The Meaning of Esther 3:9 Explained

Esther 3:9

KJV: If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

YLT: if to the king it be good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring it in unto the treasuries of the king.'

Darby: If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have charge of the affairs, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

ASV: If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If it please  the king,  let it be written  that they may be destroyed:  and I will pay  ten  thousand  talents  of silver  to the hands  of those that have the charge  of the business,  to bring  [it] into the king's  treasuries. 

What does Esther 3:9 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 3:9 mean?

If on the king it pleases let [a decree] be written that they be destroyed and ten thousand talents of silver I will pay into the hands of those who do the work to bring [it] into treasuries of the king
אִם־ עַל־ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב יִכָּתֵ֖ב לְאַבְּדָ֑ם וַעֲשֶׂ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֜ים כִּכַּר־ כֶּ֗סֶף אֶשְׁקוֹל֙ עַל־ יְדֵי֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה לְהָבִ֖יא אֶל־ גִּנְזֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
ט֔וֹב  it  pleases 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be pleasant, be favourable, be happy, be right.
יִכָּתֵ֖ב  let  [a  decree]  be  written 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
לְאַבְּדָ֑ם  that  they  be  destroyed 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
וַעֲשֶׂ֨רֶת  and  ten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲלָפִ֜ים  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
כִּכַּר־  talents 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כִּכָּר  
Sense: round.
כֶּ֗סֶף  of  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
אֶשְׁקוֹל֙  I  will  pay 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁקַל  
Sense: to weigh, weigh out, pay out.
עַל־  into 
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.
יְדֵי֙  the  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עֹשֵׂ֣י  of  those  who  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה  the  work 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
לְהָבִ֖יא  to  bring  [it] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
גִּנְזֵ֥י  treasuries 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: גֶּנֶז 
Sense: treasury, chests?.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.

What are the major concepts related to Esther 3:9?

Loading Information...