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Esther 3:13

Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar (March 7, 473 B.C.), and to seize their belongings as plunder.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Babylon;   Mail;   Malice;   Post;   Revenge;   Thompson Chain Reference - Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Jews;   Persecution;   Posts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of Purim, or Lots, the;   Revenge;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Decrees;   Kill, Killing;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Adar;   Captive;   Mordecai;   Post;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Persia;   Post;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Apocrypha;   Couriers;   Esther;   Footman;   Runners;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adar;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Months;   Posts,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Lots;   Mordecai;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Post;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Epistle;   Esther, Book of;   Esther, the Rest of;   Guard;   Post;   Sent;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Esther, Apocryphal Book of;   Mordecai;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for July 9;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
Hebrew Names Version
Letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Yehudim, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
King James Version
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
English Standard Version
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
New Century Version
Letters were sent by messengers to all the king's empire ordering them to destroy, kill, and completely wipe out all the Jewish people. That meant young and old, women and little children, too. It was to happen on a single day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was Adar. And they could take everything the Jewish people owned.
New English Translation
Letters were sent by the runners to all the king's provinces stating that they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions.
New American Standard Bible
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces to annihilate, kill, and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder.
World English Bible
Letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the letters were sent by postes into all the Kings prouinces, to roote out, to kill and to destroy all the Iewes, both yong & olde, children and women, in one day vpon the thirteenth day of the twelft moneth, (which is the moneth Adar) and to spoyle them as a pray.
Legacy Standard Bible
And letters were sent by the hand of couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil.
Berean Standard Bible
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews-young and old, women and children-and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
Contemporary English Version
The letters were taken by messengers to every part of the kingdom, and this is what was said in the letters: On the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month, all Jewish men, women, and children are to be killed. And their property is to be taken.
Complete Jewish Bible
Letters were sent by courier to all the royal provinces "to destroy, kill and exterminate all Jews, from young to old, including small children and women, on a specific day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to seize their goods as plunder."
Darby Translation
And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey.
Easy-to-Read Version
Messengers carried the letters to all the king's provinces. The letters were the king's command to ruin, kill, and completely destroy all the Jews. This meant young people and old people, women, and little children too. The command was to kill all the Jews on a single day. The day was to be the 13th day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. And the command was to take everything that belonged to the Jews.
George Lamsa Translation
And the letters were sent by couriers to all the kings provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take their wealth for a prey. In the same day on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar they were written.
Good News Translation
Runners took this proclamation to every province of the empire. It contained the instructions that on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, all Jews—young and old, women and children—were to be killed. They were to be slaughtered without mercy and their belongings were to be taken.
Lexham English Bible
Letters were sent by couriers to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, on one day, the thirteenth day of the month, that is Adar, and to plunder their goods.
Literal Translation
And the documents were sent by the runners into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is themonth Adar, and to take what they owned for a prize.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the wrytynges were sent by postes in to all the kynges lodes, to rote out, to kyll, and to destroye all Iewes, both yonge and olde, childre and wemen in one daye (namely vpon the thirtenth daye of the twolueth moneth, which is the moneth Adar) and to spoyle their goodes.
American Standard Version
And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Bible in Basic English
And letters were sent by the runners into every division of the kingdom ordering the death and destruction of all Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the same day, even the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and the taking of all their goods by force.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the letters were sent by postes into all the kinges prouinces, to roote out, to kill, and to destroy all Iewes both young and olde, children and women in one day [namely] vpon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth (which is the moneth Adar) & to spoyle the as a pray.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
King James Version (1611)
And the letters were sent by posts into all the kings prouinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Iewes, both yong and olde, litle children and women, in one day, euen vpon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth (which is the moneth Adar) and to take the spoile of them for a pray.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the message was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods.
English Revised Version
And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
the ring of the kyng weren sent bi the corouris of the kyng to alle hise prouynces, that thei schulden sle, and `do awei alle Jewis, fro a child to an eld man, litle children and wymmen, in o dai, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which is clepid Adar; and that thei schulden take awei the goodis of Jewis.
Update Bible Version
And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, [even] upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which [is] the month Adar, and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey.
New King James Version
And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. [fn]
New Living Translation
Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
New Life Bible
Men were sent with letters to all the king's lands, to destroy, to kill, and to put an end to all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day. This was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. And they could take the things that belonged to the Jews.
New Revised Standard
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then were sent letters, by the hand of the runners, into all the provinces of the king, To destroy, to slay and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, - and the spoil of them to be a prey.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Were sent by the king’s messengers to all provinces, to kill and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, little children, and women, in one day, that is, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, and to make a spoil of their goods.
Revised Standard Version
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
Young's Literal Translation
and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even unto old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month -- it [is] the month of Adar -- and their spoil to seize,
THE MESSAGE
Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king's provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews—youngsters and old men, women and babies—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods. Copies of the bulletin were to be posted in each province, publicly available to all peoples, to get them ready for that day.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder.

Contextual Overview

7In the first month, the month of Nisan (Mar-Apr), in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman cast Pur, that is, the lot, cast before him day after day [to find a lucky day to approach the king], month after month, until the twelfth month, the month of Adar (Feb-Mar). 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered [abroad] and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not observe the king's laws. Therefore it is not in the king's interest to [tolerate them and] let them stay here. 9"If it pleases the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king's business, to put into the king's treasuries." 10Then the king removed his signet ring from his hand [that is, the special ring which was used to seal his letters] and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11The king said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, and the people also, to do with them as you please." 12Then the king's scribes (secretaries) were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king's satraps (chief rulers), and to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script (writing), each people according to their own language; being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar (March 7, 473 B.C.), and to seize their belongings as plunder.14A copy of the edict to be decreed as law in every province was published to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for this day. 15The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa. And while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was perplexed [by the unusual and alarming decree].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

by posts: Esther 8:10, Esther 8:14, 2 Chronicles 30:6, Job 9:25, Jeremiah 51:31, Romans 3:15

both young: 1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 22:19

in one day: Esther 8:12-14, James 2:13

the spoil: Esther 8:11, Esther 9:10, Isaiah 10:6

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 30:10 - the posts Ezra 6:15 - Adar Esther 7:4 - to be destroyed Esther 8:5 - letters Esther 8:9 - and to the lieutenants Esther 9:22 - the days Psalms 124:3 - Then they Jeremiah 25:10 - take from Lamentations 2:21 - young Daniel 3:3 - captains Acts 12:4 - intending

Cross-References

Genesis 3:4
But the serpent said to the woman, "You certainly will not die!
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:9
But the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
He said, "I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
Genesis 3:12
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."
Genesis 44:15
Joseph spoke harshly to them, "What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can indeed practice divination and foretell [everything you do without outside knowledge of it]?"
1 Samuel 13:11
But Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and that you did not come within the appointed time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,
2 Samuel 3:24
Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone?
John 18:35
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and their chief priests have handed You over to me. What have You done [that is worthy of death]?"
1 Timothy 2:14
and it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was led astray and fell into sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the letters were sent by post into all the king's provinces,.... Or by the runners x; by which it seems as if these letters were carried by running footmen, men swift of foot; or rather they were running horses, on which men rode post with letters, and which the Persians called Angari; a scheme invented by Cyrus, for the quick dispatch of letters from place to place, by fixing horses and men to ride them at a proper distance, to receive letters one from another, and who rode night and day y, as our mail men do now; and nothing could be swifter, or done with greater speed; neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor night, could stop their course, we are told z: the purport of these letters was,

to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar; see Esther 3:7. The orders were to destroy, by any means whatsoever, all the Jews, of every age and sex, all in one day, in all the provinces which are here named, that they might be cut off with one blow: and to take the spoil of them for a prey; to be their own booty; which was proposed to engage them in this barbarous work, to encourage them in it to use the greater severity and dispatch.

x ביד הרצים "in manu cursorum", Montanus; so the Tigurine version, Drusius, V. L. Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. y Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 43. z Herodot. Urania, sive, l. 8. c. 98.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Present, the Jews keep three days - the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar - as connected with “the Feast of Purim;” but they make the 13th a fast, commemorative of the fast of Esther Esther 4:16, and keep the feast itself on the 14th and 15th of Adar.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Esther 3:13. To destroy, so kill, and to cause to perish — To put the whole of them to death in any manner, or by every way and means.

Take the spoil of them for a prey. — Thus, whoever killed a Jew had his property for his trouble! And thus the hand of every man was armed against this miserable people. Both in the Greek version and in the Latin the copy of this order is introduced at length, expressing "the king's desire to have all his dominions in quiet and prosperity; but that he is informed that this cannot be expected, while a certain detestable people are disseminated through all his provinces, who not only are not subject to the laws, but endeavour to change them; and that nothing less than their utter extermination will secure the peace and prosperity of the empire; and therefore he orders that they be all destroyed, both male and female, young and old," &c.


 
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