The Meaning of Esther 9:2 Explained

Esther 9:2

KJV: The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

YLT: the Jews have been assembled in their cities, in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to put forth a hand on those seeking their evil, and no man hath stood in their presence, for their fear hath fallen on all the peoples.

Darby: the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout the provinces of king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt. And no man could withstand them; for the fear of them had fallen upon all the peoples.

ASV: the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Jews  gathered themselves together  in their cities  throughout all the provinces  of the king  Ahasuerus,  to lay  hand  on such as sought  their hurt:  and no man  could withstand  them;  for the fear  of them fell  upon all people. 

What does Esther 9:2 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 9:2 mean?

Gathered together the Jews in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm and no one could withstand them because fell fear of them upon all people
נִקְהֲל֨וּ הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים בְּעָרֵיהֶ֗ם בְּכָל־ מְדִינוֹת֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֳחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בִּמְבַקְשֵׁ֖י רָֽעָתָ֑ם וְאִישׁ֙ לֹא־ עָמַ֣ד לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־ נָפַ֥ל פַּחְדָּ֖ם עַל־ כָּל־ הָעַמִּֽים

נִקְהֲל֨וּ  Gathered  together 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָהַל  
Sense: to assemble, gather.
הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
בְּעָרֵיהֶ֗ם  in  their  cities 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מְדִינוֹת֙  the  provinces 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  of  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֳחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ  Ahasuerus 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ 
Sense: title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes.
לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ  to  lay 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יָ֔ד  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בִּמְבַקְשֵׁ֖י  on  those  who  sought 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
רָֽעָתָ֑ם  their  harm 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
לֹא־  no  one 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָמַ֣ד  could  withstand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
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.
פַּחְדָּ֖ם  fear  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
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.
הָעַמִּֽים  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.