian Empire. This verse underscores the meticulous and authoritative nature of the royal edict, ensuring that all inhabitants, both those intended to execute the command and the Jewish people targeted for destruction, were fully informed. The public promulgation of this decree sets the stage for the dramatic conflict and divine intervention that follows, highlighting the dire immediacy of the threat and the chilling readiness demanded of the populace for the impending day of slaughter.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is a critical juncture, immediately following the drafting of Haman's horrific decree in Esther 3:13, which explicitly commanded the annihilation of "all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day." The act of publishing this "copy of the writing for a commandment" in Esther 3:14 transforms Haman's malicious intent from a private plot into a public, legally binding mandate. Its placement directly precedes the widespread distress and confusion in the capital city of Susa, where "the city Shushan was perplexed" (Esther 3:15), and the profound mourning and fasting among the Jewish people across all provinces, as vividly described in Esther 4:1-3. Thus, Esther 3:14 functions as the pivotal moment where an abstract threat becomes a concrete, universally known danger, propelling the narrative toward the desperate measures and eventual divine reversals that characterize the remainder of the book.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Persian Empire, extending from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1), was renowned for its highly sophisticated administrative and communication networks. Royal decrees, once issued and sealed with the king's signet ring (as King Ahasuerus granted to Haman in Esther 3:10), possessed immutable legal force, a principle consistently emphasized throughout the book (e.g., Esther 8:8). The "copy of the writing" would have been meticulously replicated and swiftly dispatched by royal couriers, often utilizing the king's extensive network of post roads and swift horses, ensuring rapid dissemination across the empire's 127 provinces. This meticulous process underscores the efficiency and binding nature of the Persian bureaucracy and its legal system, which Haman expertly exploited for his genocidal aims. The phrase "unto all people" highlights that the decree was not a clandestine operation but an open, public declaration, intended to inform everyone of the impending "day."
Key Themes: This verse powerfully illustrates the theme of imminent and widespread danger faced by the Jewish community, emphasizing the thoroughness and reach of Haman's evil plan. It underscores the absolute authority and enforcement of Persian law, demonstrating how a royal decree, even an unjust one, could instigate widespread action and mobilize an entire empire. The chilling phrase "that they should be ready against that day" highlights the theme of preparation for destruction, revealing the deliberate and organized nature of the planned genocide. More subtly, the very public nature of the decree, intended for destruction, ironically sets the stage for divine providence to work. It galvanizes the Jewish people to prayer and action, ultimately leading to their deliverance, even though God is not explicitly mentioned in the book. The clash between human wickedness and divine purpose is central, as Haman's meticulously planned evil unwittingly creates the conditions for God's miraculous intervention, demonstrating His sovereignty over all human affairs (Proverbs 21:1).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Esther 3:14 masterfully employs several literary devices to heighten the narrative's tension and significance. Foreshadowing is prominent, as the meticulous and widespread publication of the decree clearly signals the immense danger and the terrifying scale of the conflict that will inevitably unfold. This official announcement sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation between Haman's evil and God's hidden hand working through Esther and Mordecai. There is also a strong element of Dramatic Irony: the decree, intended to ensure the readiness of the non-Jewish population for destruction, ironically also serves to fully inform the Jewish people of the existential threat, allowing them to prepare for spiritual and physical resistance. This public awareness, meant to facilitate their demise, becomes the catalyst for their collective mourning, prayer, and ultimately, their deliverance. Finally, the specific mention of "that day" creates intense Suspense, emphasizing the ticking clock and the dire consequences awaiting the Jewish people, thereby building narrative tension and highlighting the urgency of the situation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 3:14, though devoid of any explicit mention of God, profoundly underscores the reality of systemic evil and the pervasive nature of human malice when given unchecked authority. It serves as a stark reminder that even the most meticulously planned human decrees, rooted in hatred and injustice, are ultimately subject to divine sovereignty. The very thoroughness of Haman's decree, intended to ensure the complete annihilation of God's chosen people, paradoxically becomes the means by which the Jewish people are alerted, united in prayer and fasting, and positioned for God's dramatic reversal. This verse implicitly points to the truth that God is at work even in the darkest circumstances, orchestrating events behind the scenes to protect His covenant people and fulfill His purposes, demonstrating that His plans cannot be thwarted by human wickedness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Esther 3:14 serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of evil's deliberate and organized nature, illustrating how powerful decrees, even unjust ones, can be enforced widely and with devastating consequences. For the Jewish people, this news brought immense distress and mourning, as described in Esther 4:3. Yet, this dire situation also sets the stage for God's divine providence to work through individuals like Mordecai and Esther, ultimately leading to their miraculous deliverance. This verse challenges believers to be vigilant against the insidious spread of injustice and hatred in their own contexts. It calls us to recognize that even when God's hand seems hidden, He remains sovereign over all human decrees and events. Our response to such threats should be characterized by prayer, lament, courageous action, and unwavering faith, trusting that God can turn even the most dire circumstances into opportunities for His glory and the salvation of His people.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was it so crucial for Haman's decree to be "published unto all people" and what does "ready against that day" imply?
Answer: The publication of Haman's decree was absolutely crucial for its intended execution and success. Firstly, it established the decree's legal authority and widespread enforceability throughout the vast Persian Empire. As a royal edict, once sealed with the king's ring, it was immutable and required universal obedience. Secondly, by making it public "unto all people," Haman ensured that the non-Jewish population was fully aware of their "right," and indeed, their implied duty, to participate in the destruction and plunder of the Jews on "that day." This public declaration mobilized the populace for the planned genocide. Thirdly, and ironically, this public awareness also informed the Jewish people of the imminent threat, prompting their widespread mourning, fasting, and collective response, as seen in Esther 4:1-3. The phrase "ready against that day" chillingly implies that the non-Jewish inhabitants were to prepare themselves to carry out the massacre and plunder of the Jewish people. It underscores the deliberate, organized, and horrific intent behind Haman's plan, transforming a written document into a call to action for widespread violence and plunder, all under the guise of royal law.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The meticulous publication of Haman's decree in Esther 3:14, intended for the annihilation of God's chosen people, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate cosmic conflict between good and evil, culminating in Christ. Just as Haman's decree brought a sentence of death upon the Jews, humanity itself lived under a universal decree of sin and death, a condemnation applicable to all (Romans 3:23). This spiritual death sentence was published to all through the Law, revealing the depth of human transgression and our inability to save ourselves (Romans 7:7-13). Yet, in Christ, a new and victorious decree was issued—a decree of life, redemption, and eternal salvation. His perfect sacrifice on the cross disarmed the powers of darkness and canceled the "bond of debt that stood against us with its legal demands" (Colossians 2:14), effectively overturning the sentence of death. The "readiness" of the enemies in Esther to execute destruction is starkly contrasted with the ultimate victory secured by the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, who, through His resurrection, has overcome death and secured eternal life for all who believe. No decree of destruction can ultimately prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18), for He is the true King, whose decree of grace and salvation is now published to all nations as the Great Commission (Mark 16:15), offering freedom from the ultimate decree of judgment. The temporary deliverance of the Jews in Esther points to the eternal deliverance from sin and death accomplished by Christ.