"In every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes." Esther 4:3. The decree of the Medes and Persians could not be revoked; apparently there was no hope; all the Israelites were doomed to destruction.

"I hver eneste landsdel, overalt, hvor kongens bud og forordning nåede hen, var der blandt jøderne stor sorg og faste, gråd og klage, og mange af dem redte sig et leje af sæk og aske." Est. 4,3. Medernes og persernes befaling kunne ikke tilbagekaldes. Alt håb var tilsyneladende ude. Alle israelitterne var dømt til at udryddes.