The Meaning of Esther 9:13 Explained

Esther 9:13

KJV: Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

YLT: And Esther saith, 'If to the king it be good, let it be given also to-morrow, to the Jews who are in Shushan, to do according to the law of to-day; and the ten sons of Haman they hang on the tree.'

Darby: And Esther said, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according to this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

ASV: Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  Esther,  If it please  the king,  let it be granted  to the Jews  which [are] in Shushan  to do  to morrow  also according unto this day's  decree,  and let Haman's  ten  sons  be hanged  upon the gallows. 

What does Esther 9:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 9:1-32 - Deliverance By The Sword
When the fateful day arrived, the Jews throughout the empire stood on the defense. As it appears from Esther 9:16, seventy-five thousand of their assailants fell in the provinces and five hundred in Susa alone. Among these were the ten sons of Haman. No attempt at plunder was made by the victors. The second day was asked for probably to confirm the settled policy of Ahasuerus, and the exposure of the bodies of Haman's sons was rendered necessary by the virulent hatred entertained towards the Jews. Decisive measures were demanded to show their enemies the risk they would incur by pursuing Haman's policy. Haman was an Amalekite, and in this light we may recall Exodus 17:14; Exodus 17:16; Deuteronomy 25:19. In all this, especially in this terrible act of vengeance, we are reminded repeatedly of the change that Christ's coming made in the world, even among religious people. Contrast Esther and Mary of Bethany! [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 9

1  The Jews slay their enemies, with the ten sons of Haman
12  Xerxes, at the request of Esther,
14  grants another day of slaughter, and Haman's sons to be hanged
20  The two days of Purim are instituted

What do the individual words in Esther 9:13 mean?

and said Esther if on the king it pleases let it be granted also tomorrow to the Jews who [are] in Shushan to do again according to decree of today and ten sons of Haman let be hanged the gallows
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶסְתֵּר֙ אִם־ עַל־ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב יִנָּתֵ֣ן גַּם־ מָחָ֗ר לַיְּהוּדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשׁוּשָׁ֔ן לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת כְּדָ֣ת הַיּ֑וֹם וְאֵ֛ת עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת בְּנֵֽי־ הָמָ֖ן יִתְל֥וּ הָעֵֽץ

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶסְתֵּר֙  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.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
ט֔וֹב  it  pleases 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
יִנָּתֵ֣ן  let  it  be  granted 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
מָחָ֗ר  tomorrow 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מָחָר  
Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
לַיְּהוּדִים֙  to  the  Jews 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
בְּשׁוּשָׁ֔ן  [are]  in  Shushan 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּשַׁן  
Sense: the winter residence of the Persian kings; located on the river Ulai or Choaspes.
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת  to  do  again 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כְּדָ֣ת  according  to  decree 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דָּת  
Sense: decree, law, edict, regulation, usage.
הַיּ֑וֹם  of  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
בְּנֵֽי־  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הָמָ֖ן  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.
יִתְל֥וּ  let  be  hanged 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
הָעֵֽץ  the  gallows 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.