Esther 2:21
WEB
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
BSB
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
KJV
¶ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3117
n-m — day
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to be hot;
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
KJV: age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.
n.m — day
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
1. day, opp. night
2. Day as division of time
3. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
4. Pl. days of anyone
5. Days
6. יוֹם = time
7. Phrases
H1992
p — they
Derivation: or (prolonged) הֵמָּה; masculine plural from 1931;
they (only used when emphatic)
KJV: it, like, × (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, × so, × such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.
pron — they
הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they
H4782
n-pr-m — Mordecai
Derivation: of foreign derivation;
Mordecai, an Israelite
KJV: Mordecai.
n.pr.m — Mordecai
מָרְדֳּכַי (van d. H מָרְדְּכַי) n.pr.m. Mordecai
1. companion of Zerub.
2. cousin and adoptive father of Esther
H3427
v — sit, dwell, remain, settle, marry
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
vb — sit
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
1.
a. sit
b. sit, sit down
c. sit down
d. sit = be set (as a jewel)
2.
a. remain, stay, tarry
b. with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
3. dwell, have one’s abode
4. of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
1. cause to sit
2. cause to abide
3.
a. cause to dwell
b. cause cities to be inhabited
4. marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
H8179
n-m — opening, door, gate
Derivation: from 8176 in its original sense;
an opening, i.e. door or gate
KJV: city, door, gate, port (× -er).
n.m — gate
שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate
H4428
n-m — king
Derivation: from 4427;
a king
KJV: king, royal.
n.m — king
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
H7107
v — crack, burst
Derivation: a primitive root;
to crack off, i.e. (figuratively) burst out in rage
KJV: (be) anger(-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to) wrath (come), be wroth.
vb — be wroth
קָצַף vb. be wroth
Qal be wroth
Hiph. provoke to wrath
Hithp. put oneself in a rage
H904
n-pr-m — Bigthan, Bigthana
Derivation: or בִּגְתָנָא; of similar derivation to 903;
Bigthan or Bigthana, a eunuch of Xerxes
KJV: Bigthan, Bigthana.
n.pr.m — Bigthan
בִּגְתָן n.pr.m. (gift of God?) a eunuch of Ahasuerus
H8657
n-pr-m — Teresh
Derivation: of foreign derivation;
Teresh, a eunuch of Xerxes
KJV: Teresh.
n.pr.m — Teresh
תֶּ֫רֶשׁ n.pr.m. eunuch at court of Ahasuerus
H8147
n — two, twofold
Derivation: dual of 8145; feminine שְׁתַּיִם;
two; also (as ordinal) twofold
KJV: both, couple, double, second, twain, twelfth, twelve, twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
n.m — two
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
H5631
n-m — eunuch, valet, minister
Derivation: or סָרִס; from an unused root meaning to castrate;
a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially of the female apartments), and thus, a minister of state
KJV: chamberlain, eunuch, officer. Compare 7249.
n.m — eunuch
סָרִיס 45 n.m. eunuch
H8104
v — hedge, guard, protect, attend to
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
vb — keep
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
1.
a. keep, have charge of
b. keep, guard, captives
c. hence, watch for, wait for
d. watch, observe
2.
a. keep, retain, of storing up (food)
b. keep within bounds, restrain
3.
a. observe, celebrate
b. keep sabbath
c. of other obligations
d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
4. sts. י׳ subj.
5. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph. 36
1. be on one's guard
2. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
3. be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
H5592
n-m — vestibule, dish
Derivation: from 5605, in its original sense of containing;
a vestibule (as a limit); also a dish (for holding blood or wine)
KJV: bason, bowl, cup, door (post), gate, post, threshold.
n.m — threshhold
סַף 24 n.m. threshhold, sill
n.m — basin
סַף n.m. basin, goblet
H1245
v — search, strive after
Derivation: a primitive root;
to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after
KJV: ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).
vb — seek
[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek
Pi.
1. seek to find
2. seek to secure
3. seek the face
4. desire, demand
5.
a. require, exact
b. exact equivalent or penalty for
6. (late) ask, request
Pu. be sought
H7971
v — send
Derivation: a primitive root;
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
KJV: × any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, × earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
vb — send
שָׁלַח 814 vb. send
Qal
1. send: human subj.
2. send: subj. י׳ (God)
3. stretch out, esp. acc. hand
4. rarely send away: human subj.
5. let loose
Niph. letters were sent
Pi.
1. send off, away, human subj.
2.
a. send away, subj. י׳
b. give over
c. cast out
d. send out, forth
3. let go, set free
4. shoot forth branches
5. let down
6. shoot
7. Phrases
Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
Hiph. and I (י׳) will send
H3027
n-f — hand, open, power, means, direction, closed
Derivation: a primitive word;
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]
KJV: ( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.
n.f — hand
יָד 1604 n.f. hand
1. hand
2. Fig. = strength, power
3. Fig. = side
4. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—
a. sign, monument
b. part, fractional part or share
c. time, repetition
d. axle-trees
e. stays, supports for laver
f. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
g. a (beckoning) hand
5. יַד with prep.
H325
n-pr-m — Achashverosh
Derivation: or (shortened) אַחַשְׁרֹשׁ (Esther 10:1); of Persian origin;
Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a Persian king
KJV: Ahasuerus.
n.pr.m — Ahasuerus
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ n.pr.m. Ahasuerus = Xerxes king of Pers.
Bible49 app
Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.
See Bible49
Verses 21–23
Esther 2:21–23
This good service which Mordecai did to the government, in discovering a plot against the life of the king, is here recorded, because the mention of it will again occur to his advantage. No step is yet taken towards Haman's design of the Jews' destruction, but several steps are taken towards God's design of their deliverance, and this for one. God now gives Mordecai an opportunity of doing the king a good turn, that he might have the fairer opportunity afterwards of doing the Jews a good turn. 1. A design was laid against the king by two of his own servants, who sought to lay hands on him, not only to make him a prisoner, but to take away his life, Est 2:21. Probably they resented some affront which they thought he had given them, or some injury which he had done them. Who would be great, to be so much the object of envy? Who would be arbitrary, to be so much the object of ill-will? Princes, above any mortals, have their souls continually in their hands, and often go down slain to the pit, especially those who caused terror in the land of the living. 2. Mordecai got notice of their treason, and, by Esther's means, discovered it to the king, hereby confirming her in and recommending himself to the king's favour. How he came to the knowledge of it does not appear. Whether he overheard their discourse, or whether they offered to draw him in with them, so it was that the thing was known to him. This ought to be a warning against all traitorous and seditious practices: though men presume upon secresy, a bird of the air shall carry the voice. Mordecai, as soon as he knew it, caused it to be made known to the king, which ought to be an instruction and example to all that would be found good subjects not to conceal any bad design they know of against the prince or the public peace, for it is making a confederacy with public enemies. 3. The traitors were hanged, as they deserved, but not till their treason was, upon search, fully proved against them (Est 2:23), and the whole matter was recorded in the king's journals, with a particular remark that Mordecai was the man who discovered the treason. He was not rewarded presently, but a book of remembrance was written. Thus with respect to those who serve Christ, though their recompence is adjourned till the resurrection of the just, yet an account is kept of their work of faith and labour of love, which God is not unrighteous to forget, Heb 6:10.
Cross-references: Esth 2:21 · Esth 2:23 · Heb 6:10