Esther 9

According to the kings writing, the Jews gather themselves together against their enemies to slay them, verse.1, &c. The Governors help them through fear of Merdecai, 3. Who was great with the king, 4. The Jews destroy many of their enemies, 5. Among the rest also the ten sons of Haman,7. The King asketh Esther what she yet further desireth, 12. She desireth that the like might be done on the second day, and that Hamans sons might ne hanged, 13. Which the king commandeth to be done, 14. The Jews slay three hundred men more at Susan, 15. In the other Provinces they slay threescore and fifteen thousand of their enemies, but lay not their hand on the spoil, 16. The Jews keep a feast, and days of rejoicing, 17. Which Mordecai confirmeth, 21. And appointeth to have them diligently kept by their posterity, 22. Which the Jews undertake to do, 23. And those days are called the days off Purim, 26. All this is written by Esther and Mordecai, 29. And made known unto all, 30. And written in a book, 32.

1. Now in the twelfth month (the same is the month Adar) [See above chap.3.7.] on the thirteenth day of the same, when the kings word, and his law, [that his Decree] drew neer to be put in execution: [that is, when the time approached, that the Jews should be destroyed] in the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them: then it was turned about, [To wit, by the righteous government and providence of Almighty God, who defeated and disappointed the bloody plot of Haman, and did unto the enemies of the people of God, as they intended to have done unto others] for the Jews bare sway over their haters themselves.

2. (For) the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities, in all the countries of King Ahasuerus, to lay hand on those that sought their destruction: [Heb. their hurt, or evil] and no man subsisted before them, [or with stood them, Hebr. stood against their face] where by the Jews were feared by others. So also verse 3.] was fallen upon all those nations.

3. And all the chief of the Countries, and the Lieutenants, and Governors, and those that did the kings work, [See above chap.3.on verse 9.] exalted the Jews, [that is, they honoured them, and afforded them all the help and assistance they could] for the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them. [that is, they feared to provoked him, in regard they saw that he was in such favour and respect with the king.]

4. For Mordecai was great [That is, in great respect and authority] in the kings house, and his fame went out throughout all the countries: for that man Mordecai waxed still greater (and greater) [that is, he waxed every day greater and greater. See this phrase Gen.26.13. with the annotate. Hebr. going and waxing great.]

5. Now the Jews smote upon all their enemies, with the stroke of the sword, and of slaughter, and of destruction: [That is, they smote, and slew, and destroyed with the sword all their enemies] and they did with their haters according to their pleasure.

6. And in the Castle of Susan the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. [Some conceive that these five hundred men were friends and allies of Haman, wherefore the king regarded their deaths the less, as suspecting that they might attempt something against him, to revenge Hamans death.]

7. And Pharshandatha, and Dalphon, and Asphatha,

8. And Pocatha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9. And Pharmastha, and Aridai, and Vaizatha,

10. The ten sons of Haman, [See Exod.17.14. and Duet.25.17. where command is given to destroy Amalek] the son of Hammedatha, the Jews enemy, slew they: [not onely in regard of the wicked plot of their father; but also in regard of the commandment of God, Exod.17.14] but they laid not their hands on the spoil. [that is, they took not the goods of the slain unto themselves (although the king had given them leave to do so): why? Because they would not wrong or diminish the kings treasury: as also that they might make it appear, that they had not slain their enemies, for filthy lucres sake, and for their own profit; but onely to defend their lives and estate, and because necessity required it; for otherwise the kings decree would not have been reversed.]

11. The same day, the number of those that were slain in the Castle of Susan came before the king.

12. And the king said unto Esther the Queen, At Susan in the Castle have the Jews slain and destroyed five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman, what may they have done in the rest of the kings countries? [as if he had said, Seeing the number of those that were slain in the Castle of Susan is so great: how great then must be the number of all those that have been slain throughout all the Provinces of my kingdom?] now what is thy petition, and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? (and) it shall be done.

13. Then said Esther, If it seem good unto the king, [Hebr. if it be good with King] let it be permitted to the Jews which are at Susan, to do tomorrow also according to the commandment of this day: [That is, let them do that tomorrow in the city of Susan, which hath been done to day in the Castle of Susan. Others understand this thus, that there were yet some in Susan that opposed the Jews, which of necessity were also to be destroyed] and let Hamans ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. [Hebr. is to be noted, that Hamans sons were hanged, after that they were slain or put to death. See verse 10.]

14. Then the king said, that it should be so done: and there was a commandment given at Susan, [That is, there came forth a precept or decree from the king, whereby the Jews at Susan were permitted to slay their enemies also the second day, as Esther petitioned, verse 13.] and they hanged Hamans ten sons.

15. And the Jews that were at Susan gathered themselves together also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and they slew three hundred men at Susan, but they laid not their hand on the prey.

16. Now the rest of the Jews that were in the kings countries, gathered themselves together, to stand for their life, [Heb. soul] and to have rest from their enemies, [As if he should say, they gathered themselves together, to defend their lives, and that they might live in peace, without being afraid of their enemies. Oth. and stood for their lives, and had rest, etc.] and they slew among their haters seventy and five thousand: but they laid their hand on the prey. [See above verse 10.]

17. (This was done) on the thirteenth day of the month Adar: and on the fourteenth (day) of the same rested they, and they made the same a day of feasts and gladness.

18. And the Jews that were at Susan, [To wit, in the city of Susan] gathered themselves together on the thirteenth of the same, [to wit, on the thirteenth day of the month Adar] and on the fourteenth of the same, and they rested on the fifteenth of the same, and they made the same a day of feasts and gladness.

19. Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the open towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar, (a day) for gladness and feasts. [See Deut.16.11,14. Nehem.8.10,11.] and a joyful [Heb. good] day, [to wit, because of the victory, which on that day they had obtained over their enemies] and of sending portions one to another. [or messes; To wit, table-messes, or messes from off the table to one another. See 1 Sam.1.4,5. Nehem.8.11,13.]

20. And Mordecai wrote down these things: and he sent letters unto all the Jews , that were in all the countries of king Ahasuerus, to them that were hard by, and to them that (were) afar off.

21. To establish among them, that should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same every year. [Hebr. in all year and year.]

22. According to the days wherein the Jews were come to rest from their enemies, and the month which was changed unto them from sorrow into joy, and from mourning into a joyful [Hebr. good] day: [the meaning is that those feast-days should be kept yearly with such joy and gladness, as they had in times past kept those days wherein they had obtained rest and peace and freedom from their enemies: and that they should do it in the same month which was turned unto them from sorrow into joy, and from mourning into gladness and rejoicing] that they should make those days (to be) days of feasts and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

23. And the Jews undertook to do that which they had begun, [To wit, to celebrate and keep every year the fourteenth day of the month Adar with joy and rejoicing] and that which Mordecai had written unto them of: [to wit, that they should also keep the fifteenth day of the month Adar yearly.]

24. Because Haman the son of Hammedath the Agagite the enemy of all Jews, Had devised against the Jews, to destroy them, and for that he had cast Pur, that is the lot [See above cha.3.7.] to consume them, and to destroy them.

25. But when she [Tow it, Esther] was come before the king, [understand withal what Esther further did when she was come to the king] he [to wit, the king] commanded [Hebr. said,] by letters, that his [to wit, Hamans] wicked device, which he had devised over the Jews, should return upon his (own) head: and they have hanged him, and his sons on the gallows.

26. Therefore those days [To wit, the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar] are called Purim, from the name of that Pur: [whereof mention was made above chap.3.7.] hence because of all the words of that letter: [of which see above verse 20,21.] and that which they themselves had seen concerning it, and what had come unto them; [To wit, either by same, by letters.]

27. The Jews established, and took upon them, and upon their seed, [That is, upon their posterity] and upon all those that should join themselves unto them: [to wit, those of the heathen that should embrace the Religion of the Jews. See above chap.8.17.] not to transgress it, that they would keep these two days, [to wit, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar, verse 21.] according to the prescript thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof every year. [Hebr. in all year and year, as verse 21.]

28. That these days should be remembered and kept in all and every generation, every family, every country, and every city: and that these days of Purim should not be transgressed among the Jews, [Hebr. out of the midst of, &c. Oth. should not perish out of the midst of the Jews] and that the remembrance thereof should have no end with their seed. [That is with their posterity.]

29. After that [To wit, the year following, as is conceived, which was the thirteenth year of king Ahasuerus] Esther the Queen the daughter of Abichail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all power, [That is, they wrote these letters so strong, and with as earnest words and commands as ever they were able to do] to confirm this letter of Purim [whereof mention is made above verse 20.21,22.] the second time. [first Mordecai had established the days of Purim, vers.20. But to prosecute the diligent observation thereof, Esther (whose authority was great with the Jews, did by her letters again renew and ratify the observation and keeping of these days, that the memorial of their deliverance might not in any wise come to be forgotten.]

30. And he [To wit, Mordecai] sent the letters unto all the Jews, in the hundred and seven and twenty countries of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with words of peace and faithfulness: [That is, wishing them peace and truth]

31. That they should confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai the Jew, and Esther the Queen had established over them, and according as they had ordained it for themselves [Hebr. upon their soul] and for their seed: [that is, their posterity] the matters of the fasting and their cry. [that is, the remembrance of their distress, fasting, prayer, and the deliverance that followed thereupon.]

32. And the command of Esther confirmed the acts of these Purim: [As above verse 31.] and it was written in a book.