Esther 4:12 — Word Study
WLCוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ פ
BSAWhen Esther’sʼEçtêr [brave Jewish queen] wordsdâbâr [statements, declarations] were relayednâgad▸ [told, declared openly] to MordecaiMordᵉkay [a brave Israelite, her cousin]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ | and they told | Verb, Hiphil, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י | to Mordecai | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| אֵ֖ת | the object marker | Particle |
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | [the] words of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ פ | Esther | Noun proper feminine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai, |
| KJV | And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. |
| ASV | And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. |
| YLT | And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther, |
| WEB | They told Esther’s words to Mordecai. |
| BBE | And they said these words to Mordecai. |
Where they part company is וַיַּגִּידוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around the main action of relaying, with additional details clarifying the recipient and content.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָגַד
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Esther 4:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Story of Esthergenerated
Esther 4:12 occurs at a crucial point in the narrative where Esther learns of the danger facing her people. Her words are relayed to Mordecai, prompting a response that underscores the gravity of the situation. This moment sets the stage for Esther's eventual decision to approach the king, risking her life for her people, as seen in the subsequent verses.
Cross References
The Key Word — וַיַּגִּידוּ, vai.ya.Gi.dugenerated
The verb נָגַד (nagad) is a Hiphil form meaning 'to tell' or 'to declare openly'. It suggests a bold proclamation, as seen in contexts like Genesis 3:11 and Exodus 32:27, where speaking the truth is emphasized.
In this verse, it indicates that Esther's statements were not merely passed along but declared with intent, highlighting the importance of communication in the unfolding events of the story.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וַיַּגִּידוּ, and they told, which governs the sentence. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the recipient of the message and a noun phrase that specifies the content of what was told.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of relaying the message, with the subject and object clearly defined, contributing to the clarity of the communication in the narrative.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיַּגִּידוּ as ἀπήγγειλεν, which means 'to announce' or 'to report'. This choice highlights the formal nature of the communication and aligns with the narrative's emphasis on the importance of the message being conveyed.
The translation captures the essence of the original Hebrew while also suggesting a broader context of public declaration.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Esther 4:12 tells us that Esther's words were communicated to Mordecai. This moment is significant as it leads to Mordecai's response regarding the fate of the Jews and Esther's potential role in their deliverance.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that Esther's statements were communicated clearly and openly to Mordecai, which is crucial for the unfolding events in the story.
Communication is vital as it sets the stage for the actions that will follow, particularly Esther's decision to approach the king on behalf of her people.
Mordecai is Esther's cousin and adoptive father, and he plays a key role in guiding her actions and decisions regarding the safety of the Jewish people.
This verse highlights a pivotal moment in the story where Esther's voice is heard, leading to significant actions that impact the fate of the Jewish people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does effective communication influence the outcomes in my own life?
- In what ways can I be a voice for those who need help, like Esther?
- What can I learn from Esther's bravery in speaking up for her people?
- How do I respond when faced with difficult decisions that affect others?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Esther 4:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they told to Mordecai Esther's, words. The messengers she sent to him.
Read John Gill on Esther 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they told to Mordecai Esther's words. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Esther 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEsther 4:12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’ s words. Ver. 12. And they told to Mordecai Esther’ s words] She would have been her own messenger, but might not. The greatest are not always the happiest. The Lady Elizabeth once wished herself a merry milk maid.
Read John Trapp on Esther 4 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai,
They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai,
When Esther’s reply was conveyed to Mordecai,
Tyndale line
And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
And they certified Mordecai of Esters wordes.
Strictly literal
And they told Mordecai Esther's words.
And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,
And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,
And they told Mordecai the words of Esther.
So Hathak reported Esther's words to Mordecai.
From the Latin
And when Mardochai had heard this,
Simplified
When Mordecai was told what Esther said,
And they said these words to Mordecai.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וַיַּגִּידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָי אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֶסְתֵּר׃, which matches closely with the Septuagint, where four out of five words correspond directly. This consistency across witnesses reinforces the reliability of the text.
וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ פ
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Esther 4:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
נָגַד (nagad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to declare or tell, with implications of being conspicuous or manifesting something. It covers a range of meanings including to announce, report, and make known, often through spoken word. The entries indicate that it can also mean to expose or predict, and in the Hophil form, it refers to something being told or reported.
[נָגַד] 363 vb. be conspicuous
Hiph. declare, tell
Hoph. be told, announced, reported
base
H5046 נָגַד be conspicuous . declare, tell
. be told, announced, reported
5046 nagad naw-gad'
a primitive root; properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out
opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest;
figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one
present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain,
praise:--bewray, X certainly, certify, declare(-ing),
denounce, expound, X fully, messenger, plainly, profess,
rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, X surely, tell, utter.
נָגַד (na.gad) — to tell.
1) to be conspicuous, tell, make known
1a) (Hiphil) to tell, declare
1a1) to tell, announce, report
1a2) to declare, make known, expound
1a3) to inform of
1a4) to publish, declare, proclaim
1a5) to avow, acknowledge, confess
1a5a) messenger (participle)
1b) (Hophal) to be told, be announced, be reported
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vhw3mp
מָרְדֳּכַי (Mordkay) refers to Mordecai, a significant figure in the Old Testament. He is described as the cousin and adoptive father of Queen Esther, known for his role in saving the Jewish people from Haman's plot. The name may mean "little man" or "worshipper of Mars." Mordecai is first mentioned in Ezra 2:2 and Esther 2:5, and he also returned from exile with Zerubbabel.
מָרְדֳּכַי (van d. H מָרְדְּכַי) n.pr.m. Mordecai
companion of Zerub.
cousin and adoptive father of Esther
base
H4782 מָרְדֳּכַי, מָרְדְּכַי
4782 Mordkay mor-dek-ah'-ee
of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite:--Mordecai.
מׇרְדֳּכַי (mor.de.khay) — Mordecai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.2
§ Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars"
1) 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
2) a Jew who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
מׇרְדֳּכַי (mor.de.khay) — Mordecai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.5;
son of: Jair (H2971J)
§ Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars"
1) 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…
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
mor'-de-ki, mor-de-ka'-i (mordekhay; Mardochaios): An Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, whose fate it has been to occupy a distinguished place in the annals of his people. His great-grandfather, Kish, had been carried to Babylon along with Jeconiah, king of Judah (Es 2:5-6). For nearly 60 years before the scenes narrated in Esther, in which Mordecai was greatly concerned, took place, the way to Palestine had been open to the Israelites; but neither his father, Jair, nor afterward himself chose to return to the ancient heritage. This seems to have been the case also with the rest of his house, as it was with the vast majority of the Israelite people; for his uncle died in Persia leaving his motherless daughter, Hadassah, to the care of Mordecai. Employed in the royal palace at Susa, he attracted, through the timely discovery of a…
Mordecai
The son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. It has been alleged that he was carried into captivity with Jeconiah, and hence that he must have been at least one hundred and twenty-nine years old in the twelfth year of Ahasuerus (Xerxes). But the words of Esther do not necessarily lead to this conclusion. It was probably Kish of whom it is said (ver. 6) that he “had been carried away with the captivity.”
He resided at Susa, the metropolis of Persia. He adopted his cousin Hadassah (Esther), an orphan child, whom he tenderly brought up as his own daughter. When she was brought into the king’s harem and made queen in the room of the deposed queen Vashti, he was promoted to some office in the court of Ahasuerus, and was one of those who “sat in the king’s gate” (Esther 2:21). While holding this office, he discovered a plot of the…
(little man , or worshipper or Mars), the deliverer, under divine Providence, of the Jews from the destruction plotted against them by Haman the chief minister of Xerxes; the institutor of the feast of Purim. The incidents of his history are too well known to need to be dwelt upon. [ESTHER, BOOK OF] Three things are predicated of Mordecai in the book of Esther: (1) That he lived in Shushan; (2) That his name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish the Benjamite who was taken captive with Jehoiachin; (3) That he brought up Esther.
The uncle of Esther, who rose to dignity and honor in the court of Ahasuerus. See the book of Esther.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word
sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
sg. a word, words
sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
base
H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
. sg. a word, words
. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
1697 dabar daw-baw'
from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or
thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X
any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,
cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X
commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +
dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +
eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,
+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,
message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +
please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,
question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,
sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),
somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,
X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,
what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
see HEBREW for 01696
דָּבָר (da.var) — word.
: word/speech/command
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.
: speaking
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.
: thing/matter
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.
: promised/duty
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.
: deed
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֶסְתֵּר (es-ter) refers to Esther, a Jewish heroine and queen of Persia, known for her pivotal role in the Book of Esther. She is described as the daughter of Abihail and the cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai. The name is of Persian origin and means 'star.' Esther is first mentioned in Est. 2.7.
אֶסְתֵּר n.pr.f. Esther—daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of tribe of Benjamin; made queen in Vashti’s place by Ahasuerus
base
H635 אֶסְתֵּר
635 'Ecter es-tare'
of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine:--Esther.
אֶסְתֵּר (es.ter) — Esther.
A woman living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.7;
daughter of: Abihail (H0032K); also called Hadassah at Est.2.7;
Also named: ha.das.sah (הֲדַסָּה "Hadassah" H1919)
§ Esther = "star"
the queen of Persia, heroine of the book of Esther-daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, made queen by king Ahasuerus to replace divorced queen, Vashti.
N-proper — Noun proper feminineHNpf
es'-ter ('ecter, akin to the Zend tstara, the Sanskrit stri, the Greek aster, "a star," Esther):
Esther was a Jewish orphan, who became the queen of Xerxes, in some respects the greatest of the Persian kings. She was brought up at Susa by her cousin Mordecai, who seems to have held a position among the lower officials of the royal palace. Vashti, Xerxes' former queen, was divorced; and the most beautiful virgins from all the provinces of the empire were brought to the palace of Susa that the king might select her successor. The choice fell upon the Jewish maiden. Soon after her accession a great crisis occurred in the history of the Jews. The entire people was threatened with destruction. The name of Esther is forever bound up with the record of their deliverance. By a course of action which gives her a distinguished place among the women of the Bible, the great enemy of the Jews was…
Esther
The queen of Ahasuerus, and heroine of the book that bears her name. She was a Jewess named Hadas’sah (the myrtle), but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known (Esther 2:7). It is a Syro-Arabian modification of the Persian word satarah, which means a star. She was the daughter of Abihail, a Benjamite. Her family did not avail themselves of the permission granted by Cyrus to the exiles to return to Jerusalem; and she resided with her cousin Mordecai, who held some office in the household of the Persian king at “Shushan in the palace.” Ahasuerus having divorced Vashti, chose Esther to be his wife. Soon after this he gave Haman the Agagite, his prime minister, power and authority to kill and extirpate all the Jews throughout the Persian empire. By the interposition of Esther this…
(a star), the Persian name of HADASSAH (myrtle), daughter of Abihail, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden. She was an orphan, and had been brought up by her cousin Mordecai, who had an office in the household of Ahasuerus king of Persia --supposed to be the Xerxes of history-- and dwelt at "Shushan the palace." When Vashti was dismissed from being queen, the king chose Esther to the place on account of her beauty, not knowing her race or parentage; and on the representation of Haman the Agagite that the Jews scattered through his empire were pernicious race, he gave him full power and authority to kill them all. The means taken by Esther to avert this great calamity from her people and her kindred are fully related in the book of Esther. The Jews still commemorate this deliverance in the yearly festival Purim, on the 14th and 15th of…
A Persian name given to Hadassah, a daughter of Abihail, of the tribe of Benjamin. The family had not returned to Judea after the permission given by Cyrus, and she was born probably beyond the Tigris, and nearly five hundred years before Christ. Her parents being dead, Mordecai, her father’s brother, took care of her education. After Ahasuerus had discovered Vashti, search was made throughout Persia for the most beautiful women, and Esther was one selected. She found favor in the eyes of the king, and he married her with royal magnificence, bestowing largesses and remissions of tribute on his people. She was thus in a position which enabled her to do a signal favor to her people, then very numerous in Persia. Their deliverance is still celebrated by the Jews in the yearly festival called Purim, which was instituted at that time. The husband of Esther is supposed to have been the Xerxes…