Bible Strands
Esther 8:3
And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Esther addresses the king a second time, prostrating herself before him while weeping. This action occurs after the king transfers Haman’s estate to Mordecai and immediately precedes the king extending the gold scepter toward her.
The words — וַתּוֹסֶף (va.tos.sef) means “and she repeated,” and וַתִּפֹּל (va.ti.pol) means “and she fell.” These verbs record her renewed petition and physical act of submission before the royal court.
The thread — Esther’s physical posture parallels the supplicant’s approach in 1 Samuel 25:24 and 2 Kings 4:27 where individuals press themselves to a superior’s feet. The king’s subsequent scepter extension in Esther 8:4 establishes the formal audience protocol that permits her plea.
Why it lands — The text records a political survival strategy that requires direct, unflinching appeal to established authority. A reader must confront how desperate intercession operates within rigid power structures without softening the inherent risk.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 25:24 She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.
- 2 Kings 4:27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
- 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 7:4 For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”
- Isaiah 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
- Hosea 12:4 Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there—
- Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.