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Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Easy-to-Read Version

Esther 2:11

Every day Mordecai walked back and forth near the area where the king's women lived. He did this because he wanted to find out how Esther was, and what was happening to her.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chamberlain;   Marriage;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Care;   Children;   Family;   Home;   Parental;   Solicitude;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Shushan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Esther;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mithradates;   Mithredath;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for July 15;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.
Hebrew Names Version
Mordekhai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Ester did, and what would become of her.
King James Version
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
English Standard Version
And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
New Century Version
Every day Mordecai walked back and forth near the courtyard where the king's women lived to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
New English Translation
And day after day Mordecai used to walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem in order to learn how Esther was doing and what might happen to her.
Amplified Bible
Every day Mordecai [who was an attendant in the king's court] walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was getting along and what was happening to her.
New American Standard Bible
And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
World English Bible
Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Aud Mordecai walked euery day before the court of the womens house, to knowe if Ester did well, and what should be done with her.
Legacy Standard Bible
And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to know the well-being of Esther and how she fared.
Berean Standard Bible
Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn about Esther's welfare and what was happening to her.
Contemporary English Version
He was anxious to see how Esther was getting along and to learn what had happened to her. So each day he would walk back and forth in front of the court where the women lived.
Complete Jewish Bible
Every day Mordekhai would walk around in front of the courtyard of the harem's house in order to know how Ester was doing and what was happening to her.
Darby Translation
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
George Lamsa Translation
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the womens house to learn how Esther did and what should become of her.
Good News Translation
Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem, in order to find out how she was getting along and what was going to happen to her.
Lexham English Bible
And every day Modecai would walk up and down in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was doing.
Literal Translation
And Mordecai walked to and fro every day in front of the court of the women's house in order to know Esther's welfare, and what would be done with her.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Mardocheus walked euery daye before ye courte of ye Womes buyldinge, yt he might knowe how Hester dyd, and what shulde become of her.
American Standard Version
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
Bible in Basic English
And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Mardocheus walked euery day before the court of the womens house, that he might knowe howe Esther did, and what shoulde become of her.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
King James Version (1611)
And Mordecai walked euery day before the court of the womens house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But Mardochaeus used to walk every day by the women’s court, to see what would become of Esther.
English Revised Version
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he walkide ech dai bifor the porche of the dore, in which the chosun virgyns weren kept, and he dide the cure of the helthe of Hester, and wolde wite, what bifelde to hyr.
Update Bible Version
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
New King James Version
And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's quarters, to learn of Esther's welfare and what was happening to her.
New Living Translation
Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther and what was happening to her.
New Life Bible
And every day Mordecai walked in front of the open space of the house of the king's women to learn how Esther was and how she was getting along.
New Revised Standard
Every day Mordecai would walk around in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, throughout every day, Mordecai, used to walk to and fro, before the court of the house of the women, - to get to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther’s welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.
Revised Standard Version
And every day Mor'decai walked in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
Young's Literal Translation
and during every day Mordecai is walking up and down before the court of the house of the women to know the welfare of Esther, and what is done with her.
THE MESSAGE
Every day Mordecai strolled beside the court of the harem to find out how Esther was and get news of what she was doing.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

Contextual Overview

1 Later, King Xerxes stopped being angry. Then he remembered Vashti and what she had done. He remembered his commands about her. 2 Then the king's personal servants had a suggestion. They said, "Search for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king choose leaders in every province of his kingdom. Then let the leaders bring every beautiful young virgin to the capital city of Susa. These young women will be put with the group of the king's women. They will be under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Then give beauty treatments to all of them. 4 Then let the one who is pleasing to the king become the new queen in Vashti's place." The king liked this suggestion, so he accepted it. 5 Now there was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Mordecai was the son of Jair, and Jair was the son of Shimei, and Shimei was the son of Kish. Mordecai was in the capital city, Susa. 6 Mordecai had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He was with the group that was taken into captivity with King Jehoiachin of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. She didn't have a father or a mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. Hadassah was also called Esther. She had a very pretty face and a good figure. 8 When the king's command had been heard, many young women were brought to the capital city of Susa. They were put under the care of Hegai. Esther was one of these women. She was taken to the king's palace and put into Hegai's care. Hegai was in charge of the king's women. 9 He liked Esther. She became his favorite, so he quickly gave Esther beauty treatments and special food. He chose seven slave women from the king's palace and gave them to Esther. Then he moved Esther and her seven women servants into the best place where the king's women lived. 10 Esther didn't tell anyone she was a Jew. She didn't tell anyone about her family background, because Mordecai had told her not to.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Mordecai: The apartments of the women are accounted so inviolable, that it is even a crime to enquire what passes within their walls. A man, says Chardin, may walk a hundred days, one after the other, by the house where the women are, and yet know no more what is done there than at the farther end of Tartary. This sufficiently explains the conduct of Mordecai.

walked: Esther 2:13, Esther 2:14

how Esther did: Heb. the peace of Esther, Genesis 37:14, 1 Samuel 17:18, Acts 15:36

Cross-References

Genesis 10:7
Cush's sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah's sons were Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:29
Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these people were Joktan's sons.
Genesis 25:18
His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael's people were often at war with the other descendants of Abraham.
1 Samuel 15:7
Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them and chased them all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house,.... Being one of the court, and in an high post, as Aben Ezra thinks, he might walk there without being examined, and called to an account for it:

to know how Esther did; to inquire of her health and prosperity, or peace, the word here used signifies, even all sorts of it:

and what should become of her; or was done to her, whether she was well used, or as yet introduced to the king, how it fared with her, and what befell her.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Mordecai occupied, apparently, a humble place in the royal household. He was probably one of the porters or doorkeepers at the main entrance to the palace Esther 2:21.


 
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