Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

ESTHER 9:26KJV
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Esther 9:26 (KJV)

What does Esther 9:26 mean?

Esther 9:26 explains that the Jewish festival called "Purim" got its name from the word "Pur," which refers to the lots that were cast to determine the date of the Jews’ destruction. The verse also notes that the events described in the letter and what the people witnessed led to the naming and observance of these days.

In the story’s setting, this verse comes after the Jews have been saved from a plot to destroy them, and Mordecai is writing to explain the origins of the new holiday. The verse highlights how the name "Purim" is directly tied to the casting of lots (pur), and it connects the celebration to both the written record and the people’s own experience of deliverance.

The Hebrew behind Esther 9:26

  • פוּרִים (Purim, transliteration: purim): This is the plural form of "pur," meaning "lots." The festival’s name directly points to the lots cast by Haman to decide when to attack the Jews, making the name itself a reminder of the threat and the deliverance.
  • פוּר (Pur, transliteration: pur): This word means "lot" or "dice." Its use here is important because it ties the holiday’s name to a specific event in the story, not just a generic term.
  • דָּבָר (davar, transliteration: davar): This word means "word" or "matter." In this verse, it refers to the contents of the letter and the events that happened, emphasizing that the festival is based on both written instruction and lived experience.
  • סֵפֶר (sefer, transliteration: sefer): This word means "letter" or "scroll." The mention of the letter shows that the observance of Purim was formalized and communicated in writing, not just by word of mouth.

Why Esther 9:26 matters

  • Esther 9:26 clarifies that the name "Purim" is not random, but is rooted in a specific historical event—the casting of lots by Haman—which gives the festival its unique identity.
  • The verse shows that the celebration of Purim is based on both what was written (the letter) and what people actually saw and experienced, grounding the holiday in real events.
  • By explaining the origin of the festival’s name, this verse connects the ongoing Jewish practice of Purim to the story’s dramatic reversal, helping readers understand why the holiday is celebrated and what it commemorates.

Where else these words appear

“Purim” Hebrew H6332 · used in 7 verses

  • Esther 3:7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
  • Esther 9:28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
  • Esther 9:31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

“matter” Hebrew H3602 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
  • 2 Chronicles 18:19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
  • Song of Solomon 5:9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

“letter” Hebrew H107 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 30:1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.
  • Nehemiah 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
  • Nehemiah 6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

“come” Hebrew H5060 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
  • Numbers 19:18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
  • Psalms 73:14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.