Esther 8:4 kjv
Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,
Esther 8:4 nkjv
And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,
Esther 8:4 niv
Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
Esther 8:4 esv
When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king.
Esther 8:4 nlt
Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him.
Esther 8 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Esth 4:11 | All the king’s servants… whoever approaches the king… if not summoned… there is but one law, to be put to death, unless the king holds out… the golden scepter, so that he may live. | Context of king's authority and life-giving scepter |
| Esth 5:2 | As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached… | Previous instance of the king's grace |
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. | God's sovereign control over kings |
| Ps 103:19 | The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. | God's supreme and ultimate authority |
| Dan 4:17 | …that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will… | God's rule over earthly rulers is supreme |
| Rom 13:1 | For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. | All authority is divinely ordained |
| Ezra 7:27 | Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king… | God's hand in influencing kings' decisions |
| Neh 2:8 | And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. | Divine favor grants access and success |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | NT parallel for privileged access to mercy |
| Eph 3:12 | in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. | Bold access to God through Christ |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith… | Access to God through Jesus' sacrifice |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. | Christ as the ultimate intercessor |
| Rom 8:34 | Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. | Christ's intercession for believers |
| Isa 59:16 | He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede… | Highlights the divine need for an intercessor |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes exaltation, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. | God determines rises and falls of power |
| Job 5:12 | He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. | God thwarts wicked schemes |
| Prov 16:7 | When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. | Favor granted through obedience to God |
| Esth 4:16 | "If I perish, I perish." | Esther's courage and self-sacrifice |
| Phil 4:13 | I can do all things through him who strengthens me. | Source of strength in daunting tasks |
| Num 24:17 | I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel… | Messianic prophecy of the scepter |
| Zech 10:11 | He will pass through the sea of distress and strike the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. | Scepter as a symbol of power and its demise |
Esther 8 verses
Esther 8 4 Meaning
Esther 8:4 describes the King Ahasuerus's pivotal action of extending his golden scepter towards Esther. This gesture signified her life was spared and her request would be heard, a critical step for her to present her petition for the salvation of the Jewish people. It marks a moment of grace and access to power for Esther, essential for the reversal of Haman's wicked decree.
Esther 8 4 Context
Esther 8 is a crucial turning point in the Book of Esther. Haman's genocidal decree against the Jews, endorsed by the king, has cast a shadow of death over the Persian Empire. Following Haman's execution (Esther 7), Mordecai is given Haman's position, yet the decree itself remains legally binding and irreversible according to Persian law. Esther 8:4 occurs in Esther's second unsummoned appearance before Ahasuerus, where she seeks to nullify or countermand the deadly edict. The act of the king extending the golden scepter signals his continuing favor and readiness to hear her, making her intercession possible once more. This gesture, mirroring the king's action in Esther 5:2, confirms Esther's special position and the open door for her plea for her people's lives. It underscores the immense power vested in the Persian king, where his decision literally means life or death, but also subtly hints at divine providence orchestrating these events for His people's salvation.
Esther 8 4 Word analysis
- Then (וַיּוֹשֶׁט – vayyošeṭ): This temporal connective indicates immediate sequence. It signifies that the king's action of extending the scepter directly follows Esther's emotional appeal (Esther 8:3). It shows prompt acceptance.
- the king (הַמֶּלֶךְ – hammẹlek): Refers to Ahasuerus. In the Book of Esther, "the king" often functions almost as a title rather than a name, emphasizing his royal authority, power, and role as the ultimate earthly decision-maker in the narrative.
- held out (וַיּוֹשֶׁט – vayyošeṭ): Derived from the root יָשַׁט (yashaṭ), meaning "to stretch out," "to extend." This is a deliberate and significant act of the king, indicating permission, grace, and a direct invitation for Esther to approach without fear of death. It implies a willing disposition towards her.
- the golden scepter (שׁרביט הזהב – sharbiṭ hazzāhāḇ):
- Scepter (שׁרביט – sharbiṭ): A staff or rod carried by a monarch as an emblem of authority, sovereignty, and regal power. In Persian courts, touching it signaled a royal pardon and an invitation to speak.
- Golden (הזהב – hazzāhāḇ): The gold material emphasizes the king's immense wealth, the scepter's preciousness, and the absolute, unyielding nature of the royal power it represents. It speaks of dignity and immense value.
- toward Esther (אֶל־אֶסְתֵּר – ’el-’ester): Highlights the specific recipient of the king's favor. It demonstrates the direct personal connection and unique privilege Esther held.
- So Esther arose (וַתָּקָם אֶסְתֵּר – vattaqam ’ester):
- Arose (וַתָּקָם – vattaqam): Derived from קוּם (qum), meaning "to rise," "to stand up." This immediate action shows her quick and respectful response to the king's grace. It indicates her readiness and solemnity in approaching him.
- and stood (וַתַּעֲמֹד – vattaʿamōd): Derived from עָמַד (ʿamad), meaning "to stand." This signifies a posture of reverence, readiness, and official presentation before the king. It implies stability and preparedness to engage in dialogue.
- before the king (לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ – lifnê hammẹlek): "In the presence of the king." This phrase emphasizes her direct, privileged access to the monarch, which was normally prohibited unless granted, signifying her authority and the urgency of her request.
- "Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther": This phrase describes the king's merciful act that grants Esther not only safety but also permission to speak on a matter of utmost importance. It demonstrates his benevolence and Esther's exceptional influence with him, without which her life, and ultimately the lives of her people, would be forfeited. The repetition from chapter 5 emphasizes the consistent favor shown to Esther.
- "So Esther arose and stood before the king": This highlights Esther's immediate and reverent response to the king's life-sparing gesture. Her posture indicates humility, courage, and readiness to act decisively for her people, having been granted a crucial moment of access.
Esther 8 4 Bonus section
- The Scepter as a Symbol of Life: In the context of Persian court protocol (Esther 4:11), the scepter, if not extended, meant certain death. Therefore, its extension explicitly symbolizes life, pardon, and access to a favorable hearing. It is a dramatic reversal of the decree of death hanging over the Jews.
- Echoes of Divine Throne Room Access: This scene, though secular, profoundly echoes the biblical concept of approaching a sovereign. In the New Testament, believers are invited to "draw near to the throne of grace with confidence" (Heb 4:16) through Christ, the ultimate Intercessor. Esther's access to Ahasuerus serves as an earthly, though incomplete, type of the believer's access to God through Jesus.
- Reversal Theme: The book of Esther is filled with reversals. Haman's rise and fall, Mordecai's elevation, and the reversal of the Jewish people's fate from destruction to deliverance are central. The extension of the scepter here is another microcosm of this theme: a movement from the possibility of death to the certainty of being heard and saved.
Esther 8 4 Commentary
Esther 8:4 serves as the critical gate opening to Esther's second intercession for the Jewish people. After her initial success in exposing Haman and securing his downfall, the underlying threat of the unalterable decree remained. The king's act of extending the golden scepter is not merely a courtesy; it is an act of sovereign grace that permits an unsummoned approach and spares Esther's life. This echoes Esther 5:2, emphasizing a consistent favor bestowed upon her. This gesture demonstrates the king's immense power—he alone can reverse the immediate sentence of death. Yet, behind this seemingly arbitrary act of human power, a deeper biblical theme emerges: God's hidden providence orchestrating the affairs of kings and kingdoms (Prov 21:1). While the Book of Esther does not explicitly mention God, the unfolding of events, particularly the king's willingness to listen and his repeated gestures of favor, implicitly points to a divine hand guiding circumstances to deliver His people. Esther's humble but courageous response, "arose and stood," showcases her resolve, acting as a direct human mediator in a crisis that only divine intervention through human agency could resolve. The verse sets the stage for the strategic action that will ultimately save the Jews.