Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 4:4
So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received [it] not.
4 17. Esther’s grief and the communications between her and Mordecai
4. came and told it her ] Although unaware, according to the story, of the queen’s relationship to Mordecai, her attendants knew (see Est 2:11) the importance which he attached to her welfare, and therefore they presumed that his mourning garb would bespeak her interest.
she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai ] so that he might come within the gate and tell her the cause of his distress.
but he received it not ] by this refusal indicating the dire nature of the calamity of which it was the symbol.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Esthers maids … told it her – Esthers nationality and her relationship to Mordecai were probably by this time known to her attendants, though still concealed from the king. See Est 7:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Est 4:4
Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment.
Sorrow net superficially removed
Esther, in her elevation, and in her separation from her friends, was far from forgetting them. She was deeply afflicted when she heard of the mourning habit and sore affliction of Mordecai. She was vexed that he should appear at the kings gate in a dress in which he could not enter it, and therefore sent to him change of raiment. But she knew not the sources of his distress. Grief so firmly rooted, and so well founded, could not be removed without a removal of its cause. (G. Lawson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. Sent raiment] She supposed that he must have been spoiled of his raiment by some means; and therefore sent him clothing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
She sent raiment to clothe Mordecai; that so he might be capable of returning to his former place, if not of coming to her to acquaint her with the cause of that unusual sorrow.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. Then was the queen . . . grieved;and . . . sent raiment to . . . MordecaiHer object in doing sowas either to qualify him for resuming his former office, or else,perhaps, of fitting him to come near enough to the palace to informher of the cause of such sudden and extreme distress.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her,…. Her maids of honour and eunuchs that attended her, which they might tell her merely as a piece of news, there being something shocking in it to tender minds; or perhaps nothing more than that Mordecai was in sackcloth; and they might have observed, by some incident or another, that there was some connection between Mordecai and Esther, and that she had a peculiar respect for him:
then was the queen exceedingly grieved; even though she might not know the whole of the matter; but perceiving whatever it was it greatly affected Mordecai, with whom she sympathized:
and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; that so he might appear at court, and she get better intelligence of the cause of all this:
but he received it not; refusing to be comforted, or appear cheerful under such melancholy circumstances.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The matter was made known to Esther by her maids and eunuchs, i.e., by her attendants. The Chethiv does not elsewhere occur after consecutive, hence the substitution of the Keri . The object of : what they told her, is evidently, from what follows, the circumstance of Mordochai’s appearance in deep mourning before the gate of the palace. On receiving this information the queen fell into convulsive grief ( , an intensive form of , to be seized with painful grief), and sent to Mordochai raiment to put on instead of his sackcloth, evidently for the purpose of enabling him to enter the palace and give her the particulars of what had happened. But Mordochai did not accept the raiment.
Est 4:5-7 Then Esther sent Hatach, one of the eunuchs whom the king had set before her, i.e., appointed to attend her, to Mordochai to learn ”what this, and why this,” i.e., what was the meaning and the cause of his thus going about in mourning. When Hatach came forth to him in the open place of the city before the king’s gate, Mordochai told him all that had happened, and the amount of the money which Haman had promised to weigh to the king’s treasures (i.e., to pay into the royal treasury) for the Jews, to destroy them, i.e., that it might be permitted him to destroy the Jews. , properly a determined, accurate statement, from in the sense of to determine clearly (see rem. on Lev 24:12); here, according to the context: amount, sum. This promise of Haman is here emphatically mentioned as the chief point, not so much for the purpose of raising the indignation of Esther to the highest pitch (Bertheau), as to show the resentment and eagerness with which Haman had urged the extermination of the Jews. The Chethiv is the rarer form for , and is repeated Est 8:1, Est 8:7, Est 8:13; Est 9:15, Est 9:18.
Est 4:8 Mordochai also gave Hatach a copy of the decree published in Susa ( , like Est 3:15) to show it to the queen. The following is more correctly drawn towards the subsequent , as by Bertheau, than connected according to the accentuation with what precedes. Before this infinitive must be supplied from the context, especially from Est 4:7: and Mordochai commissioned him or told him (Hatach): to declare unto her and to command her (Esther) to go in unto the king, to entreat him and to make request before him for her people. , to beg, to make request for something, like Ezr 8:23, and Est 7:7. , concerning her people, i.e., in this connection: for them.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
B. Crisis
TEXT: Est. 4:4-9
4
And Esthers maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not.
5
Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the kings chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.
6
So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the kings gate.
7
And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the kings treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
8
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people.
9
And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Todays English Version, Est. 4:4-9
When Esthers servant girls and eunuchs told her what Mordecai was doing, she was deeply disturbed. She sent Mordecai some clothes to put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then she called Hathach, one of the palace eunuchs appointed as her servant by the king, and told him to go to Mordecai and find out what was happening and why. Hathach went to Mordecai in the city square at the entrance of the palace. Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him and just how much money Haman had promised to put into the royal treasury if all the Jews were killed. He gave Hathach a copy of the proclamation that had been issued in Susa, ordering the destruction of the Jews, Mordecai asked him to take it to Esther, explain the situation to her, and have her go and plead with the king and beg him to have mercy on her people. Hathach did this.
COMMENTS
Est. 4:4-6 Grief: When the queens servants told her of Mordecais wailing and mourning and that he had dressed himself in the customary dress of bitterness of the soul, Esther was exceedingly grieved. The Hebrew word is vatithechalechal from the root word chul which means writhe, twist and tremble in pain. Esther was more than curious about Mordecais public display of grief. He was her father and she has the power and the resources to send him immediate relief in a royal way now. Like any loving daughter, Esther hurts when her father hurts. She is determined to help. It may be also that she sent Mordecai clothing to replace his sackcloth so that he might enter through the palace gate and come to her chambers to communicate his plight. But Mordecai sent the servants back empty handed. He kept his sackcloth on and continued his wailing. Esthers agony for Mordecai was even more intensified and she then sent Hathach, a royal servant of high standing. The Hebrew pronouns (demonstrative and interrogative) are idiomatic, mahzeh, mahzeh; that is, Hathach was to report back to Esther the why and wherefore of Mordecais public display of grief. Haman and Xerxes would not have confided their plot against the Jews to Esther, even though they did not yet know she was a Jewess. Eastern potentates were not accustomed to counsel with their wives about affairs of state.
Est. 4:7-9 Gory Details: Now that he was sure Esther would hear the reason behind his mourning and allow it to continue for the needed impact upon the public, Mordecai told the whole story to Hathach so it could be relayed to the queen. Mordecai related how he had refused to bow down in the presence of Haman; how Haman had bribed the emperor for 10,000 talents of silver; how the emperor had issued a decree that all Jews should be slain because of Mordecais actions. Mordecai apparently thought the exact sum of the bribe was important information Esther would need for the intercession he was going to insist from her. Perhaps he felt Esther would be thus equipped to better appeal to Xerxes conscience. Whatever the case, Mordecai had a copy of the whole royal decree made and instructed Hathach to declare it unto her. Some infer from this that Esther was unable to read the Persian language. Mordecai charged Esther (the Hebrew word is tzvah which is usually translated command, order) to go before the emperor and interceed on behalf of her people. Whereas Mordecai had before commanded Esther not to make known her racial origin, now he apparently feels that the only significant influence that might be brought to bear to save the Jewish people would be the queens ethnic relationship to them. This action, as we shall see, would be critical to the very life of the queen herself. Not only would the revelation that she was a Jewess put her life in jeopardy, but even the seemingly harmless act of approaching the emperors presence without being summoned was to incur the death penalty. Esther had to decide between the crises of her personal danger and the danger to the whole race of her people. Would she be willing to lay down her life for others? Would you?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(4) So Esthers maids . . .It is perhaps fair to infer from this, that Esthers connection with Mordecai was known to those about her, though as yet not to the king.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Told it her Told her of the grief of Mordecai and the Jews, but they seem not to have told her its cause.
Grieved She was grieved to learn of her cousin’s miserable appearance and bitter mourning.
She sent raiment Hoping to remove his sorrow, and to take away his reproach, for his sackcloth exposed him to the derision of the courtiers.
He received it not His sorrow was too deep to be thus removed.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
(4) So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not. (5) Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was. (6) So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king’s gate. (7) And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. (8) Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. (9) And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. (10) Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; (11) All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. (12) And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
The several conferences here, carried on by means of the chamberlain between Esther and Mordecai, serve to show how much Esther took it to heart. But the Persian custom totally precluded the women of the king’s chamber, to have any personal conversation, with any other than the chamberlains appointed by the king to attend them. This may serve to explain why it was, that Mordecai could not be permitted to see Esther in person. Even so critical a moment as this made no allowance. Reader! pause over this part of the history and consider the happiness of GOD’S people. A throne of grace is always open to thee. JESUS not only is ready to receive his people, but he waits to be gracious. His hand is full of gifts, and his heart full of love, and grace is dropping like the honey-comb from his lips. And lest his people after all the many blessed things which are said of him, should still be backward to draw nigh; we are commanded to come boldly to a throne of grace in his blood, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in all time of need. Heb 4:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Est 4:4 So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received [it] not.
Ver. 4. So Esther’s maids came and told it her] She herself (say interpreters) was kept in a closer place than they, not having the liberty of going abroad, as others had; because the Persians that were of highest quality used so to keep in their wives; and if they went forth at any time, they were carried in a close chariot, so as that none could see them.
Then was the queen exceedingly grieved
Mulier nulla cordicitus dolet ex animo,
that is, No woman can grieve heartily for anything. Holy Esther is here sick at heart of grief, as the word importeth; and yet (as one saith of the Lady Jane Grey) she made grief itself amiable; her night clothes becoming her as well as her day dressings, by reason of her gracious deportment.
And she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai
And to take away his sackcloth, &c.
But he received it not
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Est 4:4-8
4Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.
Est 4:4
NASBthe queen writhed in great anguish
NKJV, NRSVthe queen was deeply distressed
TEVshe was deeply disturbed
NJBshe was overcome with grief
The VERB (BDB 296 I; KB 297; Hithpalpel IMPERFECT) means to writhe in anxiety. The term is often used of child birth (cf. Psa 29:8; Psa 55:4-5; Isa 26:17; Isa 51:2), as well as the pain of the wicked in judgment (cf. Job 15:20). The ADVERB deeply (BDB 547) is added for emphasis. This term is used for both physical and psychological pain.
Her servants evidently knew her close relationship to Mordecai even though they may not have known that they were blood relations. Esther was greatly concerned about her uncle’s actions.
Est 4:7-8 Mordecai tells Esther’s servant (Hathach) the situation and even gives him a copy of the posted edict to show Esther.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
maids. See note on Est 2:4.
chamberlains = eunuchs.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Est 4:4-8
Est 4:4-8
ESTHER THE QUEEN GETS A FULL REPORT FROM MORDECAI
“And Esther’s maidens and her chamberlains came and tom it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not. Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed, to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was. So Hathach went forth to Mordecai in the broad place of the city, which was before the king’s gate, And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money, that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, and to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people.”
“Esther sent raiment to clothe Mordecai … but he received it not” (Est 4:4). “Mordecai’s refusal to accept the clothing was evidence to Esther that his actions were not caused by personal sorrow, but by an unusually dire public caalamity.”
“The exact sum of money that Haman agreed to pay” (Est 4:7). Throughout the Book of Esther, it is evident that Mordecai had access to any information that he requested; and this mention of that ten thousand talents of silver Haman agreed to pay the king indicates, that regardless of the king’s seeming refusal of it, that it became finally a binding part of the agreement. “The most natural interpretation of this is that the king’s acceptance of the blood money was part of the transaction.”
“The copy” (Est 4:8). “A copy is the way this reads in the Hebrew, which is correct. Mordecai had made a copy in order to send it to Esther.”
“To declare it unto her” (Est 4:8). This means that Hathach was probably intended to read it to the queen; she might not have known the Persian language.
“Charge her … to make request, for her people” (Est 4:8). This means that Hathach, at least, and probably all of Esther’s maidens and servants knew that she was a Jewess. Even if she had not told it to them, they would soon have known it through her concern for and interest in Mordecai. The king, however, probably did not learn of it until Esther told him.
E.M. Zerr:
Est 4:4. Esther had the service both maids and eunuchs or chamberlains. They saw the condition of Mordecai and told her about it. She did not know the reason for his strange behaviour, and sought to have his mourning attire removed and replaced with raiment. He refused the raiment and we are aware of his reason for it.
Est 4:5-6. Upon the refusal of Mordecai to accept the raiment sent to him by Esther, she realized that something very extraordinary was going on. The king had placed at her service one of his own eunuchs. She commanded him to inquire as to the reason for Mordecai’s actions.
Est 4:7. The refusal of Mordecai to use the clothing that Esther offered him was not from a spirit of ingratitude or sullenness. When her special servant asked for an explanation, Mordecai gave the information without evasion. He had learned even of the detail about the money that Haman promised to furnish to be applied on the expenses of having the Jews destroyed.
Est 4:8-9. There seems not to have been any attempt to conceal the plan for the destruction of the Jews, for Mordecai was able to furnish the servant of Esther a copy of the royal decree. Upon the strength of the order, Mordecai sent a request to her to go in unto the king to make supplication for her people. This was the first information that Esther had of the terrible decree of the king. While she knew it was a royal document, she knew also that Haman was the instigator of it. However unjust it might be, she felt sure that the king was in the dark as to the undercurrent flowing from the wickedness of this man. She also knew of the law of the court, that no one of any rank dared come into the court uninvited by the king. She accordingly sent the information to Mordecai stated in the next paragraph.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
chamberlains: Heb. eunuchs, Est 1:12, 1Sa 8:15, *marg. 2Ki 9:32, Isa 56:3, Act 8:27
but he received it not: Gen 37:35, Psa 77:2, Jer 31:15
Reciprocal: 2Ki 25:29 – changed Pro 31:26 – openeth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Est 4:4. So Esthers maids came and told it her Namely, that Mordecai appeared before the kings gate in sackcloth. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved Imagining some mischief had befallen him, and not yet knowing what it was; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai That so he might be capable of returning to his former place, if not of coming to acquaint her with the cause of his sorrow. But he received it not Which, no doubt, very much increased her grief and surprise.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
III. ESTHER’S INTERVENTION 4:4-9:19
Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jews created a crisis, and now Esther’s intervention with Ahasuerus provided the solution.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
A. Mordecai’s Instruction 4:4-17
Mordecai’s mourning may have been the only thing that disturbed Esther. She may have known nothing about the decree. On the other hand, she may have known of both, and concluded that since the king did not know that she was a Jewess, she would be safe (Est 4:13). However, Mordecai implied that Hathach knew she was a Jewess (Est 4:13, cf. Est 4:9), and probably others did as well.
Several students of Esther have pointed out that Mordecai does not come across in this book as a very "spiritual" person. [Note: E.g., Martin, p. 707.] In Est 4:14, for example, he made no direct reference to God that would certainly have been natural (cf. Nehemiah’s frequent prayers). Nevertheless, he did believe that God would preserve His people and punish their enemies (Gen 12:3). He also concluded that if Esther remained silent she would die. Mordecai saw God’s hand behind the human agent of her threatened destruction, who was probably the king (cf. Gen 50:20).
Mordecai’s question in Est 4:14 is the main basis for the view that the doctrine of providence is the key to understanding the Book of Esther.
"The book implies that even when God’s people are far from him and disobedient, they are still the object of his concern and love, and that he is working out his purposes through them . . ." [Note: Huey, p. 794.]
Mordecai perceived Esther’s moment of destiny.
"Mordecai is not postulating that deliverance will arise for the Jews from some mysterious, unexpressed source. Rather, by affirming that Esther is the only possible source of deliverance for the Jews, he is attempting to motivate her to act." [Note: Bush, p. 397.]
"The promises of God, the justice of God, and the providence of God shine brilliantly through the entire crisis, so that the mere omission of His name obscures nothing of His identity, attributes, and purposes for His chosen people and for the entire world of mankind." [Note: Whitcomb, p. 79.]
"Without explicitly spelling out in detail how he came to his convictions, Mordecai reveals that he believes in God, in God’s guidance of individual lives, and in God’s ordering of the world’s political events, irrespective of whether those who seem to have the power acknowledge him or not." [Note: Baldwin, p. 80.]
"Though God chooses to use people, He is by no means dependent on them. Many believers act as though they are indispensable to the Lord’s purposes, and if they refuse to do His bidding God’s work will grind to a halt. Mordecai’s challenge to Esther must be heard and heeded. Our sovereign God will accomplish all His objectives with or without us. He calls us not out of His need for us but for our need to find fulfillment in serving Him." [Note: Merrill, in The Old . . ., p. 370.]
Evidently there was a fairly large population of Jews in Susa (Est 4:16; cf. Est 9:15). Again there is no mention of prayer, though some of the Jews may have prayed because they faced serious danger. [Note: Baldwin, pp. 81-85, gave a helpful discussion of fasting.]
"Like all human beings, Esther was not without flaw; but certainly our heroine should be judged more by the brave act she performs than by the natural fears she had to fight against. The rash man acts without fear; the brave man, in spite of it." [Note: Moore, Esther, p. 53.]
Esther’s words, "If I perish, I perish," (Est 4:16) seem more like words of courageous determination [Note: David J. A. Clines, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, p. 303; Bush, p. 400.] than an expression of resignation to the inevitable (cf. Gen 43:14). [Note: Paton, p. 226.]
"Just as Esther’s fast and Jesus’ humiliation (tapeinosis, Php 2:8) commenced on the same date, so too Esther’s three-day period of fasting parallels the three-day period of Jesus’ death." [Note: Michael G. Wechsler, "Shadow and Fulfillment in the Book of Esther," Bibliotheca Sacra 154:615 (July-September 1997):281.]
If the Jews did indeed fast for three days, as Esther requested, they would not have been able to celebrate the Passover, which their Law commanded (Exodus 12), since their fasting would have begun on the eve of Passover. [Note: David J. A. Clines, The Esther Scroll: The Story of the Story, pp. 36-37.]