All the princes of the provinces, the local governors, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
Parallel Translations
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All the princes of the provinces, the local governors, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
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And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
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And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and they that did the king's business, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Esther 9:3 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ezra 8:36 They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s local governors, and to the governors beyond the River. So they supported the people and God’s house.
- Esther 3:2-6 All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage. Then the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?” Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down, nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
- Esther 3:12 Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
- Esther 8:5 She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
- Esther 8:9 Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language.
- Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
- Daniel 6:1-2 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Did them honor, and showed them friendship.
Did them honor, and showed them friendship.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Est 9:3 And all the rulers of the provinces,…
Est 9:3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
Ver. 3. And all the rulers of the provinces … helped the Jews] Heb. Gave them a lift, sc. over the brook, the brake, or whatsoever lay in their way of deliverance. This they did out of their respect to the king, rather than for any great goodwill to the Jews, who were generally hated for their religion, and wished out of the world. Sit divus mode non sit virus, Let god be, only not let poison be, said the Roman emperor of his brother, whom he maliciously murdered.
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, Because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them] But much more, because God himself over awed them, and dispirited them {See Trapp on "Est 9:2"} How else should he appear to be the God of the spirits of all flesh, and that in the thing wherein people deal proudly he was above them? Exo 18:11. How should they come to know themselves to be but men, Psa 9:20, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit, &c., Isa 31:3; if he did not otherwhiles make their hearts heartless, Hos 7:11, their hands feeble, Jer 6:24 Isa 13:7 Eze 21:7, their eyes fail, Deu 28:28, their knees knock together, as Belshazzar’s did, Dan 5:6. How else would they ever be brought to bring presents unto him that ought to be feared, Psa 76:7-8, and to say unto him, Lord, be not thou a terror to me? &c., Jer 17:17. If Mordecai be feared, it is because God hath put a majesty upon him, and made him dreadful, as Abraham likewise was to Abimelech, Gen 21:22-23, David to Saul, 1Sa 18:29, the Baptist to Herod, our Saviour to the Pharisees, Mar 11:18, Paul and Silas to their persecutors, Act 16:27, &c. And this the Lord still doth, that he may dwell upon earth, Psa 68:18, sc. in his faithful worshippers, which wicked men would not suffer, if not thus reined in and restrained. And, secondly, that praise may wait for him in Zion, and unto him may the vow be performed, Psa 65:1.
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 And officers of the king, Heb. and all them…
And officers of the king, Heb. and all them that did the king’s business, i.e. not only the chief persons designed by the foregoing words, but all his other ministers or officers, of what quality soever.
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 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the…
And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, blessed the Jews,.... Countenanced them and encouraged them, and gave them all assistance in their power; extolled them, as the word signifies, lifted them up, and spoke well of them, or praised them, as the Targum:
because the fear of Mordecai was upon them; he being now chief minister, they might fear, if they took part with the enemies of the Jews against them, they might be turned out of their places.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 3. And all the rulers of the provinces]…
Verse 3. And all the rulers of the provinces] Mordecai being raised to the highest confidence of the king, and to have authority over the whole realm, these officers assisted the Jews, no doubt, with the troops under their command, to overthrow those who availed themselves of the former decree to molest the Jews. For it does not appear that the Jews slew any person who did not rise up to destroy them. See Es 9:5.
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 9:3-4. All the rulers of the provinces, &c.,…
Est 9:3-4. All the rulers of the provinces, &c., and officers of the king — Hebrews and those that did the king’s business; that is, not only the chief persons, signified by the foregoing words, but all the king’s other ministers or officers, of what quality soever; helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them — He having manifestly the countenance both of God and the king. For Mordecai was great — The greatest in place, and power, and favour with the king, both for his near relation to the queen, and for the good service he had done for the king himself, in preserving his life, and managing his affairs; and for those excellent abilities and virtues which the king discovered in him. And his fame went throughout all the provinces — He was not only great in the king’s house, and caressed by the courtiers, as many are who have no intrinsic worth to support their reputation; but his fame for wisdom and virtue went out from thence throughout all the king’s dominions, and in all places he was extolled as a great man, and as one that was waxing greater and greater. Hence all, even the king’s officers, saw it to be their interest to help his friends.
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 All the rulers ... helped the Jews - i.…
All the rulers ... helped the Jews - i. e. the Persians, who formed the standing army which kept the Empire in subjection, and were at the disposal of the various governors of provinces, took the Jews’ side. The enemies of the Jews (e. g. Est 9:16) were almost entirely to be found among the idolatrous people of the subject nations, for whose lives neither the Persians generally, nor their monarchs, cared greatly.
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 Extolled. Protestants, "helped." Septuagint, "the king’s secretaries honoured the…
Extolled. Protestants, "helped." Septuagint, "the king’s secretaries honoured the Jews." (Haydock)
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 3. The rulers of the provinces — Called princes…
3. The rulers of the provinces — Called princes in the common version of Est_1:3, though the Hebrew word is the same in each passage.
Lieutenants — Satraps. See on Ezr_8:36.
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Deputies — Governors or prefects. See on Ezr_5:3.
Officers of the king — Hebrew, Doers of the business that pertained to the king. See note on Est_3:9.
Helped the Jews — To what extent is not stated. They probably facilitated the Jews in their preparations to defend themselves.
Because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them — They were men of artful policy, careful to keep in favour with the highest minister of the royal court; and because the prime minister was now a Jew, they feared to take sides with the Jews’ enemies.
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 3. they that did the king’s business] See on…
3. they that did the king’s business] See on Est_3:9.
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 (3) Helped.—Literally, lifted up. The same Hebrew verb is…
(3) Helped.—Literally, lifted up. The same Hebrew verb is rendered furthered (Ezr_8:36).
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 All the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants,…
All the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies. Compare Est_3:12 and Est_8:9, where the same enumeration is made, though not quite in the same order. And officers of the king. Literally, "they who did the work of the king." The Septuagint renders by basilikoi grammateiv, "royal scribes;" but officials of all classes seem to be intended. Helped the Jews. Rather, "upheld, supported" Active physical help does not seem to be meant, but rather the moral aid and support that a government easily gives to the side which it favours in a civil disturbance. The fear of Mordecai fell upon them. It would give the sense better to translate "had fallen."
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 provincial governors
provincial governors
"governors of the provinces"
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the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them
Fear falling on people represents people becoming afraid. AT: "they had become afraid of Mordecai" (See: Metaphor)
was great in the king's house
"was very important in the king's palace"
his fame spread throughout all the provinces
Fame spreading through places represents people in those places learning about how great he was. AT: "throughout the provinces people learned about how great he was" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
administration
Mordecai
Jew
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 9:3-4 People saw that Mordecai was the man in…
9:3-4 People saw that Mordecai was the man in charge, so they knew it would not be wise to oppose him.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.