Esther 4:14

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows? Perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃

Transliteration

For if-haḥᵃrēš taḥᵃrîšî in-the-ʿēt the-zōʾt, rewaḥ and-haṣṣālâ yaʿᵃmôḏ for-the-yᵉhûḏîm from-māqôm ʾaḥēr, and-you and-bêt-ʾāḇîḵ tōʾḇēḏû; and-who yôḏēaʿ if-for-ʿēt such-as-zōʾt higgaʿat to-the-malḵût.

Grammar Details

• *haḥᵃrēš*: Hiphil infinitive absolute - being silent
• *taḥᵃrîšî*: Hiphil imperfect, 2nd feminine singular - you are silent
• *ʿēt*: noun feminine singular - time
• *zōʾt*: demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular - this
• *rewaḥ*: noun masculine singular - relief/respite
• *haṣṣālâ*: noun feminine singular - deliverance
• *yaʿᵃmôḏ*: Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - will stand/arise
• *yᵉhûḏîm*: noun masculine plural - Jews
• *māqôm*: noun masculine singular - place
• *ʾaḥēr*: adjective masculine singular - other/another
• *bêt*: noun masculine singular construct - house of
• *ʾāḇîḵ*: noun masculine singular + 2nd feminine singular suffix - your father
• *tōʾḇēḏû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd feminine plural - you will perish
• *yôḏēaʿ*: Qal participle, masculine singular - knowing
• *higgaʿat*: Hiphil perfect, 2nd feminine singular - you have reached/attained
• *malḵût*: noun feminine singular - kingdom/royalty

Word Meanings

• *haḥᵃrēš taḥᵃrîšî*: emphatic expression - remain completely silent/keep utterly quiet
• *rewaḥ*: relief/respite/space
• *haṣṣālâ*: deliverance/salvation/rescue
• *yaʿᵃmôḏ*: will stand/arise/appear
• *māqôm*: place/location/source
• *tōʾḇēḏû*: you will perish/be destroyed/be lost
• *higgaʿat*: you have reached/attained/come
• *malḵût*: kingdom/royalty/royal position

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For if thou altogether holdt thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be dtroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  For if thou altogether{H2790} holdest thy peace{H2790} at this time,{H6256} then will relief{H7305} and deliverance{H2020} arise{H5975} to the Jews{H3064} from another{H312} place,{H4725} but thou and thy father's{H1} house{H1004} will perish:{H6} and who knoweth{H3045} whether thou art not come{H5060} to the kingdom{H4438} for such a time{H6256} as this?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  For if thou altogether{H2790}{(H8687)} holdest thy peace{H2790}{(H8686)} at this time{H6256}, then shall there enlargement{H7305} and deliverance{H2020} arise{H5975}{(H8799)} to the Jews{H3064} from another{H312} place{H4725}; but thou and thy father's{H1} house{H1004} shall be destroyed{H6}{(H8799)}: and who knoweth{H3045}{(H8802)} whether thou art come{H5060}{(H8689)} to the kingdom{H4438} for such a time{H6256} as this?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme, then shal the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce out of another place, & thou & thy fathers house shalbe destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kyngdome, for this tymes sake?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For if thou holdest thy peace at this time, comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place, but thou and thy fathers house shall perish: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  For if thou holdest thy peace at this time, then shall the Iewes haue helpe and deliueraunce out of an other place, and thou and thy fathers house shalbe destroyed: And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for this causes sake?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish: and who knows whether you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  If at this time you say nothing, then help and salvation will come to the Jews from some other place, but you and your father's family will come to destruction: and who is to say that you have not come to the kingdom even for such a time as this?

• World English Bible (2000)

  For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!”

Referenced Verses

• Gen 45:4-8 : 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' They came closer, and he said, 'I am Joseph, your brother, the one you sold into Egypt.' 5 Now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For two years now, there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years, there will be no plowing or harvesting. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to establish a remnant for you on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me like a father to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and a ruler throughout Egypt.
• 1 Sam 12:22 : 22 For the LORD will not abandon His people for the sake of His great name, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
• Isa 54:17 : 17 No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord.
• Jer 30:11 : 11 For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you with justice but will not leave you entirely unpunished.
• Jer 46:28 : 28 Do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, declares the Lord, for I am with you. Though I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you justly, but I will not leave you entirely unpunished.
• Amos 9:8-9 : 8 'Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet, I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,' declares the Lord. 9 For behold, I am giving the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes a sieve, but not a single pebble shall fall to the ground.
• Esth 2:15 : 15 When it was Esther’s turn—the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter—to go to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, recommended. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
• Ezra 9:9 : 9 'Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia. He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and He has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.'
• Num 23:22-24 : 22 'God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.' 23 'There is no divination against Jacob, no sorcery against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel: "See what God has done!"' 24 'The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.'
• Deut 32:36 : 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one is left—neither slave nor free.
• Judg 14:15-18 : 15 On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, 'Entice your husband to tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s household with fire. Did you invite us here to impoverish us?' 16 So Samson’s wife wept before him and said, 'You only hate me; you do not love me. You have posed a riddle to my people, but you have not told me the answer.' He replied, 'I have not even told it to my father or mother; why should I tell you?' 17 She cried before him the entire seven days of the feast, and on the seventh day, he told her because she pressed him so much. Then she revealed the answer to the riddle to her people. 18 Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to him, 'What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?' Samson replied to them, 'If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.'
• Judg 15:6 : 6 When the Philistines asked, "Who did this?" they were told, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because his father-in-law gave his wife to Samson's companion." So the Philistines went and burned her and her father to death.
• Neh 6:11 : 11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go!"
• Esth 2:7 : 7 Mordecai was the guardian of Hadassah, also known as Esther, the daughter of his uncle, because she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful in form and appearance. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her in as his own daughter.
• 2 Kgs 19:3 : 3 They said to him, "This is what Hezekiah says: 'Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.'
• Job 9:18 : 18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
• Gen 22:14 : 14 And Abraham named that place 'The LORD Will Provide,' as it is said to this day, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'
• Acts 7:20-25 : 20 At that time, Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. He was cared for in his father's house for three months. 21 When he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. 23 When he was forty years old, it entered his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 When Moses saw someone being mistreated, he came to his defense and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. 25 Moses assumed that his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not understand.
• Jer 33:24-26 : 24 Have you not noticed what these people are saying: 'The Lord has rejected the two families he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and my servant David and will not choose one of his descendants to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.
• Isa 45:1-5 : 1 This is what the LORD says to His anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have strengthened to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut. 2 I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. 3 I will give you treasures hidden in darkness, and riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by name and given you a title of honor, though you do not know me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you do not acknowledge me.
• Isa 49:23 : 23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.
• Matt 16:18 : 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
• Matt 24:22 : 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.
• Deut 32:26-27 : 26 I said I would scatter them and erase their memory from mankind, 27 but I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say, 'Our own hand has triumphed; it was not the LORD who did all this.'