The Bible — World English Bible

Esther 4

In brief

Esther 4 is the turning point of the book. When the edict condemning the Jews to destruction becomes known, Mordecai mourns publicly and urges Esther to speak to the king. She hesitates, because entering without being summoned can cost her life. Mordecai answers that silence will not protect her and that her position may have a purpose. Esther then chooses courage: she asks for a collective fast of three days, and then she will go to the king.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-3Mordecai's mourning and the desolation of the Jews
  2. v. 4-9Esther hears the news and sends Hathach to find out more
  3. v. 10-11Esther's reply: the law of the golden scepter and her fear
  4. v. 12-14Mordecai: you will not escape alone, and who knows why you are here
  5. v. 15-17The three-day fast and Esther's decision

1Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

2He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

3In every province, wherever 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.

4Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth; but he didn’t receive it.

5Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

6So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to city square which was before the king’s gate.

7Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

8He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people.

9Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

11“All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

12They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

14For 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?”

15Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

17So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Key verses

Verse 1
Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

Mordecai shows his distress in public, wrapping himself in sackcloth and ashes, signs of mourning and supplication. He does not hide his pain, he carries it all the way to the king's gate.

Verse 11
“All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

Esther explains why she hesitates: court law forbids approaching the king without an invitation. This verse shows that her courage will not be that of someone who ignores the danger.

Verse 14
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?”

Mordecai reminds Esther that staying silent will not save her and that God can act in another way. His question hints that her place at court is no accident. The text does not name God, but the rest of the book shows his hand.

Verse 16
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

Esther decides with clear eyes: she asks her people to fast and accepts the risk, with no promise of success. It is a faith that moves forward in spite of fear rather than without fear.

Test your knowledge

All Bible quizzes →

Characters in this chapter

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Acts 1:8: The Power That Makes You a WitnessMarie Agostini rereads Esther to speak about courage: facing Haman's decree, the people fast and pray, Esther steps forward, and the outcome turns. She sees in it an encouragement to persevere in prayer.Read the summary →Governing with Integrity Across the 7 Spheres of InfluenceThis sermon quotes Esther 4:14 to remind us that God places people in positions of influence for a specific season, and that the reputation of the gospel is at stake in how we govern.Read the summary →A World That Is Waiting: Become a Witness Like EstherThe preacher presents Esther as a woman who came from nothing and became influential. He invites everyone to recognize their gifts and to leave the church building to bear witness where God has placed them.Read the summary →God Gave You a Mission: Will You Dare to Live It?Sarah Marvane quotes Esther's question in 4:14 among other biblical calls and invites us to stop living for ourselves and to serve others where God has placed us.Read the summary →The Mantle of Deborah: Rising into Divine AuthorityFor a season when everything seems blocked, the sermon encourages us not to lose heart: like Esther, you may be in your place for a precise time, and that is where God entrusts you with authority.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Esther 4

What does “for such a time as this” mean in Esther 4:14?

Mordecai suggests to Esther that her position as queen may not be a coincidence: she has been placed there at the moment her people are threatened. The text stays careful, it is a question (“Who knows?”) and not a certainty. The idea is that each of us can ask on what occasion God has placed us where we are, and agree to answer it.

Why does Esther hesitate to go to the king?

Court law prescribes death for anyone who enters the king's presence without being called, unless the king holds out his golden scepter. Esther has not been called for thirty days. She is risking her life, which explains her fear in verse 11 before her decision in verse 16.

Why does Esther ask for a three-day fast?

Before risking her life, Esther asks all the Jews in Susa to fast for her, neither eating nor drinking, for three days and three nights. She fasts too, with her maids. Fasting expresses dependence and supplication. The book does not use the word prayer, but the people's action points in that direction.

Is God absent from the book of Esther?

God's name never appears in the book of Esther, which is unique in the Bible. Yet the coincidences that save the people, and Mordecai's words in verse 14 about deliverance that would come from another place, lead many readers to see a quiet providence working without noise.

Articles quoting Esther 4

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.