King James Version

Esther 4:2

And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּב֕וֹאvayavoand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…עַ֖דadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.לִפְנֵ֣יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…שַֽׁעַרshaardoorשַׁעַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “door”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8179an opening, i.e. door or gatecity, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er).הַמֶּ֑לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֵ֥יןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).לָב֛וֹאlavoto to comeבּוֹאpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to to come”, the to-form of the verbH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).שַׁ֥עַרshaardoorשַׁעַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “door”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8179an opening, i.e. door or gatecity, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er).הַמֶּ֖לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.בִּלְב֥וּשׁbilvushin garmentלְבוּשׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in garment”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3830a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wifeapparel, clothed with, clothing, garment, raiment, vestment, vesture.שָֽׂקsaqsackשַׂקnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “sack”, the ordinary formH8242properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run through), i.e. coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grain, etc.)sack(-cloth, -clothes).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

and he came even before the king's gate; for none might enter within the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and he came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

Young’s Literal Translation

and he cometh in unto the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come in unto the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

World English Bible

He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

Darby Translation

and came even before the king's gate; for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

Douay-Rheims

And he came lamenting in this manner even to the gate of the palace: for no one clothed with sackcloth might enter the king’s court.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)