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Esther 4:6-17
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6
So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King's Gate.
7
Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.[a]
8
Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and instruct her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people.
9
Hathach came and repeated Mordecai's response to Esther.
10
Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai,
11
"All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned-[the] death [penalty]. Only if the king extends the golden scepter will that person live.[b] I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last[c] 30 days."
12
Esther's response was reported to Mordecai.
13
Mordecai told [the messenger] to reply to Esther, "Don't think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king's palace.
14
If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father's house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this."[d]
15
Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16
"Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, night and day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish."
17
So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him.
Images for Esther 4:6-17
Esther 4:6-17 Meaning and Commentary
INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 4
This chapter relates the mourning of Mordecai, and of the Jews in every province, on account of the edict to destroy them, Es 4:1-3, the information Esther had of it, and what passed between her and Mordecai, through Hatach, a chamberlain, by whom he put her upon making a request to the king in their favour, Es 4:4-8, to which she at first objected, because of a law in Persia which forbids any to come to the king unless called, Es 4:9-12, but being pressed to it by Mordecai, she agreed, and ordered a general fast among the Jews, Es 4:13-17.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.