Esther 4 3

Esther 4:3 kjv

And in every province, whithersoever 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 4:3 nkjv

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.

Esther 4:3 niv

In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 4:3 esv

And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 4:3 nlt

And as news of the king's decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.

Esther 4 verses

Esther 4 3 Meaning

Esther 4:3 describes the widespread and unified response of the Jewish people across the Persian Empire to Haman's genocidal decree. Upon learning of the imminent danger, they entered into a period of profound public mourning, expressing their grief, humiliation, and spiritual urgency through traditional acts of fasting, weeping, wailing, and dressing in sackcloth and ashes. This collective lamentation signified their desperate plea for divine intervention in a time of existential crisis.

Esther 4 3 Context

Esther chapter 4 verse 3 follows immediately after Mordecai, Esther's cousin and guardian, learns of Haman's decree to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire (Esther 3:13-15). In his immediate distress, Mordecai expresses profound public grief, tearing his clothes, donning sackcloth and ashes, and crying loudly through the city (Esther 4:1). This verse broadens that initial reaction from Mordecai's individual lament to the widespread, collective sorrow of the entire Jewish community throughout the vast empire. It vividly paints the picture of national catastrophe and desperation that precedes Esther's decisive intervention, setting the stage for the pivotal request from Mordecai to Esther. Historically, the Jews were a dispersed people, living as a minority within the mighty Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BC). Such a royal decree would be incredibly potent and seemingly irreversible, plunging them into utter despair.

Esther 4 3 Word analysis

• And in every province (וּבְכָל מְדִינָה, u'v'chol medinah): "Province" refers to the administrative districts of the vast Persian Empire. This emphasizes the comprehensive reach of Haman's decree, affecting Jews scattered across many lands, underscoring the universal nature of the threat.
• wherever the king's decree and edict came (וּבְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּמָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ, u'v'chol medinah u'medinah u'makom asher devar ha-melekh v'datoh maggia'): The repetition of "province" intensifies the idea of widespread dissemination. "Decree" (דָּת, dat) signifies a binding law or statute, while "edict" (וְדָתוֹ, v'dato) and its a close relation "nishtevan" later often indicate the written promulgation of such a law, ensuring its legal force and public awareness throughout the empire. The speed and certainty of its arrival intensified the terror.
• there was great mourning among the Jews (אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים, evel gadol la'Yehudim): "Great mourning" (evel gadol) implies deep, palpable, and pervasive grief, not merely sadness. It refers to outward, often ritualized, expressions of lamentation for a significant loss or impending disaster. This was a communal outpouring, indicating a shared identity and destiny.
• with fasting (וְצוֹם, v'tzom): Abstaining from food and drink, a common biblical practice of self-humiliation before God, usually accompanying intense prayer or repentance in times of great distress or crisis. It indicated an appeal to God and a spiritual readiness to seek His intervention.
• and weeping (וּבְכִי, u'vekhi): The act of shedding tears, a natural expression of overwhelming sorrow and pain. This indicates profound emotional distress.
• and wailing (וּמִסְפֵּד, u'misped): Loud, lamenting cries, often with accompanying gestures like beating the breast or pulling hair. It signifies deep anguish, akin to lamenting the dead, highlighting the decree's existential threat.
• and many lay in sackcloth and ashes (שַׂק וָאֵפֶר יֻצַּע לָרַבִּים, sak v'efer yutzav la'rabim):
  • Sackcloth (שַׂק, sak): A coarse, rough cloth, often made of goat hair, worn directly on the skin as a symbol of penitence, humility, and mourning. It removed comfort, identifying with affliction.
  • Ashes (אֵפֶר, efer): Scattered over the head or sat in. Ashes symbolize utter desolation, humility, identification with dust and mortality, and profound repentance or despair. Together, sackcloth and ashes were iconic biblical signs of extreme grief, self-abasement, and a fervent cry to God in a dire national or personal crisis. The phrase "many lay" implies they either physically prostrated themselves in these symbols of sorrow or remained continuously in this state.

Esther 4 3 Bonus section

The communal mourning described in Esther 4:3 serves a crucial thematic purpose within the book of Esther, a book unique for not directly naming God. While God is not mentioned, the synchronized and traditional acts of humility, fasting, and lamentation demonstrate a deeply ingrained, almost reflexive, turning toward God in crisis, implicitly acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty over all human affairs and decrees. This response is reminiscent of communal calls to prayer and repentance found throughout Israelite history, particularly when facing external threats or divine judgment. It underscores the Jewish identity rooted in faith and dependence on the Lord, even when the human author of the narrative chooses not to articulate it explicitly. The unified and pervasive nature of this response (across every province) also demonstrates the resilience and shared heritage of the Jewish people, serving as a powerful counter-narrative to Haman's efforts to extinguish their identity and existence.

Esther 4 3 Commentary

Esther 4:3 paints a vivid picture of universal desperation among the Jewish diaspora under the shadow of Haman's decree. It highlights the profound terror that gripped them as they realized the extent of their impending doom. Their actions – fasting, weeping, wailing, and wearing sackcloth and ashes – were not merely outward expressions of sorrow, but deeply rooted ancient Near Eastern and Israelite practices signifying a profound appeal to divine mercy and an acknowledgment of their helplessness.

In a book famously devoid of direct mention of God's name, this verse subtly emphasizes the reliance on divine providence. The Jewish community's collective lamentation was a silent but potent form of prayer, a spiritual and physical humbling before heaven. It reflected a national act of repentance and desperation, underscoring that their hope was ultimately in God's intervention, not human might. This shared experience of suffering also forged a powerful bond among them, solidifying their unity in the face of annihilation and setting the stage for Esther's crucial act of intercession, transforming individual and communal anguish into purposeful action.