Esther 8 14

Esther 8:14 kjv

So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

Esther 8:14 nkjv

The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel.

Esther 8:14 niv

The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

Esther 8:14 esv

So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

Esther 8:14 nlt

So urged on by the king's command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king's service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa.

Esther 8 verses

Esther 8 14 Meaning

Esther 8:14 describes the swift and authoritative dispatch of the new royal decree. It emphasizes the extreme urgency with which the king’s couriers, riding the finest royal steeds, sped out from Susa the capital, ensuring the counter-edict granting Jews the right to self-defense was immediately and widely proclaimed. This urgency highlights the critical race against time before Haman’s original decree could be executed.

Esther 8 14 Context

Esther 8:14 concludes the pivotal scene of issuing the second decree. Earlier, in Esther 3:7-15, Haman orchestrated a decree allowing the destruction of all Jews, which was also dispatched with haste. Chapters 4-7 detail Esther’s brave intercession, Haman’s downfall, and Mordecai’s elevation. Chapter 8 sees Esther and Mordecai appeal to King Ahasuerus for the Jewish people. Although the first decree could not be directly revoked due to Persian law, a counter-decree was permitted. This new decree, empowering Jews to defend themselves, their families, and property, was authored by Mordecai and sealed by the king. Verse 14 specifically describes the critical final step of this decree’s dissemination from the capital, Susa, marking the turning point from the Jewish people’s certain annihilation to their empowered survival. The urgency is paramount because the original decree had a fixed date for its execution.

Esther 8 14 Word analysis

• So the couriers
  • Word: הָרָצִים (hā-rāṣîm) - "the runners" or "the couriers." From the root רָץ (rats), meaning "to run."
  • Significance: Implies speed and readiness for swift dispatch. These were specialized royal messengers, not just ordinary individuals. They are explicitly mentioned in previous chapters (e.g., Esth 3:13, 15), linking this swift dispatch to prior events.
• mounted on royal steeds,
  • Word: עַל־הָרֶכֶשׁ (ʿal-hā-rekheš) - "upon the rekhesh." Rekhesh refers to a swift, elite breed of royal horses, likely kept for relay duty across the empire, ensuring rapid message delivery. The phrase here echoes Esther 8:10, emphasizing the extraordinary quality and speed of these horses.
  • Significance: Not just any horse, but horses specifically trained and maintained for royal messages. This highlights the importance and extreme urgency attached to the edict. It was the fastest possible means of communication.
• went out,
  • Word: יָצְאוּ (yāṣeʾū) - "they went out," "they departed."
  • Significance: A simple verb denoting their departure, yet in context, it means immediately and without delay. Their mission commenced without hesitation.
• accelerated by the king’s command;
  • Word: בְּהוּלִים (bəhûlîm) - "being urged," "hastening," "in great haste," "sped up." This word indicates extreme urgency and speed, implying an almost frantic effort. It suggests a compulsion or powerful driving force.
  • Word-Group: דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ (dəḇar hammeleḵ) - "the word of the king," "the king's command."
  • Significance: This phrase establishes the source of the urgency and the absolute authority behind the couriers' speed. The king's decree commanded immediate and swift action, ensuring no delay. It's the king's will driving the swiftness. The divine hand is unseen but working through this royal authority.
• and the edict was proclaimed
  • Word-Group: וְהַדָּת נִתְּנָה (wəhaDāṯ nitnāh) - "and the decree/law was given" or "proclaimed." Dat is a Persian loanword for "decree" or "law."
  • Significance: The focus shifts from the dispatch to the dissemination and public knowledge of the decree. "Proclaimed" implies public announcement, ensuring all were aware. This contrasts the secrecy Haman might have preferred with the transparent justice desired by Mordecai and Esther.
• in Susa the citadel.
  • Word-Group: בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה (bəšūšan habBîrāh) - "in Susa the capital/citadel." Susa was the administrative capital and royal residence. "Citadel" refers to the fortified palace complex.
  • Significance: The starting point for the decree's journey. Its proclamation here signifies immediate implementation in the seat of power before radiating outward to the vast Persian Empire. This ensured its official nature and immediate effect within the court and its immediate environs. This also makes a powerful reversal of the terror experienced by the Jews in Susa earlier (Esth 3:15).

Esther 8 14 Bonus section

The parallel phrasing between Esther 3:15 ("The couriers went out, accelerated by the king's command, and the edict was proclaimed in Susa the citadel") and Esther 8:14 is deliberate and significant. It forms a powerful literary inclusio around the crisis and its resolution, emphasizing the complete and symmetrical reversal of fortunes for the Jewish people. This is a crucial literary device that highlights the dramatic turning point from deep despair to exultant hope. The mention of "royal steeds" in both verses further underscores the absolute best and fastest resources being employed for both decrees, illustrating the seriousness of each mandate. It is not just the words of the decree, but the method of its conveyance that conveys its import and the king's undeniable authority, albeit in the latter case, wielded providentially by Mordecai and Esther under God's guidance. The Persian postal system, one of the ancient world's most advanced, featuring relays of fresh horses and couriers along royal roads, enabled such incredible speed across an empire stretching from India to Ethiopia, truly reflecting "accelerated by the king's command."

Esther 8 14 Commentary

Esther 8:14 powerfully underscores the theme of divine providence and the dramatic reversal orchestrated by God. The meticulous detail about "royal steeds" and the couriers being "accelerated by the king's command" highlights the incredible urgency of the situation. Time was of the essence; the date set for the Jews' annihilation by Haman's first decree was approaching. Every word in this verse conveys speed and authority, depicting a frenetic but highly effective deployment. This verse serves as a direct parallel and triumphant reversal of Esther 3:15, where Haman's evil decree was dispatched with the same haste. In a stunning turn, the very systems of power previously used for a decree of death are now mobilized for a decree of life. It demonstrates that God can use the fastest and most efficient earthly means, even those established by pagan kings, to achieve His purposes for His people. The proclamation in Susa, the capital, signified immediate impact, signaling hope to the distressed Jewish community.

Examples:

• God's timely deliverance: Just as the couriers swiftly carried the decree of life, God often acts with swiftness when His people are in peril (e.g., Peter's release from prison in Acts 12).
• Urgency in spiritual matters: The rapid spread of the decree reflects the urgency with which the gospel is to be shared, as people face spiritual peril.
• Reversal of evil: The reversal of Haman's decree through a swift counter-decree illustrates God's power to turn intended evil into good or deliverance for His people.