Esther 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,

10 the ten sons of Aman the son of Amadathes the Bugaean, the enemy of the Jews, and they plundered on the same day:

11 and the number of them that perished in Susa was rendered to the king.

12 And the king said to Esther, The Jews have slain five hundred men in the city Susa; and how, thinkest thou, have they used them in the rest of the country? What then dost thou yet ask, that it may be for thee?

13 And Esther said to the king, let it be granted to the Jews so to treat them tomorrow as to hand the ten sons of Aman.

14 And he permitted it to be so done; and he gave up to the Jews of the city the bodies of the sons of Aman to hang.

15 And the Jews assembled in Susa on the fourteenth of Adar, and slew three hundred men, but plundered no property.

16 And the rest of the Jews who were in the kingdom assembled, and helped one another, and obtained rest from their enemies: for they destroyed fifteen thousand of them on the thirteenth of Adar, but took no spoil.

17 And they rested on the fourteenth of the same month, and kept it as a day of rest with joy and gladness.

18 And the Jews in the city Susa assembled also on the fourteenth and rested; and they kept also the fifteenth with joy and gladness.

19 On this account then the Jews dispersed in every foreign land keep the fourteenth of Adar a holy day with joy, sending portions each to his neighbour.

20 And Mardochaeus wrote these things in a book, and sent them to the Jews, as many as were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes, both them that were near and them that were afar off,

21 to establish these joyful days, and to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar;

22 for on these days the Jews obtained rest from their enemies; and the month, which was Adar, in which a change was made for them, from mourning to joy, and from sorrow to a good day, to spend the whole of it good days of feasting and gladness, sending portions to their friends, and to the poor.

23 And the Jews consented accordingly as Mardochaeus wrote to them,

24 how Aman the son of Amadathes the Macedonian fought against them, how he made a decree and cast lots to destroy them utterly;

25 also how he went in to the king, telling to hang Mardochaeus: but all the calamities he tried to bring upon the Jews came upon himself, and he was hanged, and his children.

26 Therefore these days were called Phrurae, because of the lots; (for in their language they are called Phrurae;) because of the words of this letter, and all they suffered on this account, and all that happened to them.

27 And established it, and the Jews took upon themselves, and upon their seed, and upon those that were joined to them , neither would they on any account behave differently: but these days a memorial kept in every generation, and city, and family, and province.

28 And these days of the Phrurae, shall be kept for ever, and their memorial shall not fail in any generation.

29 And queen Esther, the daughter of Aminadab, and Mardochaeus the Jew, wrote all that they had done, and the confirmation of the letter of Phrurae.

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31 And Mardochaeus and Esther the queen appointed for themselves privately, even at that time also having formed their plan against their own health.

32 And Esther established it by a command for ever, and it was written for a memorial.

Esther 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The success of the Jews. (1-19) The feast of Purim in remembrance of this. (20-32)

Verses 1-19 The enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them by the former edict. If they had attempted nothing against the people of God, they would not themselves have suffered. The Jews, acting together, strengthened one another. Let us learn to stand fast in one spirit, and with one mind, striving together against the enemies of our souls, who endeavour to rob us of our faith, which is more precious than our lives. The Jews, to the honour of their religion, showed contempt of wordly wealth, that they might make it appear they desired nothing except their own preservation. In every case the people of God should manifest humanity and disinterestedness, frequently refusing advantages which might lawfully be obtained. The Jews celebrated their festival the day after they had finished their work. When we have received great mercies from God, we ought to be speedy in making thankful returns to him.

Verses 20-32 The observance of the Jewish feasts, is a public declaration of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures. And as the Old Testament Scriptures are true, the Messiah expected by the Jews is come long ago; and none but Jesus of Nazareth can be that Messiah. The festival was appointed by authority, yet under the direction of the Spirit of God. It was called the feast of Purim, from a Persian word, which signifies a lot. The name of this festival would remind them of the almighty power of the God of Israel, who served his own purposes by the superstitions of the heathen. In reviewing our mercies, we should advert to former fears and distresses. When our mercies are personal, we should not by forgetfulness lose the comfort of them, or withhold from the Lord the glory due to his name. May the Lord teach us to rejoice, with that holy joy which anticipates and prepares for the blessedness of heaven. Every instance of Divine goodness to ourselves, is a new obligation laid on us to do good, to those especially who most need our bounty. Above all, ( 2 Corinthians. 8:9 )

Footnotes

• [a]. good day.
• [b]. weddings.
• [c]. lot.

Chapter Summary

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.