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Esther 4

Est. 4:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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When Mordecai
Mordkay (Hebrew #4782)
Mordecai, an Israelite
KJV usage: Mordecai.
Pronounce: mor-dek-ah'-ee
Origin: of foreign derivation
perceived
yada` (Hebrew #3045)
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow)
KJV usage: acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), X will be, wist, wit, wot.
Pronounce: yaw-dah'
Origin: a primitive root
all that was done
`asah (Hebrew #6213)
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows)
KJV usage: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
Pronounce: aw-saw'
Origin: a primitive root
, Mordecai
Mordkay (Hebrew #4782)
Mordecai, an Israelite
KJV usage: Mordecai.
Pronounce: mor-dek-ah'-ee
Origin: of foreign derivation
rent
qara` (Hebrew #7167)
to rend, literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them)
KJV usage: cut out, rend, X surely, tear.
Pronounce: kaw-rah'
Origin: a primitive root
m his clothes
beged (Hebrew #899)
a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage
KJV usage: apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.
Pronounce: behg'-ed
Origin: from 898
, and put on
labash (Hebrew #3847)
a primitive root; properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively
KJV usage: (in) apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on, upon), wear.
Pronounce: law-bash'
Origin: or labesh {law-bashe'}
sackcloth
saq (Hebrew #8242)
properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run through), i.e. coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grain, etc.)
KJV usage: sack(-cloth, -clothes).
Pronounce: sak
Origin: from 8264
with ashes
'epher (Hebrew #665)
ashes
KJV usage: ashes.
Pronounce: ay'-fer
Origin: from an unused root meaning to bestrew
n, and went out
yatsa' (Hebrew #3318)
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
KJV usage: X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.
Pronounce: yaw-tsaw'
Origin: a primitive root
into the midst
tavek (Hebrew #8432)
a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre
KJV usage: among(-st), X between, half, X (there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
Pronounce: taw'-vek
Origin: from an unused root meaning to sever
of the city
`iyr (Hebrew #5892)
or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
KJV usage: Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
Pronounce: eer
Origin: or (in the plural) par {awr}
, and cried
za`aq (Hebrew #2199)
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
KJV usage: assemble, call (together), (make a) cry (out), come with such a company, gather (together), cause to be proclaimed.
Pronounce: zaw-ak'
Origin: a primitive root
with a loud
gadowl (Hebrew #1419)
from 1431; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
KJV usage: + aloud, elder(-est), + exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.
Pronounce: gaw-dole'
Origin: or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}
and a bitter
mar (Hebrew #4751)
from 4843; bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly
KJV usage: + angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, X great, heavy.
Pronounce: mar
Origin: or (feminine) marah {maw-raw'}
o cry
za`aq (Hebrew #2201)
from 2199; a shriek or outcry
KJV usage: cry(-ing).
Pronounce: zah'-ak
Origin: and (feminine) zoaqah {zeh-aw-kaw'}
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Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-3:  The great mourning of Mordecai and the Jews.
4-9:  Esther, understanding it, sends to Mordecai, who shews the cause, and advises her to undertake the suit.
10-14:  She excusing herself, is threatened by Mordecai.
15-17:  She appointing a fast, undertakes the suit.
all that.
rent.
with ashes.
Est. 4:3• 3Y en cada provincia y lugar donde el mandamiento del rey y su decreto llegaba, tenían los Judíos grande luto, y ayuno, y lloro, y lamentación: saco y ceniza era la cama de muchos. (Est. 4:3)
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Jos. 7:6• 6Entonces Josué rompió sus vestidos, y postróse en tierra sobre su rostro delante del arca de Jehová hasta la tarde, él y los ancianos de Israel; y echaron polvo sobre sus cabezas. (Jos. 7:6)
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2 S. 13:19• 19Entonces Thamar tomó ceniza, y esparcióla sobre su cabeza, y rasgó su ropa de colores de que estaba vestida, y puestas sus manos sobre su cabeza, fuése gritando. (2 S. 13:19)
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Job 2:8• 8Y tomaba una teja para rascarse con ella, y estaba sentado en medio de ceniza. (Job 2:8)
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Job 42:6• 6Por tanto me aborrezco, y me arrepiento En el polvo y en la ceniza. (Job 42:6)
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Is. 58:5• 5¿Es tal el ayuno que yo escogí, que de día aflija el hombre su alma, que encorve su cabeza como junco, y haga cama de saco y de ceniza? ¿Llamaréis esto ayuno, y día agradable á Jehová? (Is. 58:5)
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Ez. 27:30• 30Y harán oir su voz sobre ti, y gritarán amargamente, y echarán polvo sobre sus cabezas, y se revolcarán en la ceniza. (Ez. 27:30)
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Dn. 9:3• 3Y volví mi rostro al Señor Dios, buscándole en oración y ruego, en ayuno, y cilicio, y ceniza. (Dn. 9:3)
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Jon. 3:6• 6Y llegó el negocio hasta el rey de Nínive, y levantóse de su silla, y echó de sí su vestido, y cubrióse de saco, y se sentó sobre ceniza. (Jon. 3:6)
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Mt. 11:21• 21Ay de ti, Corazín! Ay de ti, Bethsaida! porque si en Tiro y en Sidón fueran hechas las maravillas que han sido hechas en vosotras, en otro tiempo se hubieran arrepentido en saco y en ceniza. (Mt. 11:21)
and cried.Mordecai gave every demonstration of the most poignant grief. Nor did he hide this from the city; and the Greek says that he uttered these words aloud:
[Airetai ethnos meden edikekos,] "A people is going to be destroyed who have done no evil."
Gn. 27:34• 34Como Esaú oyó las palabras de su padre clamó con una muy grande y muy amarga exclamación, y le dijo: Bendíceme también á mí, padre mío. (Gn. 27:34)
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Is. 15:4• 4Hesbón y Eleale gritarán, hasta Jahas se oirá su voz: por lo que aullarán los armados de Moab, lamentaráse el alma de cada uno de por sí. (Is. 15:4)
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Is. 22:4• 4Por esto dije: Dejadme, lloraré amargamente; no os afanéis por consolarme de la destrucción de la hija de mi pueblo. (Is. 22:4)
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Ez. 21:6• 6Y tú, hijo del hombre, gime con quebrantamiento de lomos, y con amargura; gime delante de los ojos de ellos. (Ez. 21:6)
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Ez. 27:31• 31Y haránse por ti calva, y se ceñirán de sacos, y endecharán por ti endechas amargas, con amargura de alma. (Ez. 27:31)
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Mi. 1:8• 8Por tanto lamentaré y aullaré, y andaré despojado y desnudo; haré gemido como de chacales, y lamento como de avestruces. (Mi. 1:8)
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Sof. 1:14• 14Cercano está el día grande de Jehová, cercano y muy presuroso; voz amarga del Día de Jehová; gritará allí el valiente. (Sof. 1:14)
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Ap. 18:17‑19• 17Porque en una hora han sido desoladas tantas riquezas. Y todo patrón, y todos los que viajan en naves, y marineros, y todos los que trabajan en el mar, se estuvieron lejos;
18Y viendo el humo de su incendio, dieron voces, diciendo: ¿Qué ciudad era semejante á esta gran ciudad?
19Y echaron polvo sobre sus cabezas; y dieron voces, llorando y lamentando, diciendo: Ay, ay, de aquella gran ciudad, en la cual todos los que tenían navíos en la mar se habían enriquecido de sus riquezas; que en una hora ha sido desolada!
(Ap. 18:17‑19)
 "Let us destroy them together" (Psa. 74:8); "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation." Psa. 83:4. How much Mordecai must have suffered at the thought. Should he have done otherwise? Was he not there as representative of the people who should bear testimony of God in this world? No, with a heart filled with anguish he could say, "I can do no different," as was said many centuries later, in a time like ours, by Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms. Mordecai has a single eye; he seeks no arguments to excuse himself for being faithful to God. Would he perhaps give way at the shock of the death warrant? No; even when Haman left the palace where he alone had been invited, with the king, to a banquet given by Esther, the queen, Mordecai refused to pay to the favorite the required homage. (Chapter 3: Mordecai and Esther by H.L. Rossier)

J. N. Darby Translation

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And when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry,