Bible Strands
Esther 8:9
At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The royal scribes are summoned to record Mordecai’s orders on the twenty-third day of Sivan, following Esther 8:8’s authorization and preceding Esther 8:10’s sealing and dispatch.
The words — בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי הוּא (ba-chodesh ha-shlishi hu) translates literally to "in the third month, that is," anchoring the administrative action to a precise calendar date.
The thread — The decree’s multilingual distribution echoes Esther 1:22, which mandated letters to each province in its own script, while the geographic scope mirrors Esther 1:1’s description of the kingdom from India to Cush.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that imperial authority operates through standardized, linguistically adapted communication, requiring the reader to account for how power is practically enforced across diverse populations.
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
Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
Cross-references
- Esther 1:22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.
- Esther 1:1 This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
- 2 Kings 18:26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
- Esther 3:12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
- Daniel 4:1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
- Daniel 6:1 Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
- 1 Corinthians 14:9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.