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Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai:
Esther 4:10 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:
  • KJV Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
  • BSB Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,
  • NKJV Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
  • NLT Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai:

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Esther responds by sending Hathach back to Mordecai with a message. The dialogue continues as Esther weighs the danger of approaching the king.

Overview

Esther's reply, about to explain the deadly risk of entering the king's presence uninvited, shows her grappling with the cost of Mordecai's request. The exchange builds toward her courageous resolve. This moment of deliberation reveals a faithful servant counting the cost, and sets the stage for the famous turning point where Esther will risk her life for her people.

Cross-references & the web

No cross-references recorded for this verse.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Esther videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Esther 4:10YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EstherMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Though God is never named, his hidden hand preserves the people from whom the Messiah will come — a deliverance 'for such a time as this' that anticipates the open deliverance of Christ.

How Esther 4:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.