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Esther 3

Esther 3:2 KJV (With Strong’s)

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2
And all the king’s
melek (Hebrew #4428)
a king
KJV usage: king, royal.
Pronounce: meh'-lek
Origin: from 4427
servants
`ebed (Hebrew #5650)
a servant
KJV usage: X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant.
Pronounce: eh'-bed
Origin: from 5647
, that were in the king’s
melek (Hebrew #4428)
a king
KJV usage: king, royal.
Pronounce: meh'-lek
Origin: from 4427
gate
sha`ar (Hebrew #8179)
an opening, i.e. door or gate
KJV usage: city, door, gate, port (X -er).
Pronounce: shah'-ar
Origin: from 8176 in its original sense
, bowed
kara` (Hebrew #3766)
to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate
KJV usage: bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down, couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down, subdue, X very.
Pronounce: kaw-rah'
Origin: a primitive root
n, and reverenced
shachah (Hebrew #7812)
to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)
KJV usage: bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
Pronounce: shaw-khaw'
Origin: a primitive root
Haman
Haman (Hebrew #2001)
Haman, a Persian vizier
KJV usage: Haman.
Pronounce: haw-mawn'
Origin: of foreign derivation
: for the king
melek (Hebrew #4428)
a king
KJV usage: king, royal.
Pronounce: meh'-lek
Origin: from 4427
had so commanded
tsavah (Hebrew #6680)
(intensively) to constitute, enjoin
KJV usage: appoint, (for-)bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.
Pronounce: tsaw-vaw'
Origin: a primitive root
concerning him. But Mordecai
Mordkay (Hebrew #4782)
Mordecai, an Israelite
KJV usage: Mordecai.
Pronounce: mor-dek-ah'-ee
Origin: of foreign derivation
bowed
kara` (Hebrew #3766)
to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate
KJV usage: bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down, couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down, subdue, X very.
Pronounce: kaw-rah'
Origin: a primitive root
noto, nor did him reverence
shachah (Hebrew #7812)
to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)
KJV usage: bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
Pronounce: shaw-khaw'
Origin: a primitive root
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Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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the king's servants.Dr. Shaw, speaking of the cities in the East, says, "If we quit the streets, and enter into any of the principal houses, we shall first pass through a porch, or gate-way, with benches on each side, where the master of the family receives visits, and despatches business; few persons, not even the nearest relations, having admission any farther, except upon extraordinary occasions."
These servants were probably officers who here waited the king's call; and it is likely that Mordecai was one of them.
bowed.
bowed not.{Yichrâ welo yishtachaweh,} "bowed not down, nor prostrated himself," or worshipped him.
Had this meant only civil reverence the king would not have needed to command it; nor would Mordecai have refused it; there was, therefore, some kind of divine honour intended, such as was paid to the Persian kings, and which even the Greeks refused, as express adoration.
 Ex. 17:16. Haman was by birth at enmity with God and with His people. How could Mordecai prostrate himself before him? He ventures his life, but he firmly holds to the true principle and always follows it, that "it is better to obey God than man."...How often, for human considerations or for the fear of man, even Christians have excused their disobedience to God under pretext of obedience to human laws. It was not so with Mordecai. His heart was simple and upright; above all he was subject to God. (Chapter 3: Mordecai and Esther by H.L. Rossier)
 For the world allows the compromises of the conscience. To bow down to Haman was, after all, only a form. Was it worth the pains to risk one's life for such trifles? Was it not just a foolish pride? This is the world's viewpoint, but not God's, nor that of the faith which believes Him and follows Him. (Chapter 3: Mordecai and Esther by H.L. Rossier)
 To have all bow and prostrate themselves before him was his will. By this he gauged who was for him and it was, so to speak, his mark on their foreheads, to bow themselves into the dust. Mordecai refused this mark, therefore he must perish with his people. (Chapter 4: The Great Adversary by H.L. Rossier)

J. N. Darby Translation

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And all the king’s servants that were in the king’s gate bowed and did Haman reverence, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.