The Meaning of Esther 3:15 Explained

Esther 3:15

KJV: The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

YLT: The runners have gone forth, hastened by the word of the king, and the law hath been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.

Darby: The couriers went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the fortress. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was in consternation.

ASV: The posts went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The posts  went out,  being hastened  by the king's  commandment,  and the decree  was given  in Shushan  the palace.  And the king  and Haman  sat down  to drink;  but the city  Shushan  was perplexed. 

What does Esther 3:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 3:1-15 - Race Prejudice Breeds Hatred
Josephus says that Agagite means a descendant of Agag, the common name for the kings of the Amalekites, Numbers 24:7. It is probably that something of the nature of religious homage to Haman was demanded, and this Mordecai could not tolerate for a moment. It would have been as bad as the falling down to worship the golden image of Dura. He, therefore, sturdily refused. What diabolical cruelty was here, to meditate the destruction of a nation to satisfy a personal grudge! The resolve was taken in the first month, when Esther had been queen for five years; but the lot indicated the twelfth month for its execution, so that Esther had twelve months in which to oppose the plan. The disposing of the lot was evidently God's, Proverbs 16:33. The bribe of four millions sterling, which Haman hoped to get from the spoils of the slaughtered Jews, without doubt helped to pave his way, and make the king favorable to his request. The matter was soon settled, and the posts were carrying the edict of slaughter to the furthest limits of the realm. It reminds us of the decree for the massacre of the Huguenots. But God was over all. The strongest assaults are vain against Him, Psalms 2:4. He will not let high-handed wrong proceed beyond a certain point, 2 Kings 19:28. Let us shelter behind Him and be at peace, Isaiah 54:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 3

1  Haman, advanced by the king, and despised by Mordecai, seeks revenge upon the Jews
7  He casts lots
8  He obtains by false accusations a decree of the king to put the Jews to death

What do the individual words in Esther 3:15 mean?

The couriers went out hastened by command of the king and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel So the king and Haman sat down to drink but the city of Shushan was perplexed -
הָֽרָצִ֞ים יָצְא֤וּ דְחוּפִים֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְהַדָּ֥ת נִתְּנָ֖ה בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן הַבִּירָ֑ה וְהַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְהָמָן֙ יָשְׁב֣וּ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וְהָעִ֥יר שׁוּשָׁ֖ן נָבֽוֹכָה פ

הָֽרָצִ֞ים  The  couriers 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
יָצְא֤וּ  went  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
דְחוּפִים֙  hastened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: דָּחַף  
Sense: to drive on, hurry, hasten.
בִּדְבַ֣ר  by  command 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְהַדָּ֥ת  and  the  decree 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דָּת  
Sense: decree, law, edict, regulation, usage.
נִתְּנָ֖ה  was  proclaimed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן  in  Shushan 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּשַׁן  
Sense: the winter residence of the Persian kings; located on the river Ulai or Choaspes.
הַבִּירָ֑ה  the  citadel 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּירָה  
Sense: palace, castle.
וְהַמֶּ֤לֶךְ  So  the  king 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְהָמָן֙  and  Haman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָמָן  
Sense: chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai.
יָשְׁב֣וּ  sat  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת  to  drink 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
וְהָעִ֥יר  but  the  city 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שׁוּשָׁ֖ן  of  Shushan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּשַׁן  
Sense: the winter residence of the Persian kings; located on the river Ulai or Choaspes.
נָבֽוֹכָה  was  perplexed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בּוּךְ  
Sense: to perplex, confuse, be confused.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation