Esther 4:1

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

When Mordecai learned about everything that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י יָדַע֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֔ה וַיִּקְרַ֤ע מָרְדֳּכַי֙ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ שַׂ֖ק וָאֵ֑פֶר וַיֵּצֵא֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר וַיִּזְעַ֛ק זְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּמָרָֽה׃

Transliteration

And Mordᵉḵay yāḏaʿ ʾet-all-which naʿᵃśâ, and wayyiqraʿ Mordᵉḵay ʾet-bᵉḡāḏāyw, and wayyilbaš śaq and-ʾēp̄er, and wayyēṣēʾ in-midst the-ʿîr, and wayyizʿaq zᵉʿāqâ ḡᵉḏōlâ and-mārâ.

Grammar Details

• *Mordᵉḵay*: proper noun, masculine singular - Mordecai
• *yāḏaʿ*: Qal perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he knew/perceived
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *naʿᵃśâ*: Niphal perfect, 3rd masculine singular - it was done
• *wayyiqraʿ*: Qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine singular - and he tore
• *bᵉḡāḏāyw*: noun masculine plural construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his garments
• *wayyilbaš*: Qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine singular - and he put on/wore
• *śaq*: noun masculine singular - sackcloth
• *ʾēp̄er*: noun masculine singular - ashes
• *wayyēṣēʾ*: Qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine singular - and he went out
• *ʿîr*: noun feminine singular - city
• *wayyizʿaq*: Qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine singular - and he cried out
• *zᵉʿāqâ*: noun feminine singular - outcry/cry
• *ḡᵉḏōlâ*: adjective feminine singular - great/loud
• *mārâ*: adjective feminine singular - bitter

Word Meanings

• *yāḏaʿ*: knew/understood/perceived/learned
• *naʿᵃśâ*: was done/happened/occurred
• *ʾēp̄er*: ashes/dust
• *zᵉʿāqâ*: outcry/shriek/wail
• *mārâ*: bitter/grievous/sorrowful

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his cloth, and put on sackcloth with ash, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

• KJV1611 – Modern English

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

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Now when Mordecai knew 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;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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;

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Whan Mardocheus perceaued all that was done, he rete his clothes, and put on a sack cloth, & a?shes, & wente out in to the myddes of the cite, and cried loude and lamentably,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Now when Mordecai perceiued all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackecloth and ashes, and went out into the middes of the citie, and cryed with a great crye, and a bitter.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  When Mardocheus perceaued all that was done, he rent his clothes, and put on sackecloth with asshes, and went out into the middest of the citie, and cryed loude and lamentably,

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ 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;

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai tore 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;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Mordecai hath known all that hath been done, and Mordecai rendeth his garments, and putteth on sackcloth and ashes, and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth -- a cry loud and bitter,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Now when Mordecai knew 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;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Now when Mordecai knew 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;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Now when Mordecai saw what was done, pulling off his robe, he put on haircloth, with dust on his head, and went out into the middle of the town, crying out with a loud and bitter cry.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and wailed loudly and a bitterly.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Esther Decides to Risk Everything in order to Help Her People Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud and bitter voice.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 1:11 : 11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.
• 2 Sam 13:19 : 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping loudly as she went.
• Ezek 27:30-31 : 30 They will mourn over you with loud cries, bitterly wailing, throwing dust on their heads and rolling in ashes. 31 They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. In deep anguish and bitter mourning, they will weep for you.
• Dan 9:3 : 3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking Him in prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
• Jonah 3:4-9 : 4 Jonah began to go into the city, walking a journey of one day, and he proclaimed, saying, “In forty days Nineveh will be overturned!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he made a proclamation in Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not graze or drink water. 8 But let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out to God with fervor. Let each turn from his evil ways and from the violence in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and withdraw His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
• Mic 1:8 : 8 Because of this, I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like jackals and mourn like ostriches.
• Zeph 1:14 : 14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and rapidly approaching. The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; there, even the mighty warrior cries out.
• Matt 11:21 : 21 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.’
• Acts 14:14 : 14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
• Rev 18:17-19 : 17 For in one hour such great wealth has been destroyed!' Every ship captain, all who travel by ship, sailors, and those who earn their living from the sea stood far off, 18 And they cried out as they watched the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?' 19 And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe to the great city, in which all who owned ships at sea became rich from her wealth! For in one hour she has been laid waste.'
• Esth 3:8-9 : 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws differ from those of every other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws. Therefore, it is not beneficial for the king to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written to destroy them, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the work, to be deposited in the king’s treasuries." 10 So the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, as well as the people, to do with them as it seems good to you." 12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s scribes were summoned and an edict was written according to all that Haman commanded. It was addressed to the satraps of the king, to the governors of each province, and to the officials of every people, to each province in its script and to each people in its language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, ordering the destruction, killing, and annihilation of all the Jews—young and old, children and women—in a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
• Esth 4:3 : 3 In every province where the king’s command and decree had reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
• Job 1:20 : 20 At this, Job got up, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground in worship.
• Job 2:8 : 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
• Job 42:6 : 6 Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
• Isa 15:4 : 4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore, the armed men of Moab cry out, and their souls are filled with dread.
• Isa 22:4 : 4 Therefore I said, 'Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly. Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of my people.'
• Isa 58:5 : 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
• Ezek 21:6 : 6 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
• Gen 27:34 : 34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, 'Bless me—me too, my father!'.
• Josh 7:6 : 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face down to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there until evening. The elders of Israel did the same and put dust on their heads.