3 And all the rulers of the provinces, || 12 And the king said unto Esther the and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and queen, The Jews have slain and destroyofficers of the king, helped the Jews; ed five hundred men in Shushan the because the fear of Mordecai fell upon palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 5 Thus the Jews 'smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. 6 And in Shushan the palace, the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred 13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. 8 10 The ten sons of Haman the son of" Hammedatha, the Penemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand. 11 ¶ On that day, the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace I was brought before the king. g 3:12. 8:9. Ezra 8:36. Dan. 3: 2. 6:1,2. *Heb. those which did the business that belonged to then king. h 3:2-6. 8:15. i Josh. 6:27. 1 Sam. 2:30. 1 4:24. 149:6-9. 2 Thes. 1:6. m Jer. 18:21. Heb. according to their will. o 5:11. Ex. 20:5. Job 18:18,19. 14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. 15 For the Jews that were in Shushan, tgathered themselves together, on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. 16 But 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 their foes seventy and five thousand; but they laid not their hands on the prey, [Practical Observations.] 17 On the thirteenth day of the month 27:13-15. Ps. 21:10. 109:12,|| Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the 13. Chr. 14:17. Zeph. 3:19. Matt. p 3:1. 7:4,6. Ex. 17:16. k 2 Sam. 3:1. 1 Chr. 11:9. Ps. 1:3. Prov. 4:18. Is. 9:7. 1 Ps. 18:34-40,47,48. 20:7,8. intimidated, and yielded the Jews an easy and - decisive victory. V. 3, 4. The late decree, and the report which accompanied it of Mordecai's increasing greatness, rendered all the governors afraid of offending him, lest they should fall under the king's displeasure: so that they generally assist- V. 15. Some that appeared against them, ed the Jews, which gave them a decided advan-'perhaps escaped their hands, whom they might tage in the bloody contest. (Marg. Ref.) 'meet withal the next day.'... They 'in the con'flict escaped by flight, and were now found out and killed.' Bp. Patrick.-It does not however appear, that they were authorized by the new decree, to slay any, but those who assaulted them, or that they actually did so. Some think, that many of those slain in Shushan, and in other parts of the empire, were Amalekites, and that thus the prediction, concerning the utter destruction of Amalek, was exactly accomplished. (Notes, 3:1. Ex. 17:14-16.) V. 5-10. The sons of Haman seem to have combined against the Jews, by way of revenging their father's death; as the king and Mordecai were out of their reach. At the head of their retainers, probably, they lead on the attack in the royal city of Shushan, but they were all slain, with five hundred of their party. As the Jews professed only to defend their own lives, when they "did what they would unto those that hated them;" they would not take their spoil, or any part of it: and there is no intimation, that they injured their families, or any individual, who was not found in arms against them. (Notes, 3:12-15. 8:11-13.) V. 16. Seventy-five thousand, &c.] All this large number lost their lives, through the pride and revenge of one wicked man, but by their own malice and enmity to the worshippers of V. 13. As it cannot be supposed that Esther JEHOVAH. Thus the power and spirits of the was actuated by revenge in this request: it is enemies of the Jews were broken, and peace probable she had learned from Mordecai, that and rest were prepared for them. It is not reHaman's retainers still formed a faction, not corded that any Jews were slain on this occasion; only dangerous to the Jews, but to the state; and and probably their preservation was as remark. were prepared to renew the attack on the next able, as the destruction of their assailants.day. She therefore desired, that the Jews might They were indeed placed in the most extraor defend themselves, and pursue their assailants, dinary circumstances: but as they were sancin order that the party might be crushed ortioned in what they did by the king's authority, same rested they, and made it a day of || 25 But when Esther came before the feasting and gladness. king, he commanded by letters, that his wicked device which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 18 But the Jews that were at 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 the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. 20 And Mordecaia wrote these things; and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far; 21 To establish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly; 22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them: 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast & Pur, that is, the lot, to destroy them; y 1,11,13. 26 Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, 27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days, according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; k 28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor " the memorial of them perish from their seed. 29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim. 30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, r 31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew, and Esther the queen, had consume them, and tot Heb. when she came. 13,14. | Heb. pass. z 22. 8:17. Deut. 16:11,14. b 1:1,22. 3:12. 8:9. e 3:12,13. Ex. 13:3-8. Ps. 103: 2. Is. 12:1,2. 14:3. 7:5-10. 8:1-14. h Ps. 7:16. 109:17,18. 140.9. d Ps. 30:11. Matt. 5:4. John 16:i Num. 16:40. Ez. 39:11. e 19. Neh. 8:10,12. Luke 11:41. f 10. 52:5—13. g 3:7. Heb. crush. That is, Lot. J 20. k Deut. 5:3. 29:14,15. Josh. 9: m EL. 12:17. Ps. 73:5-7. 103: o 2:15. 23. r Is. 39:8. Zech. 8:19. and stood in defence of their own lives; as they most obviously imply; and not merely the letters slew none but those who attacked them, and uni- afterwards mentioned, as many understand it. versally declined availing themselves of the It is most probable, that he wrote an account of king's permission to enrich themselves with the these interesting transactions, and sent it with spoil; they must be allowed to have acted in an his letters into all the provinces of the empire. unexceptionable manner; and were no more This, no doubt, included Judea and Jerusalem; chargeable with the blood shed by them, than if the inhabitants of which were as much aimed at they had been engaged in the most necessary in Haman's decree, as the Jews dispersed in defensive war: and indeed it was one of the most other countries were.-The contrast between necessary defensive wars, that ever any people his style and that of Nehemiah, is very remarkor nation engaged in.-Thereby we may judge able. The latter is interspersed with ejacula'what a great number of Jews still remained in tions and pious reflections; (Notes, Neh. 2:4. 4:4, 'other countries, and did not return to their own. 5. 5:19. 6:5-9. 13:14,20-22, v. 22,31.) the for"... It is likely, Mordecai by his letters, had charg-mer treats of divine things, without any explicit 'ed them not to make use of the liberty the king had given them to take the spoil; (3:11.) because they universally avoided it.' Bp. Patrick. It may be supposed, that the enemies of the Jews, in the vicinity of Judea, did not venture to assault them. V. 17-19. Note, 21-32. V. 20. "Mordecai wrote these things," or the history contained in this book, as the words 6501 mention of God and religion. (Note, 4:13,14.) V. 21-32. These verses contain the institution of the feast of Purim, which the Jews observe to this day. When the second decree of Ahasuerus was published, they had in every place "joy, and gladness, a feast, and a good day." (Notes, 8:16,17.) And when they prevailed in the contest in all parts of the empire, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, they with one common impulse observed the fourteenth as a festival, with joy and gladness. But the Jews at Shushan were, on that day likewise, engaged in conflict, and the fifteenth of the month was their day of rest and joy and festivity. (17--19.) Mordecai therefore wrote to his people in every place, proposing the observance of both these days annually, in commemoration of their deliverance, by Jews and proselytes, throughout their dispersions, and to all future generations. And upon the receipt of these letters, the Jews every where consented to the proposal. Yet it seems, that they afterwards grew negligent: and therefore a second letter was written, with all authority, by Esther and Mordecai, enjoining the observance; which was accompanied with words of peace and truth;" (30) that is, with affectionate good wishes, prayers, and congratulations; and with wholesome counsels and instructions. The festival therefore was appointed by authority and by royal proclamation, yet under the direction and according to the mind of the Spirit of God. It was evidently proper to perpetuate the memory of so extraordinary a deliverance: and no doubt Esther and Mordecai did right in requiring the Jews on this great occasion, thus to keep it in remembrance, and transmit the memorial of it to their posterity. It was appointed that those days should be spent in feasting and joy, in hospitality and liberality to the poor. But, as the prayers, which without doubt attended the fasting of the Jews in Shushan, are not mentioned; (Note, 4:13,14.) it cannot reasonably be questioned but that praises and thanksgivings to God at first attended their feasting and rejoicing, though not recorded. Even to this day the Jews are used to assemble, at the time appointed, in their synagogues, to read over this book of Esther, and to perform some acts of religious worship: but the feast has long since degenerated into a season of riot and excess.-The word Purim signifies the lots, (being the plural of the word Pur,) in remembrance of the lots cast by Haman, by which the day was deferred till time was allowed for defeating the whole design, and all his tokens were frustrated. (Note, 3:7.) The fastings, lamentations, and prayers, which preceded the deliverance, were to be remembered with peculiar joy and gratitude. (31) Some think it was intended, that the thirteenth day should be observed as a day of fasting and prayer, as an introduction to the festival; and the Jews at present profess to observe it as such: but the decree does not admit of this construction. Finally, the decree was added to this book of Esther, in which the history of these transactions was recorded, that the institution might never be forgotten. PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book. to the most evident dictates of prudence. V. 17-32. But When the sense of recent mercies is lively in our hearts, we should hasten to pour out our praises to the Lord. Gratitude to him, when united with temperance and liberal kindness to the poor, will sanctify our rejoicing, and render a day of feasting a good day to our own souls, and to our brethren. (Notes, Neh. 8:9-12. P. 0.9—18.)—In reviewing our mercies, we should advert to our previous fears and distresses: we should consider, how our "sorrow hath been turned into joy;" what imminent danger of death or destruction we have escaped; what cries, prayers, confessions, and vows we have made; and with what remarkable circumstances our deliverances have been attended, our enemies disappointed, and our comforts renewed. When our mercies are personal, we should be careful that we do not by forgetfulness lose the comfort of them, and withhold from our God the glory due unto his name. When they are very public and remarkable, rulers in church or state should unite authority, with admonitions and "words of peace and truth." to prevent the memorial of them from perishing; and that all, who shall eventually share the advantages, may join in rendering praise unto the Lord. But alas! the best institutions are liable to be perverted by human depravity; and to degenerate, not only into a form, but into an occasion of sin. Holy joy in God is supplanted by sensual indulgence and carnal mirth: under pretence of celebrating [651 B. C. 446. CHAP. X. d in the book of the chronicles of the kings The greatness of Ahasuerus, and the advancement and useful- of Media and Persia? ness of Mordecai, 1-3. A ND the king Ahasuerus a laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. b 2 And all the acts of his power, and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written a 1:1. 8:9. Luke 2:1. b Gen. 10.5. Ps. 72:10. Is. 24: 15. Dan. 11:18. = c 1 Kings 11:41. 22:39. great deliverances, or even of commemorating the mysteries of redemption, professed Christians often behave, as if they were the devotees of Bacchus or of Momus; and, instead of "a good day" and a feast unto the Lord, they imitate the worshippers of the golden calf, and "sit down_to eat and drink, and rise up to play!" (Note, Ex. 32:1. P. O. í—14.) Nothing more deeply disgraces religion, or more injuriously stupifies the conscience, than such abuses. May the Lord then teach us to rejoice with that holy joy, which anticipates and prepares for the felicity of heaven! NOTES. 3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. in fact, little comparatively is known concerning PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. The concerns of the despised worshippers of CHAP. X. V. 1-3. These verses close the narrative, as it stands in the original Hebrew;|| God are deemed more important by the Spirit of and are very improperly detached from the pre-inspiration, than the greatest exploits of the most ceding chapter. As, however, they here stand, they begin another chapter, which is continued in the apocryphal supplement to this book, and opens with the fourth verse of the tenth chapter. The nature of Ahasuerus's tribute, and the acts of his power, are not declared in the sacred scripture; but the preferment of Mordecai proved no diminution of the king's greatness, or detriment to his subjects at large; and it was peculiarly advantageous to the Jews. (Marg. Ref. f, g.) Mordecai neither concealed his religion, nor grew shy of his people, though they were His authority generally poor and despised. seems to have been durable; and he was greatly honored by all his brethren: for he used his power to protect them and promote their welfare; and he behaved towards them with all condescension and affection.-This book is placed in our Bibles the last of the historical records of the Jews; though the events recorded by Nehemiah seem to have occurred subsequent to most, if not all, in this book. (Note, Neh. 2:6.)-However, for above four hundred years, that is, till the coming of the Messiah, the scriptural narrative of that favored nation is suspended.-A compendious view of the most material events which are transmitted to us by other writers, is added, at the close of this book, in order to connect the Old Testament with the New.-It has been observed, that no pagan writer mentions any of the events recorded in the book of Esther: but, 652] illustrious monarch upon earth.-Those who enjoy the benefits of civil government, are reasonably required to contribute to the expense of it: but it is happy for the people when taxes are imposed with justice and equality; and the advancement of wise and good men forms the most honorable part of the conduct of powerful princes.-Rulers should consult the advantage of all their peaceable subjects: but they are peculiarly required to seek the welfare of the church, by protecting it from oppression, and encouraging the worship and ordinances of God.-That greatness is truly honorable which is usefully employed: and when those fill exalted stations, who behave with humility and condescension, and who manifest a due regard to religion, and affection for their inferiors; they will be most likely to escape envy, and to be honored and accepted by the multitude of their brethren.-Contentment, diligence, and fidelity in lower employments, form a hopeful presage of good conduct in more important and exalted situations: and though men of superior talents and excellency may for a season appear to be buried in obscurity; yet, if the Lord have work for them to do, he will bring them forth to more extensive usefulness. We should be thankful for equitable and peaceful rulers and temporal privileges; but all earthly grandeur is passing away:-may we then seek those riches and that glory, which shall endure to all eternity! EPITOME OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS, AND THE SURROUNDING NATIONS, AS FAR AS CONNECTED WITH THE JEWS, FROM THE CLOSE OF THE SACRED CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, UNTIL THE TIMES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Soon after the events, recorded by Nehemiah and in the book of Esther, or perhaps before the close of them, Artaxerxes Longimanus died, and was succeeded by Darius Nothus. (B. C. 423.) He dying, was succeeded by Artaxerxes Mnemon; (B. C. 405;) in whose time, Johanan, the high priest, murdered his brother Joshua in the temple, and the nation was fined by the Persians. After some other successions, of little consequence to the narrative, in our present view of it, Darius Codomannus, the last king of the Medo-Persian empire, ascended the throne. (B. C. 336.) During all these years the Jews were entirely a province of the Medo-Persian empire. Xerxes, the father of Artaxerxes Longimanus, had before this unsuccessfully attempt ed to subjugate Greece. (Note, Dan. 11:2-4.) This so exasperated the Greeks, that they long meditated a design of subverting the Persian empire. Various events, no material in this epitome, made way for Alexander the great, king of Macedon, to be appointed commander of a Grecian army, which was raised, for the purpose of invading the Persian dominions. With about thirty thousand select troops, he passed over into Asia; (B. C. 334;) and, with a celerity, unexampled in history, having vanquished the immense armies of Darius, in three pitched battles, the last of which was followed by the murder of Darius by his own servants, he terminated the Medo-Persian empire, and assumed the dominion over all the nations contained in it. (B. C. 330.) (Notes, Dan. 2:39. 7:6. 8:5—7. 11:2—4.) In a short time Alexander, having still more enlarged his dominions, died at Babylon; and after many severe and bloody contests, his empire was divided into four kingdoms, Macedonia, Thrace, Syria, and Egypt. (B. C. 323.) (Notes, Dan. 7:6. 8:8.)—The Jews, however, had little concern, for some ages, with any of these, except the kings of Syria, and of Egypt, called by Daniel, the king of the north, and the king of the south. (Note, Dan. 11:2-6.) Judea lay between the dominions of the successive rulers of these kingdoms; and was, for a long time, under the power of one or the other of them; (Notes, Dan. 11:5—20.) and exposed to the ravages of the armies, which marched through the land. At first they formed a part of the kingdom of Egypt, under Ptolemy Soter: after his death, Ptolemy Philadelphus, his son and successor, shewed them much favor; and during his reign, the Hebrew scriptures began to be translated into Greek, for the benefit of the Jews, who lived in Egypt and other places, where the Greek was known.-This translation is called the Septuagint; and by means of it, many of the learned Gentiles acquired considerable acquaintance with the Old Testament. The Jews, having been cruelly oppressed by Ptolemy Philopater, (who, attempting to enter into the holy of holies, was opposed and hindered by the priests and rulers, which he indignantly resented;) revolted from him, and submitted to Antiochus the Great, king of Syria. But Antiochus, having rashly engaged in war with the Romans, was vanquished, and reduced to make an inglorious peace; which gave the Romans, the fourth kingdom, their first entrance into the dominions of the Grecian empire, or the third kingdom. (Notes, Dan. 2:39-43. 7:7,8. 11:17-19,31.) After the death of An |
