The Meaning of Esther 9:4 Explained

Esther 9:4

KJV: For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

YLT: for great is Mordecai in the house of the king, and his fame is going into all the provinces, for the man Mordecai is going on and becoming great.

Darby: For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went forth throughout the provinces; for the man Mordecai became continually greater.

ASV: For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For Mordecai  [was] great  in the king's  house,  and his fame  went out  throughout all the provinces:  for this man  Mordecai  waxed  greater and greater. 

What does Esther 9:4 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 9:4 mean?

For [was] great Mordecai in palace of the king and his fame spread throughout all the provinces the man Mordecai became increasingly and prominent -
כִּֽי־ גָ֤דוֹל מָרְדֳּכַי֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְשָׁמְע֖וֹ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ בְּכָל־ הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת הָאִ֥ישׁ מָרְדֳּכַ֖י הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וְגָדֽוֹל פ

גָ֤דוֹל  [was]  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
מָרְדֳּכַי֙  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.
בְּבֵ֣ית  in  palace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְשָׁמְע֖וֹ  and  his  fame 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֹׁמַע  
Sense: report, rumour, news, fame.
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ  spread 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת  the  provinces 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
הָאִ֥ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מָרְדֳּכַ֖י  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.
הוֹלֵ֥ךְ  became  increasingly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְגָדֽוֹל  and  prominent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation