The Meaning of Esther 3:4 Explained

Esther 3:4

KJV: Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, in their speaking unto him, day by day, and he hath not hearkened unto them, that they declare it to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai do stand, for he hath declared to them that he is a Jew.

Darby: And it came to pass as they spoke daily to him, and he hearkened not to them, that they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

ASV: Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now it came to pass, when they spake  daily  unto him, and he hearkened  not unto them, that they told  Haman,  to see  whether Mordecai's  matters  would stand:  for he had told  them that he [was] a Jew. 

What does Esther 3:4 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 3:4 mean?

and it came to pass - when they spoke to him day and daily and not he would listen to them that they told [it] to Haman to see whether would stand words of Mordecai for [Mordecai] had told them that he [was] a Jew
וַיְהִ֗י [באמרם] (כְּאָמְרָ֤ם) אֵלָיו֙ י֣וֹם וָי֔וֹם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְהָמָ֗ן לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כִּֽי־ הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי

וַיְהִ֗י  and  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
[באמרם]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
(כְּאָמְרָ֤ם)  when  they  spoke 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
י֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וָי֔וֹם  and  daily 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמַ֖ע  he  would  listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ  that  they  told  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְהָמָ֗ן  to  Haman 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
לִרְאוֹת֙  to  see 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙  whether  would  stand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
מָרְדֳּכַ֔י  of  Mordecai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרְדֳּכַי  
Sense: cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim.
הִגִּ֥יד  [Mordecai]  had  told 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ה֥וּא  he  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יְהוּדִֽי  a  Jew 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.