Esther 8:10 kjv
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:
Esther 8:10 nkjv
And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds.
Esther 8:10 niv
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
Esther 8:10 esv
And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud,
Esther 8:10 nlt
The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king's signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king's service.
Esther 8 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Esth 1:19 | "...let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it cannot be altered." | Unalterable Medo-Persian law |
| Esth 3:13-15 | Haman's decree sent swiftly by posts. | Parallel with Haman's quick, evil decree |
| Esth 8:8 | "...no writing which is written in the king's name and sealed... may be reversed." | The irreversibility of royal decrees confirmed |
| Dan 6:8, 12, 15 | King's decree, Medes and Persians' law, cannot be changed. | Irreversibility of Medo-Persian law |
| Gen 41:42 | Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand. | Delegation of authority via signet ring |
| 1 Ki 21:8 | Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed with his seal. | Misuse of royal authority/seal |
| Rev 5:1-5 | A scroll sealed with seven seals. | Divine decrees/plans are sealed |
| Rev 7:2-3 | An angel with the seal of the living God, to seal the servants of God. | Divine sealing for protection/identification |
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this, we make a firm covenant and write it... Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests set their seal on it." | Binding agreements confirmed by seal |
| Jer 32:9-11 | Purchasing a field and sealing the deed. | Legal acts confirmed by seal |
| John 3:33 | "He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true." | Believer confirming God's truth, "seal" |
| Ps 147:15 | "He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly." | Divine word's swiftness/effectiveness |
| Job 9:25-26 | "My days are swifter than a runner... like the eagle swooping." | Imagery of great speed |
| Jer 51:31 | "One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another." | Multiple swift messengers |
| Pro 6:4-5 | "Do not give sleep to your eyes... deliver yourself like a gazelle." | Urgency and necessity for quick action |
| Isa 18:2 | "Go, you swift messengers, to a nation scattered." | Fast messengers in God's service |
| 1 Sam 21:8 | "The king’s business required haste." | Royal matters often demand urgency |
| Zech 14:15 | "And so will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, and the donkey." | Lists common transport animals |
| Gen 50:20 | "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good." | Divine providence in overcoming evil |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." | God working through circumstances |
| Phil 1:12 | "My imprisonment has actually advanced the gospel." | Adverse situations used for God's purposes |
| Ps 18:2 | "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer." | God as the ultimate Deliverer |
| Pro 16:33 | "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." | God's sovereign control even in chance events |
Esther 8 verses
Esther 8 10 Meaning
Esther 8:10 details the formal and urgent dispatch of a new royal decree throughout the Persian Empire. It states that Mordecai, acting under King Ahasuerus's authority, wrote letters that were sealed with the king's own ring, signifying their ultimate legality and irreversibility. These crucial messages were then sent by a diverse and fast network of royal couriers, utilizing various swift animals like horses, mules, camels, and especially young dromedaries, to ensure rapid and widespread delivery across the vast realm, counteracting Haman's earlier decree of Jewish extermination.
Esther 8 10 Context
Esther 8:10 follows Haman's execution and Mordecai's elevation to prime minister. Queen Esther and Mordecai approached King Ahasuerus seeking to nullify Haman's decree which mandated the extermination of all Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. However, Medo-Persian law famously declared that a decree written in the king's name and sealed with his ring could not be revoked (Esth 8:8). Therefore, the new decree, detailed in verse 10, did not cancel Haman's but rather counteracted it. It authorized Jews throughout the empire to assemble, defend themselves, and destroy any who might attack them on the specified day. This verse describes the critical action of distributing this life-saving counter-decree with the same or even greater urgency and authority as the original, death-bringing one.
Esther 8 10 Word analysis
And he wrote: Refers to Mordecai, acting as the newly appointed vizier, exercising the power given to him by the king. This demonstrates God's sovereignty, placing His servant in a position of influence.
letters (Heb. sepharim): Official written documents, decrees. These were formal communications, bearing the weight of royal law.
in the king's Ahasuerus' name: Signified that the authority behind these decrees was not Mordecai's own, but the absolute power of the monarch, making them legally binding across the empire.
and sealed them: The act of sealing provided authenticity and legal validation.
with the king's ring (Heb. tabba'ath ha-melech): The king's personal signet ring was the ultimate emblem of royal authority. Any document sealed with it became irrefutable and irreversible, effectively an extension of the king's own command. This crucial detail emphasizes the binding nature of the new decree, matching the legal weight of Haman's original one.
and sent letters: The proactive step of dissemination, ensuring the decree's reach.
by posts on horseback (Heb. haddavarim b’susim): Refers to couriers or royal dispatches specifically mounted on horses. This points to a highly organized and efficient imperial postal system, known for its speed in ancient Persia.
and riders (Heb. rachashim): A general term for swift royal steeds or trained coursers.
on mules (Heb. pradim): Known for their stamina and sure-footedness across various terrains, including mountains and rocky paths, making them reliable for long journeys.
camels (Heb. gamelim): Essential for traversing desert regions and carrying heavier loads over long distances.
and young dromedaries (Heb. benei haramakim): Literally "sons of the royal studs" or "foals of the coursers." These were specially bred, elite, high-spirited, and incredibly fast riding animals, likely superior in speed to regular horses, specifically chosen for urgent royal business where utmost swiftness was paramount.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "he wrote letters in the king's Ahasuerus' name, and sealed them with the king's ring": This phrase highlights the formal, legal, and authoritative nature of the counter-decree. It underscores the delegation of royal power to Mordecai, allowing him to act with the full backing and seal of the empire, effectively making the decree as unbreakable as Haman's had been.
- "and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries": This phrase emphasizes the extensive reach and unprecedented speed employed in distributing the decree. The diverse array of animals chosen specifically demonstrates a comprehensive and urgent strategy to deliver the message as quickly as possible to every corner of the vast Persian Empire, racing against time to save the Jewish people.
Esther 8 10 Bonus section
The efficient Persian postal system mentioned here, with its network of roads and relays, was famed in the ancient world and often contrasted with slower communication methods. Herodotus lauded the Persian "royal road" and their "mounted couriers," famously stating, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The employment of benei haramakim (young dromedaries/swift coursers) underscores the strategic importance and unparalleled urgency of this specific decree. The careful specification of different animals reflects the diverse geography of the empire and the pragmatic need for the most suitable and swiftest transport in each region. The parallel between Haman's initial speedy, destructive decree (Esth 3:13-15) and this new, life-giving one emphasizes the complete reversal of fate orchestrated by God.
Esther 8 10 Commentary
Esther 8:10 is pivotal, signifying the shift from impending doom to hope and salvation for the Jewish people. It illustrates the methodical and authoritative manner in which a vast empire conducted its affairs, now under the guidance of Mordecai and Esther for God's providential purposes. The extreme measures taken for speed – the use of a variety of the fastest available animals – underscore the urgency of the situation and the critical need to deliver the counter-edict before Haman's destructive one could be executed. The irrevocability of Persian law (emphasized by the king's seal) is ingeniously overcome not by cancelling the first decree, but by issuing a new, empowering one, demonstrating a divinely orchestrated reversal of fortune using the very systems of the enemy. This meticulous detail showcases how God works through human agency and established structures to achieve His redemptive plan, ensuring the protection of His covenant people.