The Meaning of Esther 2:23 Explained

Esther 2:23

KJV: And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

YLT: and the thing is sought out, and found, and they are hanged both of them on a tree, and it is written in the book of the Chronicles before the king.

Darby: And the matter was investigated and found out; and they were both hanged on a tree. And it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

ASV: And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when inquisition  was made of the matter,  it was found out;  therefore they were both  hanged  on a tree:  and it was written  in the book  of the chronicles  before  the king. 

What does Esther 2:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 2:1-23 - The Service Of A Foreigner
Esther's Hebrew name meant Myrtle. It could not have been easy for her to retain her sweet simplicity amid the corruptions of her time, but her Persian name means "a star," as though she were a garden enclosed, encircled by the atmosphere of the divine purity and protection. We must not judge Esther by our own standards, but by the custom of her time. Each of these young girls was considered to be married to the king, was kept under his roof, and was his wife of a lower rank. How great is the influence of Christianity in raising our standards and pervading the world with a loftier morality! She was not bidden to deny her parentage, but only advised not to proclaim it, Esther 2:10. When, afterwards, she was raised to power, she showed no flinching from identification with her race. So she attained the highest position in the world to which a woman could aspire. God lifted her there to serve a high and noble purpose. Her relative, Mordecai, discovered a plot against the king, and told it to his ward, the queen, and she to her royal spouse. The deed was unrewarded; in this, however, the faithful doorkeeper felt no disappointment. He acted not for reward, but from a sense of duty. But the act was registered both in heaven and on earth, and it bore fruit. It is enough for us to do our duty, and please God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 2

1  Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen
5  Mordecai the nursing father of Esther
8  Esther preferred before the rest
12  The manner of purification, and going in to the king
15  Esther, best pleasing the king, is made queen
21  Mordecai, discovering a treason, is recorded in the chronicles

What do the individual words in Esther 2:23 mean?

And when an inquiry was made into the matter and it was confirmed and were hanged the two of them on a gallows and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king -
וַיְבֻקַּ֤שׁ הַדָּבָר֙ וַיִּמָּצֵ֔א וַיִּתָּל֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־ עֵ֑ץ וַיִּכָּתֵ֗ב בְּסֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ פ

וַיְבֻקַּ֤שׁ  And  when  an  inquiry  was  made  into 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
הַדָּבָר֙  the  matter 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וַיִּמָּצֵ֔א  and  it  was  confirmed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
וַיִּתָּל֥וּ  and  were  hanged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם  the  two  of  them 
Parse: Number, mdc, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עֵ֑ץ  a  gallows 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וַיִּכָּתֵ֗ב  and  it  was  written 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בְּסֵ֛פֶר  in  the  book 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
הַיָּמִ֖ים  the  chronicles 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לִפְנֵ֥י  in  the  presence 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation