Esther 9:1-9

1 For in the twelfth month, on the thirteenth day of the month which is Adar, the letters written by the king arrived.

2 In that day the adversaries of the Jews perished: for no one resisted, through fear of them.

3 For the chiefs of the satraps, and the princes and the royal scribes, honoured the Jews; for the fear of Mardochaeus lay upon them.

4 For the order of the king was in force, that he should be celebrated in all the kingdom.

5

6 And in the city Susa the Jews slew five hundred men:

7 both Pharsannes, and Delphon and Phasga,

8 and Pharadatha, and Barea, and Sarbaca,

9 and Marmasima, and Ruphaeus, and Arsaeus, and Zabuthaeus,

Esther 9:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 9

In this chapter we have an account of the Jews gathering together, on the day fixed for their destruction, to defend themselves, which they did in all the provinces, and smote their enemies; Es 9:1-5. In Shushan the palace they slew the ten sons of Haman and five hundred men on that day, Es 9:6-11 and at the request of the queen they were allowed the next day to hang up his sons, when they slew three hundred men more, Es 9:12-15, in the provinces they slew 75,000 and those in one day only, and the following days they kept as a festival, but they in Shushan kept the two days following, Es 9:16-19, and which two days were established by Esther and Mordecai as festivals, to be observed as such in future ages, by the name of the days of Purim, Es 9:20-32.