Esther 8 · a question people ask
What does it mean that many "became Jews"?
The chapter says only this: "Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them" (8:17) (tap became Jews). In Hebrew, became Jews is one word, and it comes only here in the Hebrew Bible; Brown-Driver-Briggs gives it as "become a Jew", and Strong's as "to Judaize, i.e. become Jewish". The chapter gives one reason, "the fear of the Jews had fallen on them" (8:17) (tap fear), and says nothing more about what these people did, what they believed, or what became of them. This study doesn't add to it. The book uses the same words of fear on the day itself: "the fear of them had fallen on all the people" (9:2), and "the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them" (9:3).
The verses
“In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness, joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.”
“the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who wanted to harm them. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the people. All the princes of the provinces, the local governors, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.”