Esther 3:11

And the king said unto Haman, The silver [is] given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

Ver. 11. And the king said unto Haman] Whom he looked upon as an honest, prudent, public spirited man, and therefore so easily empowered him to do what he would.

O vanas hominum mentes! O pectora caeca!

The silver is given unto thee] i.e. The ten thousand talents that thou hast proffered, and which Haman likely purposed to raise out of the spoil of the Jews; all this is remitted, and returned to Haman as a gift again. Sic ex alieno corie gigantes isti latissimas corrigias secant, saith an interpreter here, Such large thongs cut these giants out of other men's hides. But what meant they thus to sell the hide before they had taken the beast? He that sat in heaven (and had otherwise determined it) laughed at them, the Lord had them in derision, Psalms 2:4. "With him" (alone) "is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty," Job 12:16,17; Job 12:19 .

The people also, to do with them] Here Haman was made, here he had more than heart could wish, as Psalms 73:7, and holdeth himself, therefore, no doubt, the happiest man under heaven. But nihil sane infelicius est felicitate peccantium, saith Jerome, There cannot befall a man a greater misery than to prosper in sin: for such a one is ripening for ruin, as fatting cattle are fitting for the butcher. They prosper and live at ease, saith God, yet I am extremely displeased with them, Zechariah 1:15. As they say of the metal they make glass of, it is nearest melting when it shineth brightest; so are the wicked nearest destruction when at greatest lustre. Meanwhile see here what, many times, is the condition of God's dearest children, viz. to fall into the power and paws of lions, leopards, boars, bears, tigers; of men more savage than any of these, whose tender mercies are mere cruelties. Poor blind men they are that offer violence to the saints, as Samson laid bands upon the pillars, to pluck the house upon their own heads.

To do with them as it seemeth good to thee] Oh bloody sentence! Such words as these Leniter volant, sed non leniter violant. So Dioclesian gave leave to people to kill up Christians, without more ado, wherever they met them; the like was done by authority in the French Massacre; but though tyrants restrain not their agents, yet God will, Psalms 76:10. And though they bandy together and bend all their forces to root out true religion; yet are they bounded by him, and shall not do what themselves please, but what he hath appointed. My times are in thine hand, saith David; and Pilate had no more power to crucify Christ than what was given him from above, John 19:11 .