Esther 4:1
New International Version
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

New Living Translation
When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail.

English Standard Version
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

Berean Standard Bible
When Mordecai learned of all 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 Bible
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;

New King James Version
When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

New American Standard Bible
When Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

NASB 1995
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

NASB 1977
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Mordecai came to know of all that had been done. And he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.

Amplified Bible
Now when Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes [in mourning], and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the center of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.

Christian Standard Bible
When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.

American Standard Version
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;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Murdacai knew everything that was done, and Murdacai ripped his clothes and he put on sackcloth, and he sprinkled himself with ashes, and he went out and cried out within the city with a great and bitter wailing.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But Mardochaeus having perceived what was done, rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled dust upon himself; and having rushed forth through the open street of the city, he cried with a loud voice, A nation that has done no wrong is going to be destroyed.

Contemporary English Version
When Mordecai heard about the letter, he tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he covered his head with ashes and went through the city, crying and weeping.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now when Mardochai had heard these things, he rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, strewing ashes on his head: and he cried with a loud voice in the street in the midst of the city, shewing the anguish of his mind.

English Revised Version
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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Mordecai found out about everything that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried loudly and bitterly.

Good News Translation
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes in anguish. Then he dressed in sackcloth, covered his head with ashes, and walked through the city, wailing loudly and bitterly,

International Standard Version
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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;

Literal Standard Version
And Mordecai has known all that has been done, and Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and goes forth into the midst of the city and cries—a cry loud and bitter,

Majority Standard Bible
When Mordecai learned of all 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.

New American Bible
When Mordecai learned all that was happening, he tore his garments, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city crying out loudly and bitterly,

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry;

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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;

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
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,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Mordecai Appeals to Esther
1When Mordecai learned of all 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. 2But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.…

Cross References
Revelation 11:3
And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.

2 Samuel 13:19
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

Esther 3:8
Then Haman informed King Xerxes, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else's, and they do not obey the king's laws. So it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them.

Esther 4:2
But he went only as far as the king's gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.

Jonah 3:5
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.

Jonah 3:6
When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.


Treasury of Scripture

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

all that.

Esther 3:8-13
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them…

rent.

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

Job 1:20
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

Jonah 3:4-9
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown…

with ashes.

Esther 4:3
And in every province, whithersoever 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.

Joshua 7:6
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

2 Samuel 13:19
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

and cried.

Genesis 27:34
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

Isaiah 15:4
And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.

Isaiah 22:4
Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

Jump to Previous
Ashes Bitter Bitterly City Clothes Cried Cry Crying Dust Found Garments Haircloth Head Loudly Middle Midst Mordecai Mor'decai Perceived Pulling Rendeth Rent Robe Sackcloth Tore Wailed Wailing
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Ashes Bitter Bitterly City Clothes Cried Cry Crying Dust Found Garments Haircloth Head Loudly Middle Midst Mordecai Mor'decai Perceived Pulling Rendeth Rent Robe Sackcloth Tore Wailed Wailing
Esther 4
1. The great mourning of Mordecai and the Jews.
4. Esther, understanding it, sends to Mordecai,
7. who shows the cause, and advises her to undertake the suit.
10. She, excusing herself, is threatened by Mordecai.
15. She, appointing a fast, undertakes the suit.














IV.

(1) Mordecai rent his clothes.--This was a common sign of sorrow among Eastern nations generally. It will be noticed that the sorrow both of Mordecai and of the Jews generally (Esther 4:3) is described by external manifestations solely. There is rending of garments, putting on of sackcloth and ashes, fasting and weeping and wailing: there is nothing said of prayer and entreaty to the God of Israel, and strong crying to Him who is able to save. Daniel and Ezra and Nehemiah are all Jews, who, like Mordecai and Esther, have to submit to the rule of the alien, though, unlike them, they, when the danger threatened, besought, and not in vain, the help of their God. (See Daniel 6:10; Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 1:4, &c.)

Verse 1. - Mordecai rent his clothes. Compare Ezra 9:3, 5 with the comment. The meaning of the act was well understood by the Persians. Put on sackcloth with ashes. So Daniel (Daniel 9:3), and the king of Nineveh (Jonah 3:6). Either act by itself was a sign of deep grief; both combined betokened the deepest grief possible. And went out into the midst of the city. The palace was not to be saddened by private griefs (see the next verse). Mordecai, therefore, having assumed the outward signs of extreme sorrow, quitted the palace, and entered the streets of the town. There, overcome by his feelings, he vented them, as Asiatics are wont to do, in loud and piercing cries (comp. Nehemiah 5:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Mordecai
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י (ū·mā·rə·do·ḵay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4782: Mordecai -- a companion of Zerubbabel, also a cousin of Esther

learned of
יָדַע֙ (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

had happened,
נַעֲשָׂ֔ה (na·‘ă·śāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

he
מָרְדֳּכַי֙ (mā·rə·do·ḵay)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4782: Mordecai -- a companion of Zerubbabel, also a cousin of Esther

tore
וַיִּקְרַ֤ע (way·yiq·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7167: To rend

his clothes,
בְּגָדָ֔יו (bə·ḡā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

put on
וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ (way·yil·baš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3847: Wrap around, to put on a, garment, clothe

sackcloth
שַׂ֖ק (śaq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8242: A mesh, coarse loose cloth, sacking, a bag

and ashes,
וָאֵ֑פֶר (wā·’ê·p̄er)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 665: Ashes

and went out
וַיֵּצֵא֙ (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

into the middle
בְּת֣וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

of the city,
הָעִ֔יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

wailing
וַיִּזְעַ֛ק (way·yiz·‘aq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2199: To shriek, to announce, convene publicly

loudly
גְדֹלָ֖ה (ḡə·ḏō·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

and bitterly.
וּמָרָֽה׃ (ū·mā·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly


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OT History: Esther 4:1 Now when Mordecai found out all that (Est Esth. Es)
Esther 3:15
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