And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
In every province where the king's command and decree reached, there was deep mourning among the Jewish people. They fasted, wept, and cried out in anguish. Many lay down wearing rough sackcloth and covered themselves with ashes.
This verse describes the Jewish people's overwhelming grief and despair as news of the king's deadly decree against them spread throughout the Persian Empire.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Esther, the Jewish people were living in exile under the Persian Empire when a decree was issued by King Ahasuerus, at the urging of his advisor Haman, calling for the extermination of all Jews. This verse describes the immediate and widespread reaction of mourning, fasting, and wearing sackcloth and ashes among the Jews in every province, reflecting their deep distress and desperation. Such practices were common in ancient Near Eastern cultures as outward expressions of grief and pleas for divine intervention.
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