Esther 9 - Introduction
_A.M. 3495. B.C. 509._ The Jews slay their enemies, 1-11. A second day is granted them, 12-19. A yearly feast is instituted, in memory of this great deliverance, 20-32.... [ Continue Reading ]
_A.M. 3495. B.C. 509._ The Jews slay their enemies, 1-11. A second day is granted them, 12-19. A yearly feast is instituted, in memory of this great deliverance, 20-32.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution_ At the close of the last chapter we left two royal edicts in force, both given at the court at Shushan, one bearing date the thirteenth day of the first month, appointing, that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, then n... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities_ Imbodied and stood upon their defence, offering violence to none, but bidding defiance to all. If they had not had an edict to warrant them, they durst not have done this; but, being so supported, they strove lawfully. If they had acted separat... [ Continue Reading ]
_All the rulers of the provinces, &c., and officers of the king_ Hebrews _and those that did the king's business;_ that is, not only the chief persons, signified by the foregoing words, but all the king's other ministers or officers, of what quality soever; _helped the Jews; because the fear of Mord... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword_ The second decree “allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and therefore may account, in some measure, for the slaughter which they made of their enemies: and, no doubt, the great sum which Haman had offered to gratify his revenge a... [ Continue Reading ]
_In Shushan the palace_ That is, in the city where the palace was; it not being probable, either that they would make such a slaughter in the palace itself, or that they would be permitted so to do; _the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men_ These, and the rest killed in other places, either wer... [ Continue Reading ]
_But on the spoil laid they not their hand_ The king had granted them leave to take it, Esther 8:11, but they declined to do it; that it might appear what they did was not done out of malice or covetousness, but out of mere necessity, and according to the great law of self-preservation; that they mi... [ Continue Reading ]
_What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces?_ In which, doubtless, many more were slain. So that I have fully granted thy petition: and yet, if thou hast any thing further to ask, I am ready to grant it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let it be granted to the Jews to do to-morrow also according to this day's decree_ To kill their implacable enemies. For it is probable that the greatest and worst of them had hidden themselves for that day; after which, the commission granted to the Jews being expired, they confidently returned to... [ Continue Reading ]
_And had rest from their enemies_ Who could not stand before them, and therefore ceased to molest them. _But they laid not their hands on the prey_ It is probable Mordecai, in his letters, had charged them not to make use of the liberty the king had given them to take the spoil, inasmuch as it appea... [ Continue Reading ]
_On the thirteenth day of the month Adar_ This is to be referred to the foregoing words, and the meaning is, the slaughter was made in the provinces on the thirteenth day of this month, when they had reason to expect they should have been destroyed themselves. _On the fifteenth day of the same they... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns_ Hebrew, _in the cities of the villages;_ that is, in the lesser cities and villages, which are here opposed to the great city Shushan, and those who dwelt in it. _Made the fourteenth day a day of gladness_, &c. Namely, because they did the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mordecai wrote these things_, &c. That is, the history of these things, which was the ground of the feast here spoken of. Mordecai knew very well these things ought to be had in remembrance, and to be told to their children and posterity through all ages, according to the many commands of God to th... [ Continue Reading ]
_To establish this to keep the fourteenth day, and the fifteenth day of the month Adar_ The twelfth month; just a month before the passover. Thus the first and the last month of the year were kept in remembrance of _the days when God preserved them._ They were enjoined to keep two days together, bec... [ Continue Reading ]
_As the days wherein the Jews rested_ They did not keep the days on which they fought, but those on which they rested. On the fourteenth day the country Jews rested, and on the fifteenth those in Shushan, and these days they kept. The sabbath was appointed, not on the day when God finished his work,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Jews undertook to do as they had begun_ That is, to keep these days as festivals everywhere. Having by this means an opportunity of gathering themselves together, on any occasion, the chief of them assembled, and freely and unanimously consented to Mordecai's desire in this matter, and bound it... [ Continue Reading ]
_Because Haman had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot_ Haman had, by lot, determined this to be the time of the Jews' destruction; but the Lord, at whose disposal the lot is, had determined it to be the time of their triumph. The name of this festival, there... [ Continue Reading ]
_They called these days Purim_ Namely, these two festival days; _after the name Pur_ A Persian word signifying a lot. _For all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen, and which had come unto them_ Because of what was contained in the letter of Mordecai, and the respect which they... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Jews took upon them and upon their seed_ To the latest generations; _and upon all such as joined themselves unto them_ That is, the Gentile proselytes, who were obliged to submit to other of the Jewish laws, and therefore to this also; the rather, because they enjoyed the benefit of this day's... [ Continue Reading ]
_That these days should be remembered and kept_ That the memorial of these great things, which God had done for his church, might never perish. For if God work wonders for a day, it is that they may be had in everlasting remembrance. _Every family, every province, every city_ Accordingly, even the w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Esther and Mordecai wrote with all authority_ As well they might, Esther being queen, and Mordecai prime minister of state. The former letter (Est 9:20) did only recommend, but this enjoins the observance of this solemnity. And it was not only the act of the queen and Mordecai, but also the ac... [ Continue Reading ]
_With words of peace and truth_ Though they wrote with authority, they wrote also with _peace_, that is, with friendship, tenderness, and kindness, not in imperious and imposing language, but in an affectionate and conciliating style: and with _truth_, or sincerity, which is the rather observed, bec... [ Continue Reading ]
_The matters of their fasting, and of their cry_ For and concerning those great and overwhelming calamities which had been decreed to befall all the Jews, and for the removing of which, not only Esther and the Jews of Shushan, but all other Jews, in all places, as soon as they heard of those dismal... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the decree of Esther_ Who had received authority and commission from the king to impose this upon all the Jews; _confirmed these things_ She commanded the forementioned decree, which confirmed or established the observance of the days of Purim, to be recorded and made a public act; _and it was... [ Continue Reading ]