The Book of Esther

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- Chapter 4 -

Esther agrees to help the Jews

When Mordecai had heard this, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth, strewing ashes on his head, and he cried out with a loud voice in the main street of the city, revealing the anguish of his soul.(a)

And he continued with this lamenting, even up to the gate of the palace, for no one clothed with sackcloth is permitted to enter the king’s court.

Likewise, in all provinces, towns, and places where the king’s cruel decision arrived, there was extraordinary mourning among the Jews with fasting, wailing, and weeping, with many using sackcloth and ashes for their bed.

Then Esther’s maids and eunuchs went in and informed her. When she heard it, she was shocked, and she sent a garment to clothe him and to take away the sackcloth, but he would not accept it.(b)

And she sent for Hathach the eunuch, whom the king had appointed to minister to her, and she instructed him to go to Mordecai and to discern from him why he was doing this.

And departing, Hathach went to Mordecai, who was standing in the street of the city, in front of the palace entrance.

He told him everything that had happened, how Haman had promised to transfer silver into the king’s treasury for the death of the Jews.

Also, he gave him a copy of the edict that was hanging up in Susa, so that he would show it to the queen and advise her to go in to the king and beg him on behalf of her people.

And Hathach returned and informed Esther of all that Mordecai had said.

She answered him, and ordered him say to Mordecai:

“All the servants of the king and all the provinces that are under his realm understand that anyone, whether man or woman, who enters the king’s inner court, who has not been summoned, is immediately to be put to death without any delay, unless the king should happen to extend the golden scepter to him, as a sign of clemency, so that he will be able to live. How then can I go in to the king, when, for thirty days now, I have not been called to him?”

And when Mordecai had heard this, he again sent word to Esther, saying, “Do not think that you will save so much as your own soul, just because you are in the king’s house and are above all the Jews.

For, if you remain silent now, the Jews will be delivered through some other opportunity, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for this reason, so that you would be prepared for such a time as this?”

And again Esther sent to Mordecai in these words:

“Go and gather together all the Jews whom you will find in Susa, and pray for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days and three nights, and I will fast with my handmaids similarly, and then I will go in to the king, doing what is against the law, not having been called, and so expose myself to mortal danger.”(c)

And so Mordecai went, and he did everything that Esther had instructed him.(d)

Footnotes

(a)7:1 Notice that Mordecai strews only ashes on his head. This point is relevant to the translation of verse 8:2, when Esther does similarly. The phrase “in platea mediæ civitatis” refers to a wide street in the middle of the city. In modern terms, such a street would be called main street. It is not merely any street, but the main thoroughfare.(Conte)

(b)7:4 Consternata est refers to a reaction or emotion of being confused, perplexed, confounded, or, to use the more common expression, shocked.(Conte)

(c)7:18 Literally, the phrase “morti et periculo” means “death and danger,” but the more common expression “mortal danger” is a better fit.(Conte)

(d)7:19 “Pergensque Mardochæus, fecit omnia, quæ ei mandaverat Esther.” is found before 13:8 – 14:19 in the Clementine Latin Vulgate, but it is merely a rephrasing of verse 4:17 (i.e. 7:19): “Ivit itaque Mardochæus, et fecit omnia, quæ ei Esther præceperat.”(Conte)

Esther agrees to help the Jews

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

“ All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

“ Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.