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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Esther 4:1–3

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
WHEN Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

10 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 1

  1. Daniel 9:3Rank 1 from verse 1
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    3¶ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

  2. 2 Samuel 1:11Rank 2 from verse 1
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    11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

  3. 2 Samuel 13:19Rank 3 from verse 1
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    19¶ And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

  4. Ezekiel 27:30–31Rank 4 from verse 1
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    30And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

    31And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

  5. Job 42:6Rank 5 from verse 1
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    6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

From verse 3

  1. Isaiah 22:12Rank 1 from verse 3
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    12And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

  2. Daniel 9:3Rank 2 from verse 3
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    3¶ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

  3. Esther 3:12Rank 3 from verse 3
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    12Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.

  4. Esther 4:16Rank 4 from verse 3
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    16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

  5. Isaiah 22:4Rank 5 from verse 3
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    4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Esther 4:1

COMBINED MEANING

rent

↗

Sense 1: Tore, ripped, split, broke apart, divided, or removed forcibly. Sense 2: A tear, split, or breach produced by such action.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

clothes

↗

Garments, dress, or cloth coverings and wrappings worn on or around the body.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

put

↗

To place, set, lay, appoint, bring into a condition, or cause to be.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

put on

↗

1. To place upon, clothe, or cover. 2. To assume a character, identity, conduct, or condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

on

↗

1. At, upon, or in contact with the named place, object, side, or time. 2. Toward, against, concerning, depending upon, or directed to the named person or thing. 3. Forward or continuing; in joined expressions such as go on, put on, and lay hold on, the other words supply the particular action.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

ashes

↗

Sense 1: The powdery residue left after burning. Sense 2: A sign of mourning, humiliation, or ruin.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

out

↗

Outside, away from within, forth, absent, or no longer in a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

midst

↗

The middle, centre, interior, or intervening part of a place, body, company, or condition; among, within, surrounded by, or in the presence of persons or things.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

cried

↗

1. Called out, shouted, proclaimed, warned, wailed, or otherwise uttered, often loudly. 2. Appealed, prayed, complained, or called for help, justice, or attention.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

bitter

↗

Having a sharp, unpleasant taste opposed to sweet; grievous, harsh, painful, sorrowful, resentful, or severe in condition, feeling, speech, or effect.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

cry

↗

1. A vocal call, shout, proclamation, alarm, wail, or other utterance, often loud. 2. An earnest appeal, prayer, complaint, or outcry for help, justice, or attention. 3. As a verb, to call out, shout, proclaim, wail, appeal, pray, or complain; figuratively, to bear urgent witness or demand notice.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Esther 4:2

COMBINED MEANING

even

↗

1. Used to emphasize, include, or precisely identify what is meant: indeed, precisely, or namely. 2. Used to mark a boundary, endpoint, or full reach in place, time, or degree: up to, as far as, or through. 3. In ‘even as,’ ‘even so,’ and like constructions, just as, exactly so, or in the same manner. 4. The evening, or close of day. 5. Equal, level, identical, balanced, or uniform.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

before

↗

Earlier than in time; in front of; in the presence of; or prior in order or rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

king

↗

A sovereign ruler; one exercising royal authority over a kingdom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

might

↗

Sense 1: Power or strength. Sense 2: An auxiliary expressing possibility or permission.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

enter

↗

To go or come in; to penetrate; to become an ingredient or constituent part; to enter the mind.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

clothed

↗

1. Dressed or covered with garments or another material covering. 2. Figuratively, furnished, arrayed, or characterized with a stated condition or quality.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Esther 4:3

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

every

↗

Each individual or member of the class, group, place, time, side, or kind named; all distributively.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

king

↗

A sovereign ruler; one exercising royal authority over a kingdom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

commandment

↗

Sense 1: An authoritative command, charge, order, or precept to be obeyed. Sense 2: One of the ten commandments.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

decree

↗

Sense 1: An authoritative order, statute, command, sentence, or settled determination. Sense 2: As a verb, to determine, ordain, or command by such authority.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

mourning

↗

Sense 1: Present-participial or verbal-noun form of mourn, meaning to grieve, sorrow, lament, weep, or express distress. Sense 2: To show the effects of ruin and sorrow.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

fasting

↗

Present-participial or verbal-noun form of fast, meaning to abstain from food for a time.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wailing

↗

Crying and lamentation expressing grief, mourning, fear, or anguish.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

lay

↗

Sense 1: To put, place, set, arrange, deposit, apply, establish, impose, or cause to be in a stated position or condition. Sense 2: As the past tense of lie, to recline, rest, be situated, or remain in a state. Sense 3: In lay with, to have sexual relations. Sense 4: To press or bear upon. Sense 5: In lay up, lay by, or lay in store, to keep, store, or treasure; in lay wait, lay snares, lay an ambush, or lay siege, to prepare or set. Sense 6: In lay hold or lay hands on, to seize, take, apprehend, or touch. Sense 7: In lay down one's life, to surrender or give it; in lay aside, lay apart, or lay away, to remove, reject, or put off.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

ashes

↗

Sense 1: The powdery residue left after burning. Sense 2: A sign of mourning, humiliation, or ruin.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

Nearby Scripture remains separate from the selected passage until you add it.

1WHEN Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

Selected passage

2And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

Selected passage

3And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Selected passage

4¶ So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

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