Esther 4:1

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;

📖 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

• 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.

• 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;

• 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 likewise all the men that were with him:
• 2 Sam 13:19 : 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.
• Ezek 27:30-31 : 30 And shall cause their voice to be heard against you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: 31 And they shall make themselves utterly bald for you, and gird themselves with sackcloth, and they shall weep for you with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
• Dan 9:3 : 3 And I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes:
• Jonah 3:4-9 : 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city, a day's journey, and he cried out, saying, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. 6 For word came to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not eat, nor drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we do not perish?
• Mic 1:8 : 8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the jackals, and mourning as the ostriches.
• Zeph 1:14 : 14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry out there bitterly.
• Matt 11:21 : 21 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done 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 of this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out
• Rev 18:17-19 : 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing. And every captain, and all who travel by ship, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood far off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this great city! 19 And they threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea were made rich by her wealth! for in one hour she is made desolate.
• Esth 3:8-9 : 8 And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from all people; neither do they keep the king's laws. Therefore, it is not profitable for the king to tolerate them." 9 If it pleases the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. 10 And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you." 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written according to all that Haman had commanded to the king's lieutenants, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province, according to its writing and to every people in their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring. 13 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, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them as a prey.
• Esth 4:3 : 3 In every province, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
• Job 1:20 : 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground and worshipped.
• Job 2:8 : 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat down among the ashes.
• Job 42:6 : 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
• Isa 15:4 : 4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even to Jahaz; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous to him.
• Isa 22:4 : 4 Therefore I said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, do not labor to comfort me, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
• Isa 58:5 : 5 Is this the fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
• Ezek 21:6 : 6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with the breaking of your loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
• Gen 27:34 : 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
• Josh 7:6 : 6 And Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.