Tag Archives: Esther 4:11

Introduction: Court Procedure, Crisis, and the Language of Law Esther 4:11 is part of Esther’s response to Mordekhai’s request that she intercede before the king. Her words reflect both personal peril and the rigid legalism of Persian court protocol. This verse captures a moment of hesitation framed in dense legal-religious syntax, rooted in fear and bureaucratic formality: כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וְעַם־מְדִינֹ֨ות הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ יֹֽודְעִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָבֹֽוא־אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ אֶל־הֶחָצֵ֨ר הַפְּנִימִ֜ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵ֗א אַחַ֤ת דָּתֹו֙ לְהָמִ֔ית לְ֠בַד מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יֹֽושִׁיט־לֹ֥ו הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַזָּהָ֖ב וְחָיָ֑ה וַאֲנִ֗י לֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֨אתִי֙ לָבֹ֣וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֶ֖ה שְׁלֹושִׁ֥ים יֹֽום׃ All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who enters to the king into the inner court, who is not called, has one law: to be put to death—unless the king extends to him the golden scepter, that he may live.… Learn Hebrew