The Meaning of Esther 8:17 Explained

Esther 8:17

KJV: And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

YLT: and in every province and province, and in every city and city, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, gladness and joy are to the Jews, a banquet, and a good day; and many of the peoples of the land are becoming Jews, for a fear of the Jews hath fallen upon them.

Darby: And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

ASV: And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen upon them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And in every province,  and in every city,  whithersoever  the king's  commandment  and his decree  came,  the Jews  had joy  and gladness,  a feast  and a good  day.  And many  of the people  of the land  became Jews;  for the fear  of the Jews  fell  upon them. 

What does Esther 8:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 8:1-17 - Courage Rewarded
The ring symbolized royal power and authority; by this sign Mordecai was suddenly raised to the position formerly held by Haman. He also managed for Esther the large estate which had come into her possession. Because of the fixity of the customs and laws of the Medes, it was impossible to reverse the royal proclamation, which had decreed that the Hebrew people should be exterminated. So the king granted Mordecai permission to send letters to his people, allowing them to arm and defend themselves. The speed with which the circulation of the royal decree was carried out is a rebuke to the Church of God which has been entrusted with the gospel of salvation. More than eighteen hundred years have passed, and still immense multitudes have never heard the name of Christ or the love of God. Let us at least strain every nerve to pass on the joyful news, overtaking the tidings of death. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 8

1  Mordecai is advanced
3  Esther makes suit to reverse Haman's letters
7  Xerxes grants to the Jews to defend themselves
15  Mordecai's honor, and the Jews' joy

What do the individual words in Esther 8:17 mean?

And in every province and province and city and city wherever wherever command of the king and decree came joy and gladness had the Jews a feast and a holiday Good and many of the people of the land became Jews because fell fear of the Jews upon them
וּבְכָל־ מְדִינָ֨ה וּמְדִינָ֜ה וּבְכָל־ עִ֣יר וָעִ֗יר מְקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתוֹ֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ שִׂמְחָ֤ה וְשָׂשׂוֹן֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה וְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב וְרַבִּ֞ים מֵֽעַמֵּ֤י הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִֽתְיַהֲדִ֔ים כִּֽי־ נָפַ֥ל פַּֽחַד־ הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים עֲלֵיהֶֽם

וּבְכָל־  And  in  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מְדִינָ֨ה  province 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
וּמְדִינָ֜ה  and  province 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
עִ֣יר  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וָעִ֗יר  and  city 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מְקוֹם֙  wherever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דְּבַר־  command 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְדָתוֹ֙  and  decree 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּת  
Sense: decree, law, edict, regulation, usage.
מַגִּ֔יעַ  came 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
שִׂמְחָ֤ה  joy 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
וְשָׂשׂוֹן֙  and  gladness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂשֹׂון  
Sense: gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing.
לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים  had  the  Jews 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה  a  feast 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁתֶּה  
Sense: feast, drink, banquet.
וְי֣וֹם  and  a  holiday 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
ט֑וֹב  Good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְרַבִּ֞ים  and  many 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מֵֽעַמֵּ֤י  of  the  people 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִֽתְיַהֲדִ֔ים  became  Jews 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָהַד  
Sense: (Hithpael) to become a Jew (in fact or in fraud), become Judaised.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נָפַ֥ל  fell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
פַּֽחַד־  fear 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים  of  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
עֲלֵיהֶֽם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.