Esther 3:4

Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

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Other translations

WEBBE

Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

BSB

Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

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.

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.

BBE

Now when they had said this to him day after day and he gave no attention, they let Haman have news of it, to see if Mordecai's behaviour would be overlooked: for he had said to them that he was a Jew.

Original Hebrew

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וַיְהִי vay·hi and it was H1961 כְּאָמְרָם ke·'a·me·ram just as spoke they H559 אֵלָיו 'e·lav to him H413 יוֹם yom a day H3117 וָיוֹם va·yom and a day H3117 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not H3808 שָׁמַע sha·ma' he listened H8085 אֲלֵיהֶם 'a·lei·hem to them H413 וַיַּגִּידוּ vai·ya·gi·du and they told H5046 לְהָמָן le·ha·man to Haman H2001 לִרְאוֹת lir·'ot to see H7200 הֲיַעַמְדוּ ha·ya·'am·du ¿ will they stand H5975 דִּבְרֵי div·rei [the] words of H1697 מָרְדֳּכַי ma·re·do·khai Mordecai H4782 כִּי־ ki- that H3588 הִגִּיד hi·gid he had told H5046 לָהֶם la·hem to (the) them H9038 אֲשֶׁר־ 'a·sher- that H834 הוּא hu' he H1931 יְהוּדִי ye·hu·di [was] a Jew H3064

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–6

Mordecai refused to reverence Haman. The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman. By nature all are idolaters; self is our favourite idol, we are pleased to be treated as if every thing were at our disposal. Though religion by no means destroys good manners, but teaches us to render honour to whom honour is due, yet by a citizen of Zion, not only in his heart, but in his eyes, such a vile person as Haman was, is contemned, Psa 15:4. The true believer cannot obey edicts, or conform to fashions, which break the law of God. He must obey God rather than man, and leave the consequences to him. Haman was full of wrath. His device was inspired by that wicked spirit, who has been a murderer from the beginning; whose enmity to Christ and his church, governs all his children.

Read Matthew Henry on Esther 3 →

Cross-references

9

People & places

HamanMordecai

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.