Esther 8:9
7 So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.
8 Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”
At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan ), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush —writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan ), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush —writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
- KJV
- Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
- WEB
- Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language.
- ASV
- Then were the king`s scribes called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
- DARBY
- Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.
- BLB
- And the scribes of the king were called at that time, in the third month (it [is] the month of Sivan), on the three and twentieth [day] in it, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the officials of the provinces that [are] from India even as far as Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces—province by province according to its writing, and people by people according to its tongue, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their tongue.
- ÅB
- Så ble da straks kongens skrivere kalt sammen på den tre og tyvende dag i den tredje måned - det er måneden sivan - og det ble skrevet aldeles som Mordekai befalte, til jødene og til stattholderne og landshøvdingene og landskapenes fyrster fra India like til Etiopia, hundre og syv og tyve landskaper, til hvert landskap i dets skrift og til hvert folk på dets tungemål, også til jødene i deres skrift og på deres tungemål.
- OTB
- Kongens skrivere ble straks tilkalt, på den tjuetredje dagen i den tredje måneden, måneden Sivan. De skrev ned alle Mordekais ordre til jødene, og til satrapene, guvernørene og embetsmennene i de 127 provinsene som strakte seg fra India til Kusj. Disse ordrene ble skrevet i skriften til hver provins og språket til hvert folk, inkludert jødene i deres egen skrift og språk.
- B1930
- Så blev da straks kongens skrivere kalt sammen på den tre og tyvende dag i den tredje måned - det er måneden sivan - og det blev skrevet aldeles som Mordekai bød, til jødene og til stattholderne og landshøvdingene og landskapenes fyrster fra India like til Etiopia, hundre og syv og tyve landskaper, til hvert landskap i dets skrift og til hvert folk på dets tungemål, også til jødene i deres skrift og på deres tungemål.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Esther 1:22
He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.
Read in contextEsther 1:1
This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
Read in context2 Kings 18:26
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
Read in contextDaniel 6:1
Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
Read in contextEsther 3:12–13
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
Read in context1 Corinthians 14:9–11
So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
Read in contextDaniel 4:1
King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
Read in context