Esther 9:16-19

C. Peace

TEXT: Esther 9:16-19

16

And the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them seventy and five thousand; but on the spoil they laid not their hand.

17

This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

18

But the Jews that were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

19

Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

Today's English Version, Esther 9:16-19

The Jews in the provinces also organized and defended themselves. They rid themselves of their enemies by killing seventy-five thousand people who hated them. But they did no looting. This was on the thirteenth day of Adar. On the next day, the fourteenth, there was no more killing, and they made it a joyful day of feasting. The Jews of Susa, however, made the fifteenth a holiday, since they had slaughtered their enemies on the thirteenth and fourteenth and then stopped on the fifteenth. This is why Jews who live in small towns observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a joyous holiday, a time for feasting and giving gifts of food to one another.

COMMENTS

Esther 9:16-17 Cessation: Out in the provinces (which included the entire Persian empirefrom Asia Minor to India) the Jews organized and mobilized themselves. With the help of the Persian officials who had Persian and provincial troops at their command, the Jews killed 75,000 people who had attacked them on the 13th day of Adar. The LXX has the number 15,000 here rather than 75,000 and some critics have declared the Hebrew text to be incredible. Rawlinson says that the number 75,000 is believable. When one considers the vastness of the empire, the wide dispersion of the Jewish communities within that empire, the fact that the Persian officials throughout the empire gave aid to the Jews (probably with their troops), and the fact that the Persian officials were not all that careful to preserve the lives of provincials, one must admit that the number 75,000 is more credible than 15,000. The Jews killed 800 in the city of Susa alone. Multiply that number by 94 cities and you have slightly over 75,000. Do not forget there were 127 provinces in the empire (Esther 8:9). The author repeats the fact that the Jews did not plunder the properties of their dead enemies.

They needed only one day out in the provinces to kill all those who hated them; that was all done on the 13th of Adar (February-March). On the day following (while the Jews in the capital city of Susa were still fighting) these Jews of the provinces rested and declared a holiday. The Hebrew word nucha is translated rest. Nucha is more generic than shavat (Sabbath). Nucha connotes physical repose and tranquility while shavat denotes the legislative, ceremonial, spiritual rest.

Esther 9:18-19 Celebration: The circumstances of the struggle within the city of Susa (two days duration) resulted in a difference regarding the date of the day of rejoicing between the Jews of the capital city Susa, and the Jews of the provinces. The Jews of Susa could not rest until the third day which was the 15th of Adar; the provincial Jews rested on the 14th of Adar. When Esther and Mordecai attempted to set up a national celebration for this great deliverance some difficulty arose as to which day would be set aside for all Jews to commemorate it. It was diplomatically decided that both days would be kept (Esther 9:21).

We may learn the following lessons from this chapter:

1.

When justice and truth is on the side of a people, they command the respect of reasonable men.

2.

The forces of human government are ordained of God as tools for preservation of ordered society.

3.

The consequences of a man's evil is often suffered by his offspring.

4.

While it may be ethical to preserve the sanctity of human life by force, it is not ethical to take by force another's property.

5.

Memorializing great victories of justice with holidays has didactic benefit for future generations.