Esther 3:3

English Revised Version

Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?”

Hebrew Names Version
Then the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, said to Mordekhai, Why disobey you the king's mitzvah?

King James Version
Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

English Standard Version
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?"

New Century Version
Then the royal officers at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why don't you obey the king's command?"

New English Translation
Then the servants of the king who were at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why are you violating the king's commandment?"

Amplified Bible
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you disregarding the king's command?"

New American Standard Bible
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you violating the king's command?"

World English Bible
Then the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why disobey you the king's commandment?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Kings seruants which were at the Kings gate, said vnto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the Kings commandement?

Legacy Standard Bible
So the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you trespass against the king's command?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then the royal servants at the King's Gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the command of the king?"

Contemporary English Version
When the other officials asked Mordecai why he disobeyed the king's command,

Complete Jewish Bible
The king's servants at the King's Gate asked Mordekhai, "Why don't you obey the king's order?"

Darby Translation
Then the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the king's leaders at the gate asked Mordecai, "Why don't you obey the king's command to bow down to Haman?"

George Lamsa Translation
Then the kings servants who were at the kings gate said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the kings commandment?

Good News Translation
The other officials in the royal service asked him why he was disobeying the king's command;

Lexham English Bible
And the king's servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the command of the king?"

Literal Translation
And the king's servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, Why do you disobey the king's command?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the kynges seruauntes which were in the kynges gate, sayde vnto Mardocheus: Why transgressest thou the kynges commaundement?

American Standard Version
Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

Bible in Basic English
Then the king's servants who were in the king's house said to Mordecai, Why do you go against the king's order?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the kinges seruauntes whiche were in the kinges gate, said vnto Mardocheus: Why transgressest thou the kinges commaundement?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai: 'Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?'

King James Version (1611)
Then the kings seruants, which were in the kings gate, sayd vnto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the kings commandement?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they in the king’s palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why dost thou transgress the commands of the king?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`To whom the children of the kyng seiden, that saten bifore at the yatis of the paleis, Whi kepist `thou not the comaundementis of the kyng, othere wise than othere men?

Update Bible Version
Then the king's slaves, that were in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the king's commandment?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king's servants who [were] in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why dost thou transgress the king's commandment?

New King James Version
Then the king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?"

New Living Translation
Then the palace officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why are you disobeying the king's command?"

New Life Bible
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you not obeying the king?"

New Revised Standard
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the king's servants who were in the king's gate unto Mordecai, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king’s servants that were chief at the doors of the palace, said to him: Why dost thou alone not observe the king’s commandment?

Revised Standard Version
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mor'decai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?"

Young's Literal Translation
And the servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, say to Mordecai, `Wherefore [art] thou transgressing the command of the king?'

THE MESSAGE
Some time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, making him the highest-ranking official in the government. All the king's servants at the King's Gate used to honor him by bowing down and kneeling before Haman—that's what the king had commanded. Except Mordecai. Mordecai wouldn't do it, wouldn't bow down and kneel. The king's servants at the King's Gate asked Mordecai about it: "Why do you cross the king's command?" Day after day they spoke to him about this but he wouldn't listen, so they went to Haman to see whether something shouldn't be done about it. Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw for himself that Mordecai didn't bow down and kneel before him, he was outraged. Meanwhile, having learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew; he looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordecai but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. In the first month, the month of Nisan, of the twelfth year of Xerxes, the pur—that is, the lot—was cast under Haman's charge to determine the propitious day and month. The lot turned up the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Haman then spoke with King Xerxes: "There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don't fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king's laws. They're an affront; the king shouldn't put up with them. If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed. I'll pay for it myself. I'll deposit 375 tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation." The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, archenemy of the Jews. "Go ahead," the king said to Haman. "It's your money—do whatever you want with those people." The king's secretaries were brought in on the thirteenth day of the first month. The orders were written out word for word as Haman had addressed them to the king's satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people. They were written in the script of each province and the language of each people in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring. Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king's provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews—youngsters and old men, women and babies—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods. Copies of the bulletin were to be posted in each province, publicly available to all peoples, to get them ready for that day. At the king's command, the couriers took off; the order was also posted in the palace complex of Susa. The king and Haman sat back and had a drink while the city of Susa reeled from the news.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the king's command?"

Contextual Overview

¹ After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. ² And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence. ³ Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? ⁴ Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. ⁶ But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Esther 3:2, Exodus 1:17, Matthew 15:2, Matthew 15:3

Reciprocal: Esther 2:19 - sat in the king's gate Esther 6:6 - To whom

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 20:6
And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

1 Chronicles 16:22
[Saying], Touch not mine anointed ones, and do my prophets no harm.

Job 1:11
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face.

Job 2:5
But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face.

Job 19:21
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

1 Corinthians 7:1
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate,.... Observing the behaviour of Mordecai towards Haman from time to time:

said unto Mordecai, why transgressest thou the king's commandment? of giving reverence to Haman, which they knew he could not be ignorant of.