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Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible (1995)

Esther 2:11

Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

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.
Easy-to-Read Version
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.
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.

Contextual Overview

1 After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 "Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them. 4 "Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly. 5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6 who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.

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
The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:29
and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
Genesis 25:18
They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.
1 Samuel 15:7
So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east 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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