Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
Parallel Translations
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Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
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Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
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Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not tell it.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Esther 2:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Esther 2:20 Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
- Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- Esther 3:8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.
- Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Esther 4:13-14 Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
- Esther 2:7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
- Esther 7:4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Est 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor…
Est 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it].
Ver. 10. Esther had not shewed her people] Because the Jews were slighted as captives and forlorn (how dear to the gods that nation is, saith Cicero, it appeareth, quod est victa, quod elocata, quod servata, in that they are conquered, captivated, and not utterly destroyed by us), they were also generally hated, as different in religion, and would not so much as drink with heathens, lest they should drink things sacrificed to idols. They held it meritorious in later times to kill an idolater, as Tacitus testifieth; and at this day they say, Optimus inter gentes, &c., The very best among the Gentiles is worthy to have his head bruised as a serpent. A nasty people they are still, and blood thirsty, odious, and sordid. A historian telleth us of an emperor, travelling into Egypt, and there meeting with certain Jews, he was so annoyed with the stench of them, that he cried out, O Marcomanni, O Quadi, O Sarmatae, tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni (Ammian. lib. 2), This is the basest and most contemptible people that ever I lighted upon. The Romans would not own them, when they had conquered them, as they did other nations, though they complied never so much, and were their servants (Aug. in Psa 58:1-11). The Turks so hate them for crucifying Christ, that they use to say, in detestation of a thing, I would I might die a Jew, then; as when they would assure anything, in execrationibus dicunt Iudaeus sim, si fallo, they curse themselves, and say, Let me be held a Jew if I deceive thee (Sanctius in Zec 8:13). This lieth upon them as a punishment for their unexpiable guilt in putting to death the Lord of life. But in Esther’s time they were hated chiefly for their religion. In prudence, therefore, she concealeth her kindred, as being not called to give an account of her faith; and, living private, might well perform her devotions, and yet not thrust herself into observation.
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For Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it] Lest she should be cashiered the court for a Jewess, which was then held crime enough, as afterwards it was, in Nero’s days, to be a Christian; and this haud perinde in crimine, quam odio humani generis, as Tacitus hath it, not for any great fault so much, as by the hatred of mankind, incensed and set on work by the devil, doubtless, to root out the true religion, and to set up himself in the hearts of men as god of this present world. Hence those complaints of Tertullian and Justin Martyr, in their Apologies for Christians, that their name, and not their crimes, was hated and hissed out of all companies. Odio publico est confessio nominis, non examinatio criminis. Solius hominis crimea est, &c. (Tert. Apol. c. 1-3; Just. Apol. 2). Wisely, therefore, did Mordecai charge Esther to conceal herself for present; so long as it might be done without prejudice to the truth, and scandal to her profession. Worthily also did holy Esther, in obeying Mordecai, her faithful foster father, in ruling her tongue, that unruly member; and in that, although she had changed her keeper, yet she had not let go her integrity, but held with that good woman, in Jerome, who cried out, Non ideo fateri volo, ne peream: sed ideo mentiri nolo, ne peccem.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible…
Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible or odious, or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation, as things might happen. But there was also a hand of God in causing this to be concealed, for the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai was ignorant of it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred,....…
Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred,.... What nation or family she was of; it not being asked, she was under no obligation to declare it; and being born in Shushan, as very probable, she was taken to be a Persian:
for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it; lest she should be despised and ill treated on that account; fearing, if the king knew it, he would not marry her, as Aben Ezra; or rather, as the same writer thinks, that she might keep the law of God privately, observe the sabbath, &c.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Shew it - Lest the knowledge hereof should either…
Shew it - Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible, or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation; but there was also an hand of God in causing this to be concealed, for the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai was ignorant of it.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 10. Esther had not showed her people] This…
Verse 10. Esther had not showed her people] This might have prejudiced her with the king; for it was certainly no credit at the Persian court to be a Jew; and we shall find from the sequel that those who were in the Persian dominions were far from being reputable, or in a safe state. Besides, had her lineage been known, envy might have prevented her from ever having access to the king.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Est 2:10. Mordecai had charged her that she should…
Est 2:10. Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it — Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible, or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation: but there was also a hand of God in causing this to be concealed, for the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai was ignorant of it. If Mordecai sought or desired that his niece should become either the king’s concubine or wife, he certainly acted contrary to the Jewish law, which forbid any marriage or communication of that sort with idolaters; but the circumstances of things, and perhaps the hopes he entertained of being able to do his nation great service thereby, may plead his excuse.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The Persians had no special contempt for the Jews;…
The Persians had no special contempt for the Jews; but, of course, they despised more or less all the subject races. Esther, with her Aryan name, may have passed for a native Persian.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Would. Hebrew, "had not declared." He was not influenced…
Would. Hebrew, "had not declared." He was not influenced to treat her thus on account of her royal extraction. (Haydock) --- In effect, the Jews were despised. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. Not showed her people — She was directed…
10. Not showed her people — She was directed to this course by her cousin and foster-father as a matter of politic prudence, lest her attachment to her race and religion should prejudice her interests with the officers of the harem.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. Esther had not shewed her people nor her…
10. Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred] We must suppose that it would easily be discovered that she, like many of her companions (see Est_2:3), was not Persian by nation. Thus what she desired to conceal was not simply that she was a foreigner, but that she was a Jewess. Nevertheless we have no knowledge from any other source that there was a special antipathy to her people on the part of the Persians. The concealment of her nationality must, one would think, have involved her in various acts both connected with food (cp. Dan_1:8 etc.) and otherwise, which were inconsistent with Judaism. According to the Targum Shçnî the king on one occasion said to her, “Pray, tell me, who are thy people, and what is thy family?” She replied, “I am ignorant both concerning my people and concerning my family, because, when I was quite a child, my father and mother died and left me.” (Cassel, Comm. p. 302.)
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) Esther had not shewed . . .—From the…
(10) Esther had not shewed . . .—From the hope on Mordecai’s part that she might pass for a native Persian, and that her Jewish birth should be no hindrance to her advancement. The king does not learn his wife’s nation till some time afterwards (Est_7:4).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Esther had not showed her people. To have confessed…
Esther had not showed her people. To have confessed that she was a Jewess would probably have roused a prejudice against her, or at any rate have prevented her from being received with special favour. Mordecai, knowing this, had instructed her to say nothing to Hegel on the subject, and no one else, it would seem, had enlightened him.
Reserve and reticence.
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Both when residing in the king"s house, under the custody of Hegai, the keeper of the women, and afterwards, when promoted to be queen, Esther concealed her family and her nationality. This is expressly mentioned in verses 10 and 20, and stress is evidently laid upon her acting thus. A general practical lesson may be drawn from this part of Esther"s conduct.
I THERE ARE OCCASIONS FOR RESERVE AND RETICENCE WITH REGARD TO ONESELF. Such concealment is especially repugnant to our frank and open English habits. Yet there may be reasons and justification for it.
1. Filial obedience may require such reticence. Esther was charged to act as she did; and, even when raised to the throne, she "did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him." Her guardian"s care of her entitled him to use some authority, which her just gratitude disposed her to acknowledge.
2. Prudence may make such reticence expedient. It was probably for Esther"s advantage that her nationality should remain a secret in her own bosom. Had it been known that she was a Jewess, an exile, she might have had to endure some suffering, and disfavour, and contempt. There was no sufficient reason for disclosing her kindred and people; no one had a right to interrogate her thereupon; and she was not guilty of falsehood, or of deceit, in acting as she did.
II THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN RESERVE AND RETICENCE MUST BE THROWN ASIDE. The wise man tells us, "There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak." The time came when Esther spoke out, and declared herself one of the exiled and contemned race, against which the haughty minister of state was maliciously plotting: Until then there was no obligation for her to reveal herself; after that moment silence would have been guilty. Christ himself remained silent amidst the accusations and calumnies of the false witnesses; but when adjured by the high priest, he acknowledged himself to be the Messiah, and the Son of God. There is scope for great discretion and prudence in the conduct of those who mix much with the world, and especially of those who are connected with courts and governments. The Christian will often stand in need of that guidance, which can be obtained only by consulting the oracles of God, and by seeking the teaching of the Spirit of all wisdom and grace.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 about Esther's welfare
about Esther's welfare
"how Esther was doing" or "about Esther's well-being"
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translationWords
Esther
people group
Mordecai
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:10 Mordecai had probably already experienced some prejudice against…
2:10 Mordecai had probably already experienced some prejudice against Jews. Esther’s Jewish background would later become the key to her exposing Haman’s terrible plot.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.