Esther 4:1-3

C. Mordecai’s Reaction 4:1-3

We can understand why Mordecai reacted to Haman’s decree so strongly (Esther 4:1). Undoubtedly he felt personally responsible for this decree (cf. Esther 3:2-5). However, we should not interpret Mordecai’s actions in Esther 4:1 as a sign of great faith in God necessarily (cf. Mark 5:38; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). They were common expressions of personal grief (cf. Ezra 8:21; Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 9:1; Lamentations 3:40-66).

The absence of any reference to prayer in Esther 4:3 may be significant. Prayer normally accompanied the other practices mentioned (cf. 2 Kings 19:1-4; Joel 1:14). Perhaps many of these exiled Jews had gotten so far away from God that they did not even pray in this crisis hour. However, the basis of this argument is silence, and arguments based on silence are never strong.