Esther 8:11
What does Esther 8:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Esther 8:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Esther 8:11 means
The new decree grants Jews in every city the right to assemble and defend their lives, even to the point of destroying those who attack them, and to take spoil from aggressors. The language mirrors Haman’s harsh phrasing to ensure equal legal footing but shifts the moral ground to self-defense. This is not a call to aggression; it is permission to resist any who would assault them. The mention of “their little ones and women” indicates the comprehensive nature of the threat they might face and the full scope of allowed defense. Legal empowerment replaces helplessness, giving the scattered Jews a unified, lawful basis to stand firm.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
KJV
King James Version · 1611Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949In these letters the king gave authority to the Jews in every town to come together and make a fight for their lives, and to send death and destruction on the power of any people in any part of the kingdom attacking them or their children or their women, and to take their goods from them by force,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862that the king hath given to the Jews who <FI>are<Fi> in every city and city, to be assembled, and to stand for their life, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy the whole force of the people and province who are distressing them, infants and women, and their spoil to seize.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the king gave orders to them, to speak to the Jews in every city, and to command them to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives, and to kill and destroy all their enemies with their wives and children and all their houses, and to take their spoil.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890[stating] that the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that might assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to [take] the spoil of them for a prey,
Context
Following the sealing and sending (verse 10), verse 11 summarizes the heart of the counter-decree: authorized self-defense and the right to spoil. The next verse (12) fixes the timing to the same day set by Haman, while verse 13 ensures publicity so Jews can prepare. Together these verses ensure that when the day comes, the Jews will not be at the mercy of their enemies but will be legally protected to act decisively across the empire.
v.10And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king’s service, bred of the stud:
v.11This passage
v.12upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 137:8
O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.
- Ezekiel 39:10
so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall make fires of the weapons; and they shall plunder those that plundered them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord Jehovah.
- Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
- Esther 3:13
And letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
- Esther 9:2
the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples.
- Psalms 37:14
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.