The Meaning of Esther 9:16 Explained

Esther 9:16

KJV: But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,

YLT: And the rest of the Jews, who are in the provinces of the king, have been assembled, even to stand for their life, and to rest from their enemies, and to slay among those hating them five and seventy thousand, and on the prey they have not put forth their hand;

Darby: And the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their life, and had rest from their enemies; and they slew of them that hated them seventy-five thousand (but they laid not their hand on the prey),

ASV: And the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them seventy and five thousand; but on the spoil they laid not their hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the other  Jews  that [were] in the king's  provinces  gathered themselves together,  and stood  for their lives,  and had rest  from their enemies,  and slew  of their foes  seventy  and five  thousand,  but they laid  not their hands  on the prey, 

What does Esther 9:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 9:1-32 - Deliverance By The Sword
When the fateful day arrived, the Jews throughout the empire stood on the defense. As it appears from Esther 9:16, seventy-five thousand of their assailants fell in the provinces and five hundred in Susa alone. Among these were the ten sons of Haman. No attempt at plunder was made by the victors. The second day was asked for probably to confirm the settled policy of Ahasuerus, and the exposure of the bodies of Haman's sons was rendered necessary by the virulent hatred entertained towards the Jews. Decisive measures were demanded to show their enemies the risk they would incur by pursuing Haman's policy. Haman was an Amalekite, and in this light we may recall Exodus 17:14; Exodus 17:16; Deuteronomy 25:19. In all this, especially in this terrible act of vengeance, we are reminded repeatedly of the change that Christ's coming made in the world, even among religious people. Contrast Esther and Mary of Bethany! [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 9

1  The Jews slay their enemies, with the ten sons of Haman
12  Xerxes, at the request of Esther,
14  grants another day of slaughter, and Haman's sons to be hanged
20  The two days of Purim are instituted

What do the individual words in Esther 9:16 mean?

And the remainder of the Jews that in provinces of the king gathered together and protected upon their lives and had rest from their enemies and killed of their enemies five and seventy thousand but on the plunder not they did lay - a hand
וּשְׁאָ֣ר הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר֩ בִּמְדִינ֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ נִקְהֲל֣וּ ׀ וְעָמֹ֣ד עַל־ נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְנ֙וֹחַ֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָרֹג֙ בְּשֹׂ֣נְאֵיהֶ֔ם חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים אָ֑לֶף וּבַ֨בִּזָּ֔ה לֹ֥א שָֽׁלְח֖וּ אֶת־ יָדָֽם

וּשְׁאָ֣ר  And  the  remainder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שְׁאָר  
Sense: rest, residue, remnant, remainder.
הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים  of  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
אֲשֶׁר֩  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּמְדִינ֨וֹת  in  provinces 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נִקְהֲל֣וּ ׀  gathered  together 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָהַל  
Sense: to assemble, gather.
וְעָמֹ֣ד  and  protected 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נַפְשָׁ֗ם  their  lives 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְנ֙וֹחַ֙  and  had  rest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: נׄוחַ  
Sense: resting place.
מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם  from  their  enemies 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וְהָרֹג֙  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בְּשֹׂ֣נְאֵיהֶ֔ם  of  their  enemies 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה  five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים  and  seventy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: שִׁבְעִים  
Sense: seventy.
אָ֑לֶף  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וּבַ֨בִּזָּ֔ה  but  on  the  plunder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּזָּה  
Sense: spoil, booty.
שָֽׁלְח֖וּ  they  did  lay 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יָדָֽם  a  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.

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