Esther 4:9-17

9 And Hatach went again, and told to Esther all things, which Mordecai had said. (And Hatach came back, and told Esther all the things, which Mordecai had said to him.)

10 And she answered to Hatach, and said, that he should say to Mordecai,

11 All the servants of the king, and all the provinces which be under his lordship, know, that whether man either woman, not called of the king, entereth into the inner hall of the king, he shall be slain anon without any tarrying, but if in hap the king hold forth to him the golden rod for a token of mercy, and that he may live so; therefore how may I enter to the king, that am not called to him now by thirty days? (All the king's servants, and all the people in the provinces that be under his rule, know that if a man or a woman, not called by the king, entereth into the inner court of the king, that person shall be killed at once, without any tarrying, unless perhaps the king hold forth to him the gold sceptre as a token of mercy, and then he shall live; and so how can I go to the king, when I have not been called to him now for thirty days?)

12 And when Mordecai had heard this thing,

13 he sent again to Esther, and said, Guess thou not, that thou shalt deliver only thy life, for thou art in the house of the king, before all (the) Jews; (he sent back word to Esther, saying, Do not thou think, that since thou art in the king's palace, thou shalt save thy own life, even though the other Jews shall not escape;)

14 for if thou art still now, the Jews shall be delivered by another way, and thou and the house of thy father shall perish; and who knoweth, whether therefore thou camest to the realm, that thou shouldest be made ready in such a time to help? (for if thou art silent now, the Jews shall be saved by another way, but thou and thy father's house shall all perish; and who knoweth, whether thou camest to the kingdom, that is, to thy crown, so that now thou couldest help in such a time of need?)

15 And again Esther sent these words to Mordecai, saying, (And Esther sent back an answer to Mordecai, saying,)

16 Go thou, and gather together all the Jews, which thou findest in Susa, and pray ye for me; eat ye not, that is, fast ye, neither drink ye, in three days and three nights, and I with mine handmaidens shall fast in like manner; and then I not called, shall enter in to the king, and I shall do against the law, and I shall betake me to death and to peril. (Go thou, and gather together all the Jews, whom thou findest in Susa, and pray ye for me; eat ye not, that is, fast ye, and drink ye not, for three days and three nights, and I shall fast with my servantesses in like manner; and then though I be not called, I shall go to the king, and I shall go against the law, and I shall deliver myself unto peril and even death.)

17 Therefore Mordecai went, and did all things, that Esther had commanded to him. (And so Mordecai went, and did everything, that Esther had bidden him to do.)

Esther 4:9-17 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.