Esther 4:4 - Forerunner Commentary

Esther 4:4

2 He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.

5 Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was.

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate.

7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and ^athe sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews.

8 He also gave him ^aa copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at¹ Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.

9 So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:

11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into ^athe inner court to the king, who has not been called, ^bhe has but one law: put all to death, except the one ^cto whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been ^dcalled to go in to the king these thirty days.”

12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:

16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in¹ Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for ^athree days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; ^band if I perish, I perish!”

17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded¹ him.

Verse Comparison: Esther 4:4

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American Standard Version
And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not.

Amplified® Bible
When Esther's maids and her attendants came and told it to her, the queen was exceedingly grieved {and} distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, with orders to take his sackcloth from off him, but he would not receive them.

Contemporary English Version
When Esther's servant girls and her other servants told her what Mordecai was doing, she became very upset and sent Mordecai some clothes to wear in place of the sackcloth. But he refused to take them.

Darby English Version
And Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he received [it] not.

Good News Bible
When Esther's servant women and eunuchs told her what Mordecai was doing, she was deeply disturbed. She sent Mordecai some clothes to put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

King James Version
So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

New American Standard Bible
Then Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept {them.}

New International Version
When Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

New King James Version
So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them.

Revised Standard Version
When Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mor'decai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

Young's Literal Translation
And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare `it' to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he hath not received `them'.

New English Translation
When Esther’s female attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai’s behavior,¹ the queen was overcome with anguish. Although she sent garments for Mordecai to put on so that he could remove his sackcloth, he would not accept them.

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