Esther fasted full three days?

[Danielkim]

Hello. Everybody.

I do have question on Esther 4:16

לֵךְ֩ כְּנֹ֨וס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָיֹ֔ום גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָבֹ֤וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃


I am trying to figure out if the underlined word "3651,ū·ḇə·ḵên, וּבְכֵ֞ן has the meaning of "After That" in it.

I also want to know what is the function of prefix "beth" in this word.

I am trying to figure out if Esther went into the king after she finished her fasting. or during the fasting.

please help me.

Daniel Kim.

Bible Student.

Virginia U.S.A

[S_Walch]

ובכן = ו + ב + כן, which is literally "And in this thing", which in this case would give us "and thereupon" or "and then".

Hebrew for "After that" or "afterwards" would be אחרי־כן - See Gen 6:4, 41:31; Exod 11:1; Josh 10:26; Judg 16:4; 1 Sam 9:13, 24:6, 9.

[SteveMiller]

I think Esther would want her people to be fasting when she went into the king, so she would have gone in to the king before the 3 days were over.

[kwrandolph]

Hello. Everybody.

I do have question on Esther 4:16

לֵךְ֩ כְּנֹ֨וס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָיֹ֔ום גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָבֹ֤וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃


I am trying to figure out if the underlined word "3651,ū·ḇə·ḵên, וּבְכֵ֞ן has the meaning of "After That" in it.

I also want to know what is the function of prefix "beth" in this word.

I am trying to figure out if Esther went into the king after she finished her fasting. or during the fasting.

Daniel Kim.

Bible Student.

Virginia U.S.A

Except for the request that the fasting last three days, there is no time reference in that sentence. ובכן refers to the act of fasting, not the time.

As for the time, it is generally recognized that ancient Jews didn’t count days the same way as we do. Rather they counted days where part of a day would be counted as a day/night.

As for Esther, on the third day she broke her fast by inviting the king and Haman to a feast. The rest is history.

Karl W. Randolph.

[Danielkim]

we find word " Ken" two times in this verse. this "Ken" means basically, "So" or "After That" as conclusive meaning.

prefix means "Beth" means "in" . it means "in so doing" means " After in doing so" or " After doing so"

" I will fast in the same way with my maiden, and then I will go into the throne of King"

it means she made sure to complete the fasting of three days before she go into the king.

Esther Fasted Saturday, Sunday and Monday and then she went into the king on Third Day. (= Tuesday).

Esther fasted three days, Day and Night for sure.

[kwrandolph]

we find word " Ken" two times in this verse. this "Ken" means basically, "So" or "After That" as conclusive meaning.

Who says?

Proverbs 1:19 כן has the meaning of “such are”. It often has the implied “to be” in its uses.

prefix means "Beth" means "in" . it means "in so doing" means " After in doing so" or " After doing so"

Who says?

‎ב (prefix) in, but in a very broad usage, broader than English to include location (where in English we sometimes use “near”, “on” and “upon”), as an indicator of instrumentality “by means of” or “by use of” or “(by) cost of”, an indicator of possession, used by many verbs to indicate the object of the verb including ראה and its synonyms, חפץ,

In this verse, I take it as instrumentality.

" I will fast in the same way with my maiden, and then I will go into the throne of King"

it means she made sure to complete the fasting of three days before she go into the king.

Esther Fasted Saturday, Sunday and Monday and then she went into the king on Third Day. (= Tuesday).

Esther fasted three days, Day and Night for sure.

You write in such a way that it appears that you have already made up your mind. Is there any use in discussing this with you?

The book of Esther doesn’t say which days of the week she fasted.

Karl W. Randolph.

[kwrandolph]

I think Esther would want her people to be fasting when she went into the king, so she would have gone in to the king before the 3 days were over.

That would fit my understanding of Hebrew use as well.

Karl W. Randolph.

[Danielkim]

I think Esther would want her people to be fasting when she went into the king, so she would have gone in to the king before the 3 days were over.

That would fit my understanding of Hebrew use as well.

Karl W. Randolph.

No. that wouldn't fit based on common basic sense of being a christian or her conscience of honesty

it would be much difficult for her to go into the king on the third day of her fasting than going in after finishing full three days fasting.

because her mindset was "if I perish, I perish", it means hunger wouldn't bother her.

and she fasted because she desired heavenly Father's intervene in this desperate situation.

so it wouldn't be possible to go into the king on her 3rd day of her fasting.

she fasted Nisan 14th trough16th and she went into the king on Nisan 17th. it was on Third Day= Tuesday.

[kwrandolph]

I think Esther would want her people to be fasting when she went into the king, so she would have gone in to the king before the 3 days were over.

That would fit my understanding of Hebrew use as well.

Karl W. Randolph.

No. that wouldn't fit based on common basic sense of being a christian or her conscience of honesty

Daniel: we are here to study Biblical Hebrew. That is not only learning the words, but also looking at the cultural expectations of those words and phrases.

For example, in old Norwegian, there were two words for “day”—one for land days, which could be only a part of a day, and sea days which were 24 hours.

Because English is so influenced by seafaring, English “days” emphasize 24 hours like the old Norse sea day. But the ancient Hebrews were a land oriented people, so they used the land days which allowed Esther to break her fast on the third day at the feast that she prepared, and still be counted as “three days”.

Biblical Hebrew followed land days. Don’t use English understanding when reading ancient Hebrew.

she fasted Nisan 14th trough16th and she went into the king on Nisan 17th. it was on Third Day= Tuesday.

Where do you get those dates? They’re not Scriptural. Don’t add to Scripture.

Karl W. Randolph.

[SteveMiller]

Daniel,
In addition to what Karl has said, I'd like to add that "the 3rd day", יּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י, with the definite article, is used 29 times in the Old Testament, and it never means "Tuesday". It always means the 3rd day after some previous event. This is what is used in Esther 5:1.

In modern Hebrew, י֥וֹם שְׁלִישִֽׁי, without the definite article means Tuesday. The only occurrence of this expression in the Bible is in Gen 1:13.

So Esther 5:1 cannot mean "Tuesday". It means on the 3rd day of the fast.