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Es 4:1-14.
영문 원문
Es 4:1-14.
MORDECAI AND THE JEWS MOURN.
1, 2. When Mordecai perceived all that was done--Relying on the irrevocable nature of a Persian monarch's decree
(Da 6:15),
Hamman made it known as soon as the royal sanction had been obtained; and Mordecai was, doubtless, among the first to hear of it. On his own account, as well as on that of his countrymen, this astounding decree must have been indescribably distressing. The acts described in this passage are, according to the Oriental fashion, expressive of the most poignant sorrow; and his approach to the gate of the palace, under the impulse of irrepressible emotions, was to make an earnest though vain appeal to the royal mercy. Access, however, to the king's presence was, to a person in his disfigured state, impossible: "for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth." But he found means of conveying intelligence of the horrid plot to Queen Esther.
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4. 王后……甚是憂愁；……送衣服給……末底改——她這樣做的目的，或是要使他可以換上正常衣服、恢復他原來的職務；又或是要他可以穿戴整齊，走到靠近王宮的地方，好把這樣突然而劇烈的哀傷的原因告訴她。
영문 원문
4. Then was the queen . . . grieved; and . . . sent raiment to . . . Mordecai--Her object in doing so was either to qualify him for resuming his former office, or else, perhaps, of fitting him to come near enough to the palace to inform her of the cause of such sudden and extreme distress.
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5. 以斯帖就吩咐王所派伺候她的一個太監哈他革——與後宮女子的溝通極難進行，只能通過看守者的中介。太監總管從王后口中接到信息，再將其傳達到後宮的某個下級辦公處。差事辦妥之後，下屬再向總管報告，由總管將結果交付王后。這位太監總管通常是一位老人，因長期忠心的事奉而獲得信任，總是由王所任命；但討好王后，既符合他的職責，也符合他的利益。因此，我們看見哈他革在末底改與以斯帖之間的私下聯絡中甚為有用；末底改藉此得以動員以斯帖強大的影響力。
영문 원문
5. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her--Communication with the women in the harem is very difficult to be obtained, and only through the medium of the keepers. The chief eunuch receives the message from the lips of the queen, conveys it to some inferior office of the seraglio. When the commission is executed, the subaltern communicates it to the superintendent, by whom it is delivered to the queen. This chief eunuch, usually an old man who has recommended himself by a long course of faithful service, is always appointed by the king; but it is his interest, as well as his duty, to ingratiate himself with the queen also. Accordingly, we find Hatach rendering himself very serviceable in carrying on those private communications with Mordecai who was thereby enabled to enlist Esther's powerful influence.
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8. 囑咐她進去見王——這話語氣極重。我們難以設想末底改此時仍以養父的身分對以斯帖行使權柄，因此當視為他乃是奉她弟兄的名、奉她神的名，懇求——而非命令——她直接向身為君王的丈夫的情感發出呼籲。
영문 원문
8. charge her that she should go in unto the king--This language is exceedingly strong. As it can scarcely be supposed that Mordecai was still using authority over Esther as his adopted daughter, he must be considered as imploring rather than commanding her, in the name of her brethren and in the name of her God, to make a direct appeal to the feelings of her royal husband.
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11. 無論男女，若不蒙召，進入內院見王——波斯王以幾乎不可逾越的繁文縟節將自己圍繞。這裡所提及的律法，最初由瑪代王戴奧塞斯（Deioces）所立，後來兩國合併之後，便被波斯人所採用：一切事務都當通過王的眾臣辦理，一切請願都當通過他們呈遞。當然，這一限制本意並不適用於王后，然而因著波斯律法的嚴厲與不可更改，又因極力要高舉君主威嚴的欲望，連他所寵愛的妻子也沒有*進見（entrée）*的特權，除非蒙特許開恩。以斯帖正受這嚴苛律法之苦；她既整整一個月未被引見入王前，便有理由擔心王的心意已經疏遠了她，便幾乎無望在這可怕的危機關頭為她的祖國效力。
영문 원문
11. whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called--The Persian kings surrounded themselves with an almost impassable circle of forms. The law alluded to was first enacted by Deioces, king of Media, and afterwards, when the empires were united, adopted by the Persians, that all business should be transacted and petitions transmitted to the king through his ministers. Although the restriction was not intended, of course, to apply to the queen, yet from the strict and inflexible character of the Persian laws and the extreme desire to exalt the majesty of the sovereign, even his favorite wife had not the privilege of entree, except by special favor and indulgence. Esther was suffering from the severity of this law; and as, from not being admitted for a whole month to the king's presence, she had reason to fear that the royal affections had become alienated from her, she had little hope of serving her country's cause in this awful emergency.
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13、14. 末底改就吩咐人回答以斯帖說——他的回話大意是：以斯帖不必因自己為王后的身分而存虛空的幻想，以為能逃脫本族共同的厄運；他（末底改）深信神必介入，若不藉著她，也必藉著別的拯救者，拯救祂的百姓；但這一職責顯然是落在她身上，因為很有理由相信，神護理使她被擢升為王后，正是為此目的；因此她當存勇敢的心前去，不要懷疑必能成功。
영문 원문
13, 14. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther--His answer was to this effect, that Esther need not indulge the vain hope she would, from her royal connection, escape the general doom of her race--that he (Mordecai) confidently believed God would interpose, and, if not through her, by some other deliverer, save His people; but that the duty evidently devolved on her, as there was great reason to believe that this was the design of Providence in her elevation to the dignity of queen, and therefore that she should go with a courageous heart, not doubting of success.
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16. 然後我違例進去見王——末底改的呼籲無法抗拒。她既已定下三日的嚴肅禁食，便表明了自己不顧性命、定要向王發出呼籲的堅決決心，即便為此而亡也在所不惜。
我……和我的宮女——她周圍很可能有一些猶太少女，或是歸信猶太教的婦女。
영문 원문
16. so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law--The appeal of Mordecai was irresistible. Having appointed a solemn fast of three days, she expressed her firm resolution to make an appeal to the king, though she should perish in the attempt.
I . . . and my maidens--It is probable that she had surrounded herself with Jewish maidens, or women who were proselytes to that religion.
斯 4:1-14。
末底改與猶太人哀哭。
1、2. 末底改知道所進行的這一切事——基於波斯王諭令的不可撤銷性
(但 6:15)，
哈曼在取得王的批准之後，便盡快將其公布；末底改無疑是最先聽見這消息的人之一。無論為他自己，還是為他的同胞，這道駭人的諭旨必使他痛苦莫名，難以言表。本段所描述的種種舉動，按東方的風俗，都是表達最深切哀傷的方式；他受著難以壓抑的情感所驅使，來到宮門前，是要向王的憐憫發出懇切——儘管徒然——的呼求。然而，以他那狼狽的樣子，是不能進到王面前的：「因為不可穿麻衣進王的門。」但他卻設法將這一可怕陰謀的消息傳給了王后以斯帖。