Esther 10

Ahasuerus layeth a tribute upon the land, verse 1. Mordecai’s high dignity and favour with the Jews whose welfare he seeketh, 3.

1. After that the king Ahasuerus [Hebr. Achaste,] laid a tribute [or Tax, Custom, Toll] upon the land, [understand here the high firm lands] and (upon) the Isles of the Sea. [See Psalm 72.on verse 10.]

2. Now all the woks of his power, and of his might, [that is, all his valiant acts] and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king made great, [or wherewith the king made him great,] are they not written in the book of the Chronicles, [Hebr. of the words of days] of the kings [See the like phrase, 1 Kings 11:41. and elsewhere often] of Media and Persia? [commonly Persia is put before Media; here it is otherwise]

3. For Mordecai the Jew was the second with king Ahasuerus, [That is, next unto the king he had the greatest command] and great among the Jews, and accepted by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the best [Hebr. the good] for his people, and speaking for he welfare [Hebr. peace] of all his seed. [that is, people, country-folks, to wit, Jews, whereof many were yet in Babylon, and elsewhere in Foreign parts, which are not returned home to their own country with Zerubbabel, as appeareth in the book of Ezra and Nehem. In behalf of these did Mordecai always speak unto the King.]