Esther 10:1

Authorized King James Version

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיָּשֶׂם֩
laid
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
#2
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ
And the king
a king
#3
אֲחַשְׁרֵ֧וֹשׁ׀
Ahasuerus
achashverosh (i.e., ahasuerus or artaxerxes, but in this case xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a persian king
#4
מַ֛ס
a tribute
properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e., a tax in the form of forced labor
#5
עַל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#6
הָאָ֖רֶץ
upon the land
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
#7
וְאִיֵּ֥י
and upon the isles
properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island
#8
הַיָּֽם׃
of the sea
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 artif

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Esther Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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