Esther 3 · Verse 12

Esther 3:12

Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
Esther 3:12, King James Version

Esther 3:12 in other translations

BSBOn 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.
WEBThen the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
ASVThen were the king’s scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
YLTAnd scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who are over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king,
DARBYThen were the king's scribes called, in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month, and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors over every province, and to the princes of every people; to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language: in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
BBEThen on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king's scribes were sent for, and they put in writing Haman's orders to all the king's captains and the rulers of every division of his kingdom and the chiefs of every people: for every division of the kingdom in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in the language which was theirs; it was signed in the name of King Ahasuerus and stamped with the king's ring.
WebsterThen were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded to the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province, according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

What does Esther 3:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 3:12-15
12-15. Then were the king's scribes called ... and there was written--The government secretaries were employed in making out the proclamation authorizing a universal massacre of the Jews on one day. It was translated into the dialects of all the people throughout the vast empire, and swift messengers were sent to carry it into all the provinces. On the day appointed, all Jews were to be put to death and their property confiscated; doubtless, the means by which Haman hoped to pay his stipulated tribute into the royal treasury. To us it appears unaccountable how any sane monarch could have given his consent to the extirpation of a numerous class of his subjects. But such acts of frenzied barbarity have, alas! been not rarely authorized by careless and voluptuous despots, who have allowed their ears to be engrossed and their policy directed by haughty and selfish minions, who had their own passions to gratify, their own ends to serve.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Unto the king's lieutenants - אחשדרפני achashdarpeney. This is in all probability another Persian word, for there is nothing like it in the Hebrew language, nor can it be fairly deduced from any roots in that tongue. The Vulgate translates ad omnes satrapas regis, to all the satraps of the king. It is very likely that this is the true sense of the word, and that the אחשדרפני achsadrapani, as it may be pronounced, is the Chaldee or Hebrew corruption of the Persian word satraban, the plural of satrab, a Persian peer, though the word is now nearly obsolete in the Persian language; for since the conquest of Persia by Mohammedanism, the names of officers are materially changed, as something of Islamism is generally connected with the titles of officers both civil and military, as well as religious.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 3:7-15

Without some acquaintance with the human heart, and the history of mankind, we should not think that any prince could consent to a dreadful proposal, so hurtful to himself. Let us be thankful for mild and just government. Haman inquires, according to his own superstitions, how to find a lucky day for the designed massacre! God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and the…

Read the full comment on Esther 3:7-15 →

Esther 3:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקָּרְאוּ֩vai.yi.ka.re.'Uand they were summonedH7121
סֹפְרֵ֨יso.fe.Rei[the] scribes ofH5613
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁba.Cho.deshin the monthH2320
הָרִאשׁ֗וֹןha.ri.Shon<the> firstH7223
בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨הbish.lo.Shahon thir-H7969
עָשָׂ֣ר'a.SarteenthH6240
יוֹם֮yOmdayH3117
בּוֹ֒boin <the> it
וַיִּכָּתֵ֣בvai.yi.ka.Tevand it was writtenH3789
כְּֽכָל\־ke.khol-according to allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
צִוָּ֣הtzi.Vahhe commandedH6680
הָמָ֡ןha.ManHamanH2001
אֶ֣ל'eltoH413
אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵֽי\־'a.chash.dar.pe.nei-[the] satraps ofH323
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְHa.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וְֽאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
הַפַּח֞וֹתha.pa.Chotthe governorsH6346
אֲשֶׁ֣ר\׀'a.SherwhoH834
עַל\־'al-[were] overH5921
מְדִינָ֣הme.di.NahprovinceH4082
וּמְדִינָ֗הu.me.di.Nahand provinceH4082
וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
שָׂ֤רֵיSa.rei[the] officials ofH8269
עַם֙'ampeopleH5971
וָעָ֔םva.'Amand peopleH5971
מְדִינָ֤הme.di.NahprovinceH4082
וּמְדִינָה֙u.me.di.Nahand provinceH4082
כִּכְתָבָ֔הּkikh.ta.Vahaccording to writing itsH3791
וְעַ֥םve.'Amand peopleH5971
וָעָ֖םva.'Amand peopleH5971
כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹkil.sho.Noaccording to language itsH3956
בְּשֵׁ֨םbe.Shemin [the] name ofH8034
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ֙'a.chash.ve.RoshAhasuerusH325
נִכְתָּ֔בnikh.Tav[it was] writtenH3789
וְנֶחְתָּ֖םve.nech.Tamand [it was] sealedH2856
בְּטַבַּ֥עַתbe.ta.Ba.'atwith [the] signet-ring ofH2885
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ\׃ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Esther 3:12

  • 1 Kings 21:8

    So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

  • Esther 1:22

    For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

  • Esther 9:27

    The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

  • Daniel 6:8

    Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

  • Ezra 8:36

    And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

  • Daniel 6:12

    Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

  • Esther 8:8-17

    Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse. 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. And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries: Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, …

  • Esther 8:2

    And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

  • Daniel 6:15

    Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Then were.
8:9-17
scribes. or, secretaries. according.
1:22; 8:9; 9:27
in the name.
1Ki 21:8; Da 6:8,12,15
sealed.
8:2,8,10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Esther 3:11

    And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

  • Esther 3:12

    Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.

  • Esther 3:13

    And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

Read all of Esther 3

Esther 3:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces fueron llamados los escribanos del rey en el mes primero, á trece del mismo, y fué escrito conforme á todo lo que mandó Amán, á los príncipes del rey, y á los capitanes que estaban sobre cada provincia, y á los príncipes de cada pueblo, á cada provincia según su escritura, y á cada pueblo según su lengua: en nombre del rey Assuero fué escrito, y signado con el anillo del rey.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les scribes du roi furent appelés, le premier mois, le treizième jour du mois, et suivant tout ce qu’Haman commanda, on écrivit aux satrapes du roi et aux gouverneurs qui étaient préposés sur chaque province, et aux chefs de chaque peuple, à chaque province selon son écriture et à chaque peuple selon sa langue; ce fut au nom du roi Assuérus qu’on écrivit, et on scella avec l’anneau du roi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da wurden die Schreiber des Königs berufen im ersten Monat, am dreizehnten Tage desselben; und es wurde nach allem, was Haman gebot, an die Satrapen des Königs geschrieben, und an die Landpfleger über jede Landschaft und an die Fürsten eines jeden Volkes, nach der Schrift jeder einzelnen Landschaft und nach der Sprache jedes einzelnen Volkes; es wurde geschrieben im Namen des Königs Ahasveros und mit dem Siegelringe des Königs untersiegelt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Vocatique sunt scribæ regis mense primo Nisan, tertiadecima die ejusdem mensis: et scriptum est, ut jusserat Aman, ad omnes satrapas regis, et judices provinciarum, diversarumque gentium, ut quæque gens legere poterat et audire pro varietate linguarum ex nomine regis Assueri: et litteræ signatæ ipsius annulo