4:3a

king’s command and edict: See note on 2:8a.

4:3b

They fasted: When people fasted, they chose not to eat food for a chosen length of time. They also usually prayed to God. In the book of Esther there is a sharp contrast between the king and his men who feasted (see 3:15), and the Jews who fasted (see 4:3, 16).

4:3c

many lay in sackcloth and ashes: Literally “sackcloth and ashes were spread to many.” This phrase is ambiguous in many English versions. There are three possibilities:

(1) lay in sackcloth and ashes means that people spread ashes on the ground, put sackcloth on top of the ashes, and then they lay on the sackcloth. For example, the New Century Version has:

many of them lay down on rough cloth and ashes

(Berean Standard Bible, New Century Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) The expression means to “put on,” in the same way as Mordecai did in 4:1b. So the people acted in the same way as Mordecai. For example, the God’s Word has:

Many put on sackcloth and ashes

(God’s Word)

(3) lay in sackcloth means to lie down wearing sackcloth. However lay in…ashes means to lie down on ashes. For example, the Good News Translation has:

most of them put on sackcloth and lay in ashes

(Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first option.

Paragraph 4:4–5

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