Esther 2:19

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

ובהקבץ וּבְהִקָּבֵץ

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

ב

bə

Definition

in, by

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(beth) — in / within / by means of

Core value: interiority, enclosure, participation

ב does not primarily mean “in time” (“when”) or even “in space.” It marks being inside a domain, whether that domain is:
- spatial (house, land),
- conceptual (wisdom, covenant),
- modal (strength, fear),
- instrumental (by means of).
Aonically, ב marks immersion.
not “when X happened” but “within the state or field of X.”
This is why ב־יום does not need to mean “on the day (chronological)” but “within the day-realm / condition”.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

קבץ

qâbats

Definition

to grasp, i.e. collect

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, [idiom] surely, take up.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6908

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

קָבַץ

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1255

To grasp, with the hand; to carry or bring together; hence to collect, assemble, call together, accumulate.

קָבַץ

verb • Root קבץ • Strongs / High • Page 1256

assembled (of men and animals).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

קָבַץ

verb • Page 578

fut. יִקְבֹּץ, to gather together (persons or things). Gen. 41: 48; 1 K. 20: 1. Niph. to assemble (Is. 34: 15). Pi. to assemble, gather together (Deut. 30: 3).

Conjunction, Preposition, Verb Niphal infinitive construct common

LXX: συνήγαγεν συνάξω συνήχθησαν αὐτοὺσ εἰσδέξομαι

LXX Usage Statistics

H6908:

συνήγαγεν 10× (7.1%)

συνάξω 10× (7.0%)

συνήχθησαν 10× (7.1%)

αὐτοὺσ 10× (6.0%)

εἰσδέξομαι 9× (6.6%)

συναθροίζονται 5× (3.3%)

συνάξει 5× (3.9%)

συνάγων 4× (2.4%)

συνήθροισεν 4× (2.6%)

συνάχθητε 4× (3.0%)

בתולות בְּתוּלוֹת

in the hand

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

בתולה

bᵉthûwlâh

Definition

a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state

Root

feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to separate;

Exhaustive

feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to separate; a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state; maid, virgin.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1330

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

בְּתוּלָה

noun feminine • Root בתל • Strongs / High • Page 288

1. A virgin who is not yet espoused. 2. A betrothed or newly-married woman. 3. An addition to בַּת before names of unconquered countries and cities.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בְּתוּלָה

f. prim. • Page 120

maid, virgin. Gen. 24:15 וְהַנַּעֲרָ בְּתוּלָה וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ and the damsel was a virgin, and no man had known her. 2 Sam. 13:2.—נַעֲרָ בְתוּלָה a damsel who is a virgin.

Noun common feminine plural absolute

LXX: παρθένοσ παρθένοι παρθένον παρθένουσ παρθένῳ

LXX Usage Statistics

H1330:

παρθένοσ 12× (24.6%)

παρθένοι 9× (17.1%)

παρθένον 8× (15.7%)

παρθένουσ 7× (13.3%)

παρθένῳ 5× (10.1%)

--- 2× (4.2%)

שנית שֵׁנית

second one

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

שני

shênîy

Definition

properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again

Root

from H8138 (שנה);

Exhaustive

from שנה; properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again; again, either (of them), (an-) other, second (time).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8145

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שְׁנִי

adjective / numeral • Root שנה • Consonantal / Low • Page 1459

Second (adjective derived from the numeral two). Used in combinations to denote twelve (e.g., שְׁנֵי עָשָׂר).

Matched after stripping common prefixes

שְׁנִי

noun • Consonantal / Low • Page 1460

Crimson stuff or yarn; threads and cords coloured with crimson. Used figuratively for splendid garments.

Matched after stripping common prefixes

שְׁנִי

numeral ordinal • Consonantal / Low • Page 1460

1. The second (masculine form); 2. Also an adverb meaning again, iterum, altera vice; 3. Second rank (regarded as excellent).

Matched after stripping common prefixes

שָׁנִי

m. prop. • Root שנה • Consonantal / Low • Page 1459

Crimson dye or color, obtained from the coccus-insect (Coccus ilicis). Literally, 'the shining, light-giving thing.'

Matched after stripping common prefixes

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שֵׁנִי

fem. שֵׁנִית • Page 691

second. Also used adverbially, a second time. References: Gen. 22: 15; 41: 5.

Adjective ordinal number feminine singular absolute

LXX: δεύτερον δευτέρῳ δεύτεροσ δευτέρου δευτέρᾳ

LXX Usage Statistics

H8145:

δεύτερον 36× (24.1%)

δευτέρῳ 29× (18.4%)

δεύτεροσ 19× (12.2%)

δευτέρου 18× (11.6%)

δευτέρᾳ 16× (10.1%)

'' 9× (5.7%)

--- 7× (5.3%)

δευτέρασ 4× (2.6%)

δευτέραν 3× (2.0%)

δευτέρα 2× (1.3%)

ומרדכי וּמָרְדֳּכַי

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

מרדכי

Mordᵉkay

Definition

Mordecai, an Israelite

Root

of foreign derivation;

Exhaustive

of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite; Mordecai.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4782

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מָרְדְּכַי

noun proper • Root מרד • Consonantal / Medium • Page 905

1. A man whose history is narrated in the book of Esther. 2. A man who returned with Zerubbabel.

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מָרְדֳּכַי

proper name • Page 405

Proper name of a Jew living in Persia, who was the foster father of Esther, and afterwards vizier or prime-minister in the court of Ahasuerus. Est. ii.—x.

Conjunction, Noun proper name masculine

LXX: μαρδοχαῖοσ μαρδοχαῖον μαρδοχαίῳ '' ---

LXX Usage Statistics

H4782:

μαρδοχαῖοσ 21× (32.4%)

μαρδοχαῖον 8× (14.2%)

μαρδοχαίῳ 8× (13.9%)

'' 7× (11.0%)

--- 5× (9.2%)

μαρδοχαίου 5× (8.7%)

μαρδοχαιοσ 2× (3.7%)

προστάγματα 2× (3.1%)

ישב יֹשֵׁב

he who sits

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ישב

yâshab

Definition

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3427

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

יָשַׁב

verb • Root ישב • Strongs / High • Page 656

To sit, remain, dwell. The fundamental meaning is to keep firmly in a place, to hold it firmly, to possess it, and therefore to sit. Piel (יִשֵּׁב): to pitch a dwelling. Hifil (הוֹשִׁיב): to cause to sit, to cause to dwell, to cause to be inhabited. Hophal (הוּשַׁב): to be inhabited, to be made to dwell, to be settled in.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

יָשַׁב

verb • Root ישב • Page 301

1. To seat one's self, to sit (Ps. 9:8, Ps. 80:2, Is. 37:16). Includes sitting as a judge (Ps. 9:8) or lying in wait (Ps. 10:8). 2. To continue (Gen. 24:55, 29:19, Hos. 3:3). 3. To dwell (Gen. 13:6, Gen. 4:20, Ps. 22:4). 4. Passive: to be inhabited or habitable (Is. 13:20, Jer. 17:6). Niph. נוֹשַׁב to be inhabited (Ex. 16:35).

Verb Qal participle active masculine singular absolute

LXX: κατοικοῦντασ κατοικοῦντεσ ἐκάθισεν ἐκάθισαν κατῴκησεν

LXX Usage Statistics

H3427:

κατοικοῦντασ 88× (7.4%)

κατοικοῦντεσ 80× (6.4%)

ἐκάθισεν 61× (5.4%)

ἐκάθισαν 37× (3.4%)

κατῴκησεν 34× (3.1%)

ἐκάθητο 29× (2.8%)

κατῴκησαν 28× (2.6%)

κατῴκει 24× (2.3%)

κατοικοῦσιν 23× (2.0%)

κατοικεῖν 23× (2.2%)

בשער בְּשַׁעַר־

in the hand

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ב

bə

Definition

in, by

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(beth) — in / within / by means of

Core value: interiority, enclosure, participation

ב does not primarily mean “in time” (“when”) or even “in space.” It marks being inside a domain, whether that domain is:
- spatial (house, land),
- conceptual (wisdom, covenant),
- modal (strength, fear),
- instrumental (by means of).
Aonically, ב marks immersion.
not “when X happened” but “within the state or field of X.”
This is why ב־יום does not need to mean “on the day (chronological)” but “within the day-realm / condition”.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

שער

shaʻar

Definition

an opening, i.e. door or gate

Root

from H8176 (שער) in its original sense;

Exhaustive

from שער in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or gate; city, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8179

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שַׁעַר

noun masculine • Root שער • Strongs / High • Page 1466

1. Prop. cleft, aperture, a gate (of a city, camp, temple, palace, etc.). Often refers to a gate-building, a place of public resort or forum where trials were held and business transacted. Figuratively used for entrances (of heaven, deep, rivers). 2. A measure, hundredfold.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שֹׁעֵר

adjective • Page 694

vile, mean, detestable, spoken of figs. Jer. 29: 17.

שַׁעַר

com. gen. prim. • Root שער • Page 693

II. a gate, porta. In the gate the orientals have their market and their courts of judgment (Prov. 22:22, Amos 5:10). Thither the people assemble to pass away time (Gen. 19:1, Ps. 69:13). Lists various gates of Jerusalem including: the fountain-gate (Neh. 2:14), the dung-gate (Neh. 2:13), the valley-gate (Neh. 2:13), the corner-gate (Is. 31:38), the gate of Ephraim (Neh. 8:16), the old gate (Neh. 3:6), the first gate (Zech. 14:10), the fish-gate (Neh. 3:3), the sheep-gate (Neh. 3:1), the review-gate (Neh. 3:31), the horse-gate (Neh. 3:28), the water-gate (Neh. 3:26), and the prison-gate (Neh. 12:39).

שַׁעַר

verb • Root שער • Page 693

to think, estimate. Once Prov. 23:7. (Chald. שַׁעַר to measure. Arab. שער to fix a price.)

שַׁעַר

m. verbal • Root שער • Page 693

I. a measure. Once Gen. 26:12. מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים an hundred measures, i. e. an hundred fold.

Preposition, Noun common both singular construct

LXX: πύλησ πύλην πύλαισ πύλῃ πύλη

LXX Usage Statistics

H8179:

πύλησ 104× (27.0%)

πύλην 43× (10.8%)

πύλαισ 27× (6.6%)

πύλῃ 26× (5.9%)

πύλη 24× (6.3%)

πύλαι 21× (5.4%)

'' 19× (4.9%)

πύλασ 18× (4.7%)

πόλεσίν 16× (3.6%)

πυλῶν 16× (3.8%)

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%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And in the gathering together the virgins the second time, and Mordecai sat in the gate of the king.

LITV Translation:
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
But Mordecai served in the palace.