The Meaning of Esther 8:3 Explained

Esther 8:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Esther addeth, and speaketh before the king, and falleth before his feet, and weepeth, and maketh supplication to him, to cause the evil of Haman the Agagite to pass away, and his device that he had devised against the Jews;

Darby: And Esther spoke 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 which he had devised against the Jews.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Esther 8:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 8:1-17 - Courage Rewarded
The ring symbolized royal power and authority; by this sign Mordecai was suddenly raised to the position formerly held by Haman. He also managed for Esther the large estate which had come into her possession. Because of the fixity of the customs and laws of the Medes, it was impossible to reverse the royal proclamation, which had decreed that the Hebrew people should be exterminated. So the king granted Mordecai permission to send letters to his people, allowing them to arm and defend themselves. The speed with which the circulation of the royal decree was carried out is a rebuke to the Church of God which has been entrusted with the gospel of salvation. More than eighteen hundred years have passed, and still immense multitudes have never heard the name of Christ or the love of God. Let us at least strain every nerve to pass on the joyful news, overtaking the tidings of death. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 8

1  Mordecai is advanced
3  Esther makes suit to reverse Haman's letters
7  Xerxes grants to the Jews to defend themselves
15  Mordecai's honor, and the Jews' joy

What do the individual words in Esther 8:3 mean?

And again Esther and spoke to the king and fell down at his feet and with tears and implored him to counteract - the evil of Haman the Agagite and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews
וַתּ֣וֹסֶף אֶסְתֵּ֗ר וַתְּדַבֵּר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַתִּפֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י רַגְלָ֑יו וַתֵּ֣בְךְּ וַתִּתְחַנֶּן־ ל֗וֹ לְהַֽעֲבִיר֙ אֶת־ רָעַת֙ הָמָ֣ן הָֽאֲגָגִ֔י וְאֵת֙ מַֽחֲשַׁבְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖ב עַל־ הַיְּהוּדִֽים

וַתּ֣וֹסֶף  And  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
אֶסְתֵּ֗ר  Esther 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶסְתֵּר  
Sense: the queen of Persia, heroine of the book of Esther—daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, made queen by king Ahasuerus to replace divorced queen, Vashti.
וַתְּדַבֵּר֙  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַתִּפֹּ֖ל  and  fell  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לִפְנֵ֣י  at 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רַגְלָ֑יו  his  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וַתֵּ֣בְךְּ  and  with  tears 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
וַתִּתְחַנֶּן־  and  implored 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
לְהַֽעֲבִיר֙  to  counteract 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רָעַת֙  the  evil 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הָמָ֣ן  of  Haman 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָמָן  
Sense: chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai.
הָֽאֲגָגִ֔י  the  Agagite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲגָגִי  
Sense: said of Haman, Haman the Agagite.
מַֽחֲשַׁבְתּ֔וֹ  the  scheme 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
חָשַׁ֖ב  he  had  devised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַיְּהוּדִֽים  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.