Esther 10:1

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

וישם וַיָּשֶׂם

and he is placing

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

שום

sûwm

Definition

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

Root

or שים; a primitive root;

Exhaustive

or שים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7760

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שׂוּם

verb • Root שום • Strongs / High • Page 755

to put, place

שׂוּם

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1396

Transitive verb: 1. to set (like שִׂימָה), to plant trees, to erect a monument, to build a nest, to establish, to appoint. 2. to set forth/array (warriors, troops, ambush); to subjugate (put foot on neck).

שׂוּם

verb • Root שום • Strongs / High • Page 1397

To set, put, place, lay, or appoint. Senses include: 1. To set up (a pillar, throne, or door), to erect (a tent), to hang up (a curtain), to establish (a law), to arrange, to appoint, to set upon (a thing), to thrust into (prison), to put into (a place), to lay upon, to stick, to found, to create, to cause to arise, to introduce (the seat of worship), to put between, to lay under/upon, to build (lay stone upon stone), to give/take into one's hand, to put words into one's mouth, to furnish with miraculous power, to read before one, to put or lay before. 2. To set upon (dress/ornaments), to lay upon, to afflict with, to impute, to give a name, to set a thing before one's eyes (take a resolution), to put or lay down (a pledge), to commit a cause, to explain the sense, to cherish wrath (against God), to lay to heart (take heed), to take heed to the walk, to throw into, to pour out/shed. 3. To put to, add, to make (with accusative of place). 4. To direct, to turn, to direct the eye upon, to set the face upon, to have a design for, to set the mind upon, to attend to, to consider, to make (into a thing), to turn into nothing, to make as or like, to produce/prepare, to do (when God does this).

שׂוּם

verb • Root שום • Strongs / High • Page 1398

II. Intransitive verb. Properly: to be veiled; hence to be obscured, darkened; metaphorically: to be impotent, weak, or to be on the left side (regarded as the weak or obscured side).

שׂוּם

unknown • Strongs / High • Page 1449

hurtful. Ar. סֻמّ trans. to poison, a poisonous wind. Deriv. שְׁמִימִית (a species of poisonous lizard).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שׂוּם

verb • Page 635

Or שִׂים. 1. To set, place, put (e.g., to arrange an army, Job 1:17; Josh. 8:2). 2. To ordain, establish (Gen. 47:26; Ex. 21:13). 3. To appoint (Hos. 2:2; 1 Sam. 8:1).

שׂוּם

verb • Root נתן • Page 636

Continuation of entry from previous page. 4. to lay upon a person (Ex. 5:8, 22:24). Also to impute or charge to a person (Deut. 22:14). 5. to put on a garment (Ruth 3:3). 6. to place (a surety) (Job 17:3). 7. to give a name to a person (Dan. 1:7). 8. to put one's name in a place, i. e. to fix his dwelling there (Deut. 12:5). 9. to beget children (Ezra 10:44). 10. to instruct a person (Ex. 17:14). 11. to attend, consider, anim-mum advertere (Is. 41:22). 12. to lay to heart (Is. 57:1). 13. also to purpose, resolve (Dan. 1:8). 14. to direct one's face (see under פנים). 15. to direct one's eye to any one (see עין). 16. to heap up (Job 36:13). 2. to make, i. q. נָתַן (Gen. 4:15). 3. to give e. g. honour (Josh. 7:19), peace (Num. 6:26). Hiph. i. q. Kal, found only in the imper. Ezek. 21:21. Hoph. only Gen. 24:33 Keri.

שׂוּם

verb • Page 636

to set, put, place. Particularly (1.) to appoint (Ezra 5:14). (2.) to issue an edict (Dan. 3:10). (3.) to regard (Dan. 3:15). (4.) to be concerned for a person (Dan. 6:13). (5.) to name a person (Dan. 5:12).

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

LXX: ἔθετο ἔθηκεν θήσομαι ἐπέθηκεν θήσω

LXX Usage Statistics

H7760a:

ἔθετο 40× (6.2%)

ἔθηκεν 26× (3.9%)

θήσομαι 23× (3.5%)

ἐπέθηκεν 22× (3.2%)

θήσω 21× (3.1%)

'' 13× (1.9%)

ἔθεντο 11× (1.7%)

ἔθου 10× (1.7%)

ἐτέθη 9× (1.5%)

ποιήσω 9× (1.5%)

המלך הַמֶּלֶךְ

the King

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

מלך

melek

Definition

a king

Root

from H4427 (מלך);

Exhaustive

from מלך; a king; king, royal.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4428

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מֶלֶךְ

masculine noun • Root מלך • Strongs / High • Page 859

A king, ruler; properly an abstract concept of rule or government, but commonly used concretely. It can refer to a king of a land, city, people, or tribe. The term is also applied to Jehovah, idols, and animals distinguished for strength. It can also mean an adviser or counsellor, and is used as a proper name.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מֶלֶךְ

noun masculine • Page 380

a king. Ezek. 26: 7. 'the king of kings,' a title of the king of Babylon. Spoken frequently of Jehovah, Ps. 5: 3, and of false gods, Am. 5: 26.

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: βασιλεὺσ βασιλέωσ βασιλέα βασιλεῖ βασιλεῖσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H4428:

βασιλεὺσ 631× (23.4%)

βασιλέωσ 546× (20.5%)

βασιλέα 419× (15.7%)

βασιλεῖ 196× (7.1%)

βασιλεῖσ 133× (4.9%)

βασιλεύσ 100× (3.5%)

--- 77× (3.2%)

'' 66× (2.3%)

βασιλέων 63× (2.4%)

βασιλεῦσιν 46× (1.6%)

אחשרש אֲחָשֵׁרֹשׁ

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

אחשורוש

ʼĂchashvêrôwsh

Definition

Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a Persian king

Root

or (shortened) אחשרש (Esther 10:1); of Persian origin;

Exhaustive

or (shortened) אחשרש (Esther 10:1); of Persian origin; Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a Persian king; Ahasuerus.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H325

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

noun proper • Strongs_Numbers • Page 105

Proper noun or title of a Persian king (generally identified with Xerxes).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

noun proper • Page 41

a name or title which is given to several different Persian kings. Dan. 9:1. Ezra 4:6. Est. 1:1. Signification is uncertain, likely involving the Persian elements for 'excellence' or 'prince'.

Noun proper name masculine

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0325:

No stats available

מס מַס

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

מס

maç

Definition

properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor

Root

or מס; from H4549 (מסס);

Exhaustive

or מס; from מסס; properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor; discomfited, levy, task(-master), tribute(-tary).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4522

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מַס

noun masculine • Root מסס • Strongs / High • Page 875

A melting, disappearing; therefore an unfortunate or discouraged one.

מַס

noun masculine • Root מסס • Strongs / High • Page 875

Tribute, tax in money or products; usually bond-service, personal service, a bondservant; task-master.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מַס

noun masculine • Root מסס • Page 387

unhappy, afflicted, cast down. Job 6:14.

מַס

noun masculine • Page 387

tribute, soccage, more fully מַס עֹבֵד. 1 K. 9:21, 2 Chr. 8:8, Deut. 20:11. To become tributary, to be obliged to serve. Est. 10:1. Also מַס עַל an overseer over the tribute.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: φόρον φόρου

LXX Usage Statistics

H4522:

φόρον 5× (25.0%)

φόρου 3× (13.6%)

על עַל־

upon/against/yoke

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

על

ʻal

Definition

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

Root

properly, the same as H5920 (על) used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

Exhaustive

properly, the same as על used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications; above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5921

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עַל

adjective / noun • Root עלה • Strongs / High • Page 1088

Highest; same as עֶלְיוֹן. This form is abridged from עָלָה and derived from עָלַי (like יַד from יָדָה I.), serving as the construct form עֲלֵי (out of עֲלַאי).

עַל

preposition / adverb • Root עלה • Strongs / High • Page 1088

A preposition: upon, over, above, super, in the widest sense. It expresses protecting, covering, resting above upon (answering to 'where'); motion toward the upper surface (answering to 'whither?'); local direction to a more distant agency; or proximity/timing ('with, at'). Used figuratively as dat. commodi and incommodi, meaning a burden or duty upon one, or with certain verbs replacing the dative case. Also expresses motion down upon or up to, sometimes interchanging with אֶל.

עַל

preposition / adverb • Strongs / High • Page 1089

Preposition or Adverb meaning upon, over, at, above (denoting physical overtopping or mental superiority/dominion); expressing addition (to, reckoned to); proximity (by, around); suitability (according to); or occasionally used concessively (though, quanquam).

עַל

preposition / particle / conjunction • Strongs / High • Page 1090

Properly, over, upon, concerning, notwithstanding, against, towards, for the sake of, on account of. Used to express position, antithesis, or distance (away from). After certain verbs, signifies giving way, removing, or fleeing. Also forms various compound particles (e.g., עַל-מָה, עַל-כֵּן, עַל אֲשֶׁר).

עַל

preposition (aramaic) • Root אלא • Strongs / High • Page 1090

Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew עַל. Means: Upon, over, on account of, unto, against, or dative. (Used with suffixes like עָלַי, עָלֵךְ, עֲלֵיהוֹן).

עַל

noun / prepos. • Root עלה • Strongs / High • Page 1092

Derivative of עָלָה, listed as a noun and a preposition.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

עַל

substantive / adverb / adjective • Root עלה • Page 507

Strictly a substantive meaning whatever is high or uppermost (Hos. 7:16, 11:7). Used as an adverb: (1.) 'above' (Gen. 27:39, 49:25; Ps. 50:4). Used as an adjective: (2.) 'high' (2 Sam. 23:1).

Preposition

LXX: ἐπὶ ἐπ' ἐφ' τοῦτο ''

LXX Usage Statistics

H5921a:

ἐπὶ 1722× (33.1%)

ἐπ' 701× (13.4%)

ἐφ' 195× (3.7%)

τοῦτο 116× (1.9%)

'' 116× (1.9%)

περὶ 113× (2.2%)

ἀπὸ 108× (2.1%)

--- 108× (2.1%)

αὐτοὺσ 95× (1.6%)

εἰσ 93× (1.8%)

הארץ הָאָרֶץ

the Earthly One

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ארץ

ʼerets

Definition

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

Root

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm;

Exhaustive

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H776

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אֶרֶץ

verb • Strongs_Numbers • Page 193

(Not used) To be hard, firm, dense. (Root of the following noun)

אֶרֶץ

noun feminine • Strongs_Numbers • Page 193

Earth, as firm land i.e. a dense firm mass, in opposition to water. Includes meanings: a) the earth in opposition to heaven; b) earth as an element/material; c) the ground; d) piece of land/field; e) land of habitation or fatherland.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אֶרֶץ

noun masculine • Page 73

Earth, land. (masc. rarely, Gen. 13: 6; Is. 9: 18).

אֶרֶץ

noun feminine • Page 74

1. earth; also inhabitants of the earth, Gen. 6:11. 11:1. 2. land; e.g. אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם the land of Egypt. Sometimes Palestine, Joel 1:2. 3. jurisdiction of a city. Josh. 8:1. Plur. אֲרָצוֹת lands.

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0776:

No stats available

ואיי וְאִיֵּי

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

אי

ʼîy

Definition

properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island

Root

from H183 (אוה);

Exhaustive

from אוה; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island; country, isle, island.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H339

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אִי

noun masculine • Strongs_Numbers • Page 74

3. Island, coast (in the sense of אִי).

אִי

adv. interr. • Strongs_Numbers • Page 108

Where? (interrogative adverb); correlative to there, but used in this short form only before a suffix.

אִי

adverb • Strongs_Numbers • Page 109

Interrogative adverb 'where there?'. Commonly means 'not'; employed before some nouns and adjectives as a negative (e.g., unclean, no glory).

אִי

interjection • Strongs_Numbers • Page 109

Interjection expressing 'oh!' or 'woe!'; used in expressions of lamentation.

אִי

noun • Root אבי • Strongs_Numbers • Page 109

Abridged form of אֲבִי (father) used in compound proper names (e.g., Jezebel, Iezer).

אִי

noun masculine • Root אוה • Strongs_Numbers • Page 109

Coast, coast-land, habitable land adjacent to the sea; particularly applied to the maritime regions of the Mediterranean. Also signifies 'island'.

אִי

noun masculine • Strongs_Numbers • Page 109

Screecher, howler; a concrete noun derived from the abstract signification 'howling', hence 'jackal'. Found only in the plural אִיִּים.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אִי

noun masculine • Root אוה • Page 42

1. Habitable, dry land (opposed to water). Is. 42:13. 2. Coast, shore, sea-coast. Is. 20:6. 3. Island. Jer. 47:4 (isle of Caphtor). אִיֵּי הַיָּם the islands of the sea, Est. 10:1. Often denotes islands and remote coasts of the west (Europe).

אִי

verb • Root אוה • Page 43

II. (verbal from אָוָה) howling. Hence as a concrete, the howler, or a jackal, so called from his doleful howling. Found only in the plur. אִיִּים Is. 13: 22. 34: 14. Jer. 50: 39.

אִי

adverb • Page 43

III. adv. not. found only Job 22: 30, and in the proper name אִי-כָבוֹד (inglorious) 1 Sam. 4: 21.

Conjunction, Noun common masculine plural construct

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0339:

No stats available

הים הַיָּם׃

the Sea

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ים

yâm

Definition

a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south

Root

from an unused root meaning to roar;

Exhaustive

from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south; sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3220

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

יָם

noun / masculine • Root ימם • Strongs / High • Page 613

A heap, conflux, or collection of water; a sea. The plural form יַמִּים is also used poetically for the singular. Figuratively, it can refer to a 'sea of clouds' or great rivers such as the Nile and the Euphrates. The construct state is יַם.

יָם

noun / masculine • Root ימם • Strongs / High • Page 614

Sea, lake; specifically used for bodies of water like the Red Sea, the Jordan, the Mediterranean, and the Dead Sea. Also refers to the west, a large basin (the brazen sea), streams, and figuratively, a mass of people or an army.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

יָם

m. prim. • Page 284

A sea, an inland sea, or a lake. Specifically: the sea of Chinnereth (Num. 34:11), the Salt sea (Gen. 14:3), the Dead sea (Deut. 3:17), the sea of Reeds/Red sea (Ex. 15:4), and the Great sea/Mediterranean.

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: θάλασσαν θαλάσσησ θάλασσα θαλάσσῃ ''

LXX Usage Statistics

H3220:

θάλασσαν 144× (32.9%)

θαλάσσησ 126× (29.8%)

θάλασσα 39× (9.2%)

θαλάσσῃ 19× (4.2%)

'' 8× (1.9%)

θαλασσῶν 6× (1.6%)

--- 6× (1.6%)

ὕδωρ 6× (1.5%)

ἐρυθρὰν 5× (1.1%)

pεἰσ 4× (1.1%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And the king Ahasuerus will set up a tribute upon the land, and the isles of the sea.

LITV Translation:
And king Ahasuerus laid a tax on the land and on the isles of the sea.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
And the king levied a tax upon his kingdom both by land and sea.