TRV
Translation
King James Version
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
Complete Jewish Bible
They wrote in the name of King Achashverosh and sealed it with the king's signet ring; they sent the letters by couriers on horseback riding fast horses used in the king's service and bred from the royal stock.
Berean Standard Bible
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
American Standard Version
And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king’s service, bred of the stud:
World English Bible Messianic
He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bred from swift steeds.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And hee wrote in the King Ahashuerosh name, and sealed it with the Kings ring: and he sent letters by postes on horsebacke and that rode on beastes of price, as dromedaries and coltes of mares.
Young's Literal Translation
And he writeth in the name of the king Ahasuerus, and sealeth with the signet of the king, and sendeth letters by the hand of the runners with horses, riders of the dromedary, the mules, the young mares,
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 12,828 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Esther 8 verses 3–14
3 ¶ And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
4 Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,
5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:
6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?
7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.
8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.
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.
10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.
Haman, the chief enemy of the Jews, was hanged, Mordecai and Esther, their chief friends, were sufficiently protected; but many others there were in the king's dominions that hated the Jews and desired their ruin, and to their rage and malice all the rest of that people lay exposed; for the edict against them was still in force, and, in pursuance of it, their enemies would on the day appointed fall upon them, and they would be deemed as rebels against the king and his government if they should offer to resist and take up arms in their own defence. For the preventing of this,
I. The queen here makes intercession with much affection and importunity. She came, a second time, uncalled into the king's presence (Est 8:3), and was as before encouraged to present her petition, by the king's holding out the golden sceptre to her, Est 8:4. Her petition is that the king, having put away Haman, would put away the mischief of Haman and his device against the Jews, that that might not take place now that he was taken off. Many a man's mischief survives him, and the wickedness he devised operates when he is gone. What men project and write may, after their death, be either very profitable or very pernicious. It was therefore requisite in this case that, for the defeating of Haman's plot, they should apply to the king for a further act of grace, that by another edict he would reverse the letters devised by Haman, and which he wrote (she does not say which the king consented to and confirmed with his own seal; she leaves it to his own conscience to say that), by which he took an effectual course to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces, Est 8:5. If the king were indeed, as he seemed to be, troubled that such a decree was made, he could not do less than revoke it; for what is repentance, but undoing, to the utmost of our power, what we have done amiss? 1. This petition Esther presents with much affection: She fell down at the king's feet and besought him with tears (Est 8:3), every tear as precious as any of the pearls with which she was adorned. It was time to be earnest when the church of God lay at stake. Let none be so great as to be unwilling to stoop, none so merry as to be unwilling to weep, when thereby they may do any service to God's church and people. Esther, though safe herself, fell down, and begged with tears for the deliverance of her people. 2. She expresses it with great submission, and a profound deference to the king and his wisdom and will (Est 8:5): If it please the king and if I have found favour in his sightand again, "If the thing itself seem right and reasonable before the king, and if I that ask it be pleasing in his eyes, let the decree be reversed." Even when we have the utmost reason and justice on our side, and have the clearest cause to plead, yet it becomes us to speak to our superiors with humility and modesty, and all possible expressions of respect, and not to talk like demandants when we are supplicants. There is nothing lost be decency and good breeding. As soft answers turn away wrath, so soft askings obtain favour. 3. She enforces her petition with a pathetic plea: "For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people? Little comfort can I have of my own life if I cannot prevail for theirs: as good share in the evil myself as see it come upon them; for how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred, that are dear to me?" Esther, a queen, owns her poor kindred, and speaks of them with a very tender concern. Now it was that she mingled her tears with her words, that she wept and made supplication; we read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but, now that she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. Those that are truly concerned for the public would rather die in the last ditch than live to see the desolations of the church of God and the ruin of their country. Tender spirits cannot bear to think of the destruction of their people and kindred, and therefore dare not omit any opportunity of giving them relief.
II. The king here takes a course for the preventing of the mischief that Haman had designed. 1. The king knew, and informed the queen, that, according to the constitution of the Persian government, the former edict could not be revoked (Est 8:8): What is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may not, under any pretence whatsoever, be reversed. This was a fundamental article of their magna charta, that no law or decree, when once it had passed the royal assent, could be repealed or recalled, no judgment vacated, no attainder reversed, Dan 6:15. This is so far from bespeaking the wisdom and honour of the Medes and Persians that really it bespeaks their pride and folly, and consequently their shame. It is ridiculous in itself for any man, or company of men, to pretend to such an infallibility of wisdom as to foresee all the consequences of what they decree; and therefore it is unjust, and injurious to mankind, to claim such a supremacy of power as to make their decrees irrevocable, whether the consequences prove good or bad. This savours of that old presumption which ruined us all: We will be as gods. Much more prudent is that proviso of our constitution, that no law can, by any words or sanctions whatsoever, be made unrepealable, any more than any estate unalienable. Cujus est instruere, ejus est destruere - the right to enact implies the right to repeal. It is God's prerogative not to repent, and to say what can never be altered or unsaid. 2. Yet he found an expedient to undo the devices of Haman, and defeat his design, by signing and publishing another decree to authorize the Jews to stand upon their defence, vim vi repellere, et invasorem occidere - to oppose force to force, and destroy the assailant. This would be their effectual security. The king shows them that he had done enough already to convince them that he had a concern for the Jewish nation, for he had ordered his favourite to be hanged because he laid his hand upon the Jews (Est 8:7), and he therefore would d the utmost he could to protect them; and he leaves it as fully with Esther and Mordecai to use his name and power for their deliverance as before he had left it with Haman to use his name and power for their destruction: "Write for the Jews as it liketh you (Est 8:8), saving only the honour of our constitution. Let the mischief be put away as effectually as may be without reversing the letters." The secretaries of state were ordered to attend to draw up this edict on the twenty-third day of the third month (Est 8:9), about two months after the promulgation of the former, but nine months before the time set for its execution: it was to be drawn up and published in the respective languages of all the provinces. Shall the subjects of an earthly prince have his decrees in a language they understand? and shall God's oracles and laws be locked up from his servants in an unknown tongue? It was to be directed to the proper officers of every province, both to the justices of peace and to the deputy-lieutenants. It was to be carefully dispersed throughout all the king's dominions, and true copies sent by expresses to all the provinces. The purport of this decree was to commission the Jews, upon the day which was appointed for their destruction, to draw together in a body for their own defence. And, (1.) To stand for their life, that, whoever assaulted them, it might be at their peril. (2.) They might not only act defensively, but might destroy, and slay, and cause to perish, all the power of the people that would assault them, men, women, and children (Est 8:11), and thus to avenge themselves on their enemies (Est 8:13), and, if they pleased, to enrich themselves by their enemies, for they were empowered to take the spoil of them for a prey. Now, [1.] This showed his kindness to the Jews, and sufficiently provided for their safety; for he latter decree would be looked upon as a tacit revocation of the former, though not in expression. But, [2.] It shows the absurdity of that branch of their constitution that none of the king's edicts might be repealed; for it laid the king here under a necessity of enacting a civil war in his own dominions, between the Jews and their enemies, so that both sides took up arms by his authority, and yet against his authority. No better could come of men's pretending to be wise above what is given them. Great expedition was used in dispersing this decree, the king himself being in pain lest it should come too late and any mischief should be done to the Jews by virtue of the former decree before the notice of this arrived. It was therefore by the king's commandment, as well as Mordecai's, that the messengers were hastened and pressed on (Est 8:14), and had swift beasts provided them, Est 8:10. It was not a time to trifle when so many lives were in danger.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 3–14. Public domain.
Copy as
Rabanus MaurusAD 856
Commentary on Esther
The month of Sivan, which comes third after Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, is the same one the Greeks call Thessaroi and the Romans Junius. On the twenty-third day of that month new letters were dictated by Mordecai in order to refute the earlier letters of Haman. The significance of this is obvious—the teaching of the Gospel was framed by the writers of the New Testament, under the direction of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that it would fully encompass the faith in the holy Trinity, and the absolute perfection of the entire Decalogue would be proven in the two commandments of charity. And by means of the couriers—i.e. the sacred preachers—the Scripture itself is directed toward the entire world, which is symbolized by the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces that made up the realm of Ahasuerus, since the number ten when multiplied by twelve makes one hundred and twenty; and if we were to add another seven to this, it would allow us to complete the entire sum.
In the same way, the true custodianship of the Decalogue within the apostolic tradition was imparted to all parts of the world through the sacred teachers; whereas by the grace of the sevenfold Spirit it was spread through the hearts of the faithful. It is likewise of mystical significance that these letters which were sent in the name of the king and were sealed with his ring were, we are told, written according to the scripts and the languages of each and every nation, so that each nation might be able to read and to understand; that is, the teaching of the Gospels was ordained in such a way that its first teachers—who had been taught through the grace of the Holy Spirit—spoke first in the words of all the languages, and then the word of faith was seeded by their ministry through all parts of the world. Hence we read in the Acts of the Apostles that in the Cenacle of Zion, the Paraclete of the Spirit came over the one hundred and twenty believers in the form of a fire and enabled them to declare in the tongues of all the nations the marvels of God, so that those who gathered to listen to them would all be struck dumb by this miracle.
Rabanus MaurusAD 856
EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 11
The month of Sivan, which is the third after Nisan among the Jews, and is called Thessari among the Greeks, is named June among Latin peoples. On the twenty-third day of this month new letters were written according to Mordecai’s dictation in order to invalidate the old letters of Haman. And the meaning of this event is quite clear, because the doctrine of the gospel was founded by the writers of the New Testament through our Lord Jesus Christ so that the faith of the Holy Trinity might be contained in it in its fullest form, and the supreme perfection might be shown to lie in two principles of charity that encompass the entire Decalogue. And the Scripture itself, through mounted couriers, that is the holy preachers, was provided to the whole world, which is signified by the one hundred twenty provinces that constituted the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
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.
Copy as
Continue studying Esther 8:10 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Esther 8:10 chronicles the swift and authoritative dispatch of the counter-decree, a pivotal moment in the narrative of Jewish deliverance. This verse meticulously details the administrative actions taken by Mordecai, acting under King Ahasuerus's full authority, to draft and authenticate the life-saving edict with the royal seal. It then emphasizes the immense urgency and logistical precision employed in its dissemination across the vast Persian Empire, utilizing the most efficient and diverse means of transport available. This rapid communication underscores the critical race against time to avert the impending genocide and highlights the providential orchestration behind the salvation of God's people.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is strategically placed at the climax of the book's reversal of fortune. Immediately preceding it, Haman, the antagonist, has been justly executed on the very gallows he intended for Mordecai (Esther 7:10), and Mordecai has been elevated to a position of immense power, receiving the king's signet ring (Esther 8:2). Despite these dramatic shifts, the original decree for the annihilation of the Jews, sealed with the king's authority, remained legally binding due to the immutable nature of Persian law concerning royal edicts, a principle reiterated in Esther 1:19 and Esther 8:8. Therefore, a new decree was not to revoke the first, but to empower the Jewish people to defend themselves. Esther 8:10 details the critical administrative action of writing and dispatching this life-affirming counter-decree, thereby setting the stage for the Jewish people's self-defense and ultimate triumph, culminating in the events of Esther 9.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Achaemenid Persian Empire, during the reign of Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes I), was an expansive dominion stretching across 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). Governing such a vast territory necessitated an exceptionally efficient communication and transportation infrastructure. The Persians were renowned for their sophisticated royal road network and a highly organized postal service, often referred to as the "Angareion." This system relied on a series of relay stations (caravanserais) strategically placed along main routes, where fresh horses and riders were readily available, ensuring continuous and rapid travel for royal couriers. The specific mention of horses, mules, camels, and "young dromedaries" in the verse reflects the practical reality of traversing diverse geographical terrains and the deliberate selection of the fastest and most suitable animals for each leg of the journey. This meticulous logistical planning was crucial to ensure the counter-decree reached all corners of the empire within the tight timeframe imposed by Haman's original edict. The king's ring, a symbol of ultimate royal authority, was indispensable for authenticating any document as an unchallengeable royal command.
Key Themes: Esther 8:10 significantly contributes to several profound themes woven throughout the book. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Royal Authority and its Irrevocability. The same mechanism of the king's seal that Haman leveraged to issue a decree of destruction (Esther 3:12) is now providentially employed by Mordecai to issue a decree of deliverance. This highlights that while human authority can be absolute, its application can be dramatically redirected for vastly different outcomes. Secondly, the palpable theme of Urgency and Efficiency is conveyed through the rapid dispatch of the letters, emphasizing the desperate race against time to save the Jewish people from annihilation. This logistical marvel underscores the critical importance of the message and the swiftness required for its delivery. Finally, and most profoundly, the verse subtly reinforces the theme of Divine Providence. Although God is conspicuously absent by name in the book of Esther, His unseen hand is undeniably at work, orchestrating every event—from Esther's unlikely ascent to queenly power (Esther 2:17) to Mordecai's unexpected honor (Esther 6:11)—to bring about the salvation of His chosen people, demonstrating His faithfulness even when His presence seems hidden from direct view.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Esther 8:10 masterfully employs several literary devices to underscore its profound message. Metonymy is clearly evident in the phrase "sealed [it] with the king's ring," where the "ring" serves as a powerful symbol, standing in for the king's absolute authority, the legal authentication, and the unalterable nature of his decrees. The exhaustive and detailed list of animals—"on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries"—functions as a form of amplification or enumeration, emphasizing the extraordinary speed, thoroughness, and logistical prowess deployed. This meticulous detailing creates a vivid mental image of frantic urgency and unwavering determination to disseminate the life-saving message. Furthermore, the swift and decisive dispatch of this counter-decree serves as powerful foreshadowing, hinting at the rapid and comprehensive deliverance that the Jewish people would soon experience, ultimately setting the stage for their triumphant victory and the enduring celebration of Purim.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 8:10 stands as a compelling testament to God's sovereign control over human affairs, even in a narrative where His name is notably absent. It powerfully illustrates how divine providence operates, working through human agents and within established political structures to accomplish His unthwartable purposes. The immutable nature of Persian law, which initially appeared to seal the Jewish people's doom, paradoxically becomes the very mechanism through which their salvation is secured. The king's authority, once tragically wielded for destruction, is now providentially redirected through the actions of Mordecai and Esther to issue a decree of life. This dramatic reversal highlights God's infinite capacity to turn what was intended for evil into good, transforming curses into blessings, and orchestrating events, even seemingly secular ones, for the ultimate protection and glorious deliverance of His chosen people. It serves as a profound reminder that no human decree, no matter how absolute, and no wicked plot, no matter how meticulously planned, can ultimately thwart God's eternal and perfect plan for His beloved.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The vivid scene depicted in Esther 8:10, characterized by its frantic urgency and the meticulous dispatch of a life-saving message, offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today. Just as the Jewish people faced a seemingly irreversible decree of death, we too often encounter situations in life that appear utterly hopeless, beyond remedy, or dictated by unchangeable circumstances. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that God, in His sovereign power, is capable of orchestrating dramatic and swift reversals, turning despair into glorious deliverance. It challenges us to cultivate unwavering trust in His unseen hand, even when circumstances seem dire or His presence feels hidden, knowing with certainty that His plans for our ultimate good cannot be thwarted. Furthermore, the dedication, speed, and comprehensive effort with which this counter-decree was delivered should profoundly inspire us to communicate God's ultimate life-giving truth—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—with similar urgency, diligence, and strategic deployment. We are called to be faithful "posts" for the King of Kings, carrying His transformative message of salvation to a world in desperate spiritual need, utilizing every available means and opportunity to ensure its rapid and widespread dissemination. This narrative also underscores the vital importance of exercising any authority, influence, or position we possess responsibly and for righteous purposes, just as Mordecai did, ultimately leading to widespread joy, celebration, and life for countless souls.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why couldn't the original decree just be revoked?
Answer: Persian law, as explicitly highlighted in Esther 1:19 and reiterated in Esther 8:8, stipulated that a royal edict, once issued and officially sealed with the king's ring, was immutable and could not be revoked, altered, or rescinded. This legal principle was a fundamental cornerstone of the Persian administrative and judicial system, designed to ensure the absolute authority, consistency, and inviolability of the monarch's word. Therefore, instead of directly revoking Haman's destructive decree, the king and Mordecai had to issue a new, counter-decree that granted the Jewish people the legal right to defend themselves, gather, and take vengeance on those who sought to harm them, effectively nullifying the destructive intent of the first decree without violating the sacred principle of its irrevocability.
What was the significance of sealing the letters with the king's ring?
Answer: Sealing a document with the king's ring was the ultimate act of authentication, authorization, and legal validation in the Persian Empire. It signified that the decree carried the full, unchallengeable, and absolute authority of the monarch himself. Once sealed, the document transcended mere words, becoming an official, legally binding, and irrevocable royal edict. This crucial act transformed Mordecai's written words into the king's supreme command, ensuring that the counter-decree would be recognized, respected, and obeyed throughout the vast empire, just as Haman's original decree had been. It profoundly underscored the absolute power and inviolability vested in the king's word and his personal symbol of authority.
Why were so many different types of animals (horses, mules, camels, dromedaries) used to send the letters?
Answer: The strategic utilization of a variety of animals for dispatching the letters highlights both the extreme urgency of the message and the sophisticated logistical planning inherent in the Persian postal system. Each animal type offered specific advantages for speed, endurance, and suitability across diverse geographical terrains. Horses were generally fast and agile, mules were renowned for their sure-footedness and resilience in mountainous or rugged areas, camels were indispensable for desert travel and carrying heavier loads over long distances, and "young dromedaries" (or swift steeds) were particularly prized for their exceptional speed over long, flat stretches. By deploying a diverse fleet of the fastest and most appropriate animals, the Persian postal system ensured that the life-saving decree could be delivered with maximum speed, efficiency, and reliability to all 127 provinces, regardless of the unique geographical challenges presented by each region, all before the terrifying deadline of the original decree.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Esther 8:10, with its vivid depiction of a life-saving decree swiftly dispatched by royal authority, serves as a powerful and compelling foreshadowing of the ultimate divine decree of salvation delivered to humanity through Jesus Christ. Just as the Persian king's absolute authority was channeled through Mordecai to save his people from an irrevocable decree of death, so too, God's eternal and sovereign authority is perfectly manifested through His Son, Jesus, to deliver humanity from the irrevocable decree of sin and spiritual death. The Gospel, the "good news" of salvation, is God's supreme counter-decree, not merely granting us the right to defend ourselves against spiritual enemies, but actively providing complete deliverance, reconciliation, and eternal new life. The profound urgency and meticulous thoroughness with which the letters were sent in Esther find their ultimate fulfillment in the Great Commission, where believers are divinely commanded to "go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). Christ Himself is the ultimate "post" or divine messenger, embodying and delivering God's saving message. Through His perfect life, atoning death on the cross, and glorious resurrection, He has secured an eternal decree of grace for all who believe, a decree sealed not with a king's ring, but with His own precious and sinless blood, making it truly immutable, eternally effective, and universally available (Hebrews 9:15). This divine message, unlike any earthly edict, brings not just a temporary reprieve from death, but eternal life, freedom from condemnation, and adoption into God's family for all who are "in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1-2). It is the ultimate expression of God's boundless love for a world facing spiritual annihilation, that He "gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).