Esther 4:16

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Go	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
together	כְּנ֨וֹס ke.Nos	H3664	to collect · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
Jews	הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים hai.ye.hu.Dim	H3064	a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew) · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
present	הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים ha.nim.tze.'Im	H4672	properly · definite article + verb, niphal active participle, masculine plural absolute
Shushan	בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן be.shu.Shan	H7800	Shushan · preposition + proper noun, a place name
fast	וְצ֣וּמוּ ve.Tzu.mu	H6684	to cover over (the mouth) · conjunction + verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural
eat	תֹּאכְל֨וּ to.khe.Lu	H398	to eat (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal jussive, 2nd person masculine plural
drink	תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ tish.Tu	H8354	to imbibe (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal jussive, 2nd person masculine plural
three	שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת she.Lo.shet	H7969	three · cardinal number, both genders singular construct
days	יָמִים֙ ya.Mim	H3117	a day (as the warm hours) · noun, common masculine plural absolute
night	לַ֣יְלָה Lay.lah	H3915	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
day	וָי֔וֹם va.Yom	H3117	a day (as the warm hours) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular absolute
maidens	וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י ve.na.'a.ro.Tai	H5291	a girl (from infancy to adolescence) · conjunction + noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix
fast	אָצ֣וּם 'a.Tzum	H6684	to cover over (the mouth) · verb, qal imperfect, 1st person common singular
so	כֵּ֑ן Ken	H3651	properly · adverb
go	אָב֤וֹא 'a.Vo'	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · verb, qal imperfect, 1st person common singular
king	הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ ha.Me.lekh	H4428	a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
law	כַדָּ֔ת kha.Dat	H1881	a royal edict or statute · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
perish	אָבַ֖דְתִּי 'a.Vad.ti	H6	properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
perish	אָבָֽדְתִּי 'a.Va.de.ti	H6	properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, whi…
2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Joel 2:12-17 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and ju…
Genesis 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I a…
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were…
2 Samuel 10:12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 4:5–end

So strictly did the laws of Persia confine the wives, especially the king's wives, that it was not possible for Mordecai to have a conference with Esther about this important affair, but divers messages are here carried between them by Hatach, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and it seems he was one she could confide in. I. She sent to Mordecai to know more particularly and fully what the trouble was which he was now lamenting (Est 4:5) and why it was that he would not put off his sackcloth. To enquire thus after news, that we may know the better how to direct our griefs and joys, our prayers and praises, well becomes all that love Sion. If we must weep with those that weep, we mus…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 4:16

so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law--The appeal of Mordecai was irresistible. Having appointed a solemn fast of three days, she expressed her firm resolution to make an appeal to the king, though she should perish in the attempt. I . . . and my maidens--It is probable that she had surrounded herself with Jewish maidens, or women who were proselytes to that religion. Next: Esther Chapter 5

Adam Clarke on Esther 4:16

Fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days - What a strange thing, that still we hear nothing of prayer, nor of God! What is the ground on which we can account for this total silence? I know it not. She could not suppose there was any charm in fasting, sackcloth garments, and lying on the ground. If these were not done to turn away the displeasure of God, which seemed now to have unchained their enemies against them, what were they done for? If I perish, I perish - If I lose my life in this attempt to save my people, I shall lose it cheerfully. I see it is my duty to make the attempt; and, come what will, I am resolved to do it. She must, however, have depended much on the efficacy…

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John Gill on Esther 4:16

The Church Fathers

But what use is there to recall all the examples of those who, because they prayed as they ought, received great favours from God? Everyone can choose for himself many examples from the Scriptures. Anna obtained the birth of Samuel, who was reckoned with Moses, because when she was barren she prayed to the Lord with faith. And Ezechias, being still childless and having learned from Isaias that he was about to die, prayed and was included in genealogy of the Saviour. Again, when, as a result of a single order arising from the intrigues of Aman, the people were about to be destroyed, the prayer and fasting of Mardochai and Esther were heard, and hence there arose, in addition to the feasts ordained by Moses, the festival of Mardochai for the people.
— Origen of Alexandria, ON PRAYER 13.2

Why did Queen Esther expose herself to death and not fear the wrath of a fierce king? Was it not to save her people from death, an act both seemly and virtuous? The king of Persia himself also, though fierce and proud, yet thought it seemly to show honor to the man who had given information about a plot that had been laid against himself, to save a free people from slavery, to snatch them from death and not to spare him who had pressed on such unseemly plans. So finally he handed over to the gallows the man who stood second to himself and whom he counted chief among all his friends, because he considered that he had dishonored him with his false counsels. For that commendable friendship that maintains virtue is to be preferred most certainly to wealth, or honors or power. It is not accustomed to be preferred to virtue indeed, but to follow after it. So it was with Jonathan, who for his affection's sake avoided not his father's displeasure or the danger to his own safety. So, too, it was with Ahimelech, who, to preserve the duties of hospitality, though he must endure death rather than betray his friends when fleeing.
— Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.21.123-24

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or…
Fasting · Approaching danger — Approaching danger
Medo-Persian Kingdom · Kings of: Put to death all who approached them without permission — Kings of: Put to death all who approached them without permission
Readings, Select · ESTHER’ S TRIUMPH — ESTHER’ S TRIUMPH
Resignation · EXEMPLIFIED — EXEMPLIFIED
Self-Denial · Exemplified: Esther — Exemplified: Esther
Shushan (Susa) · 2. King’ s palace at — 2. King’ s palace at
Time · Part of a period of, usually counted as the whole — Part of a period of, usually counted as the whole

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Esther 4:16

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 4:5–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 4:16

Adam Clarke on Esther 4:16

John Gill on Esther 4:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Esther 4:16

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 4:5–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 4:16

Adam Clarke on Esther 4:16

John Gill on Esther 4:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Esther 4:15-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Esther 4:16

Rashi on Esther 4:16