Mordecai
Ester's foster father
Mordecai was a Jewish man in Susa who raised his orphaned cousin Esther. He uncovered a conspiracy against the king and refused to bow down to Haman, which triggered Haman's plan to destroy the Jews. In the end, he was elevated to second-in-command of the Persian Empire.
Famille
Événements clés
Foster father of Esther
Mordecai took care of his orphaned cousin Hadassah (Esther) and raised her as his own daughter.
5Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדִ֔י הָיָ֖ה בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן הַבִּירָ֑ה וּשְׁמ֣וֹ מָרְדֳּכַ֗י בֶּ֣ן יָאִ֧יר בֶּן־שִׁמְעִ֛י בֶּן־קִ֖ישׁ אִ֥ישׁ יְמִינִֽי׃
6who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the exiles taken with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried into exile.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָגְלָה֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔יִם עִם־הַגֹּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָגְלְתָ֔ה עִ֖ם יְכָנְיָ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶגְלָ֔ה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֖ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
7He was raising Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely in form and beautiful to look at, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
וַיְהִ֨י אֹמֵ֜ן אֶת־הֲדַסָּ֗ה הִ֤יא אֶסְתֵּר֙ בַּת־דֹּד֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ אָ֣ב וָאֵ֑ם וְהַנַּעֲרָ֤ה יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה וּבְמ֤וֹת אָבִ֙יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ לְקָחָ֧הּ מָרְדֳּכַ֛י ל֖וֹ לְבַֽת׃
The conspiracy uncovered
Mordecai discovered a plot against King Ahasuerus and reported it through Esther, which saved the king's life.
21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold, grew angry and plotted to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹֽשׁ׃
22But the plot became known to Mordecai, and he told Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecai's name.
וַיִּוָּדַ֤ע הַדָּבָר֙ לְמָרְדֳּכַ֔י וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה וַתֹּ֧אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֛ר לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּשֵׁ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃
23The matter was investigated and confirmed, and the two men were hanged on a pole.[^1]
[^1]: Or "impaled on a stake"; the Hebrew word means "tree" or "wood."
וַיְבֻקַּ֤שׁ הַדָּבָר֙ וַיִּמָּצֵ֔א וַיִּתָּל֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־עֵ֑ץ וַיִּכָּתֵ֗ב בְּסֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פ
Refused to bow down
Mordecai refused to bow before Haman, which aroused Haman's fury and led to the plan to destroy the Jews.
2All the king's servants at the King's Gate knelt and bowed down to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel or bow down.
וְכָל־עַבְדֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כֹּרְעִ֤ים וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ לְהָמָ֔ן כִּי־כֵ֖ן צִוָּה־ל֣וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וּמָ֨רְדֳּכַ֔י לֹ֥א יִכְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֥א יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽה׃
4Day after day they spoke to him, but he would not listen to them. So they reported it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
וַיְהִ֗י *באמרם **כְּאָמְרָ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ י֣וֹם וָי֔וֹם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְהָמָ֗ן לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי׃
5When Haman saw that Mordecai would neither kneel nor bow down to him, he was filled with rage.
וַיַּ֣רְא הָמָ֔ן כִּי־אֵ֣ין מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כֹּרֵ֥עַ וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֖ן חֵמָֽה׃
6Yet he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai's people were. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙ בְּמָרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְהַשְׁמִ֧יד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּכָל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ עַ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃
The challenge to Esther
Mordecai sent a message to Esther and challenged her: 'Who knows if you have not come to royal dignity for such a time as this?'
13he sent back this reply: "Do not imagine that you alone of all the Jews will escape, because you are in the king's house.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָרְדֳּכַ֖י לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אַל־תְּדַמִּ֣י בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט בֵּית־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִכָּל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃
14For if you keep silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows? Perhaps you have come to the throne for just such a time as this."
כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃
The Exaltation
After Haman's fall, Mordecai was exalted to the king's second-in-command and worked for the good of his people.
2The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's estate.
וַיָּ֨סַר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־טַבַּעְתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱבִיר֙ מֵֽהָמָ֔ן וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַתָּ֧שֶׂם אֶסְתֵּ֛ר אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַ֖י עַל־בֵּ֥ית הָמָֽן׃ פ
15Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal robes of blue and white, a large golden crown, and a purple cloak of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֞י יָצָ֣א ׀ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ בִּלְב֤וּשׁ מַלְכוּת֙ תְּכֵ֣לֶת וָח֔וּר וַעֲטֶ֤רֶת זָהָב֙ גְּדוֹלָ֔ה וְתַכְרִ֥יךְ בּ֖וּץ וְאַרְגָּמָ֑ן וְהָעִ֣יר שׁוּשָׁ֔ן צָהֲלָ֖ה וְשָׂמֵֽחָה׃
3For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, great among the Jews and esteemed by the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the good of his people and spoke peace to all his people's descendants.
כִּ֣י ׀ מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־זַרְעֽוֹ׃
Mentionné dans la Bible (48)
Esdras 2:2Néhémie 7:7Esther 2:5Esther 2:7Esther 2:10Esther 2:11Esther 2:15Esther 2:19Esther 2:20Esther 2:21Esther 2:22Esther 3:2Esther 3:3Esther 3:4Esther 3:5Esther 3:6Esther 4:1Esther 4:4Esther 4:5Esther 4:7Esther 4:9Esther 4:10Esther 4:12Esther 4:13Esther 4:15Esther 4:17Esther 5:9Esther 5:13Esther 5:14Esther 6:2Esther 6:4Esther 6:10Esther 6:11Esther 6:12Esther 6:13Esther 7:9Esther 7:10Esther 8:1Esther 8:2Esther 8:7Esther 8:9Esther 9:3Esther 9:4Esther 9:20Esther 9:23Esther 9:29Esther 9:31Esther 10:3