Ester 9:2 Commento

We left two royal edicts in force, both given at the court of Shushan, one bearing date the thirteenth day of the first month, appointing that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month then next ensuing all the Jews should be killed; another bearing date the twenty-third day of the third month, empowering the Jews, on the day appointed for their slaughter, to draw the sword in their own defence and make their part good against their enemies as well as they could. Great expectation there was, no doubt, of this day, and the issue of it. The Jews' cause was to be tried by battle and the day was fixed for the combat by authority. Their enemies resolved not to lose the advantages given them by the first edict, in hope to overpower them by numbers; the Jews relied on the goodness of their God and the justice of their cause, and resolved to make their utmost efforts against their enemies. The day comes at length; and here we are told, I. What a glorious day it was, that year, to the Jews, and the two days following - a day of victory and triumph, both in the city Shushan and in all the rest of the king's provinces (v. 1-19). II. What a memorable day it was made to posterity, by an annual feast, in commemoration of this great deliverance, called "the feast of Purim," (Est 9:20-32).

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; Est 9:1. In Shushan the palace they slew the ten sons of Haman and five hundred men on that day, Est 9:6 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, Est 9:12, 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, Est 9:16, 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, Est 9:20.

The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus,.... Wherever they lived: to lay hand on such as sought their hurt; who not only threatened them what they would do on this day, but were risen up in arms in quest of them: and no man could withstand them, for the fear of them fell upon all people; when they understood that Haman was hanged, and Mordecai the Jew advanced, and that the queen herself was a Jew, and that the Jews had the royal grant to act both defensively and offensively; and no doubt but the panic was of God.

The twelfth month, as we said before, symbolizes the last era of our world when the Redeemer has been made incarnate and the preaching of the Gospel itself has spread throughout the entire world. And in the same way, the thirteenth day declares the light of faith and of good works, which—as the Gospels predict—is fulfilled every day by the faithful. For in the twelfth month, “on the thirteenth day of the month, when the slaughter of all the Jews was being readied and their enemies were eager for blood, the tables were turned and the Jews began to gain the upper hand, and to avenge themselves on their opponents.” This means that even though the enemies and persecutors of the name of Christ are constantly stirring up attacks against the community of the faithful—which maintains the true expression of the correct faith— and making every effort to oppress them, the latter have been helped by the grace of God and strengthened with the shield of faith and the arms of justice so that they might defeat their adversaries and carry back from them the spoils of glory. This they do by converting them to the light of faith and making them partners in the grace of Christ, after repelling their spiritual wickedness and the disseminators of error who were seducing them through various vices. “And no one dared to resist them.” That is, the fear of God’s majesty, which in the Church is made known by the gleam of miracles, thrashes soundly the hearts of fleshly creatures and compels them to yield to the word of God, which is naturally described in what follows...

The twelfth month, as we have said above, signifies the last age of the world when our Redeemer became incarnate and the preaching of the gospel spread over the entire world. In a similar way, the thirteenth day proclaims the light of faith and good works which is produced by the preaching of the gospel in the church through the faithful. Indeed, in the twelfth month on the thirteenth day when the destruction of all the Jews was being prepared and their enemies longed for their blood, the Jews, on the contrary, began to triumph and started taking revenge on their adversaries because they [represent] the assembly of the faithful where the true confession of the right faith resides who are helped by the grace of God and comforted by the shield of faith and the weapons of justice in the face of the enemies and persecutors of the name of Christ who persecute and oppress them wherever they are. The assembly of the faithful is thus able to defeat its enemies and to gain the triumph of glory over them.

On the thirteenth of the month Adar the Jews destroy their enemies, and the governors of the provinces assist them, Est 9:1-5. They slay five hundred in Shushan, and kill the ten sons of Haman, but take no spoil, Est 9:6-10. The king is informed of the slaughter in Shushan, Est 9:11. He desires to know what Esther requests farther; who begs that the Jews may be permitted to act on the following day as they had done on the preceding, and that Haman's sons may be hanged upon the gallows; which is granted; and they slay three hundred more in Shushan, and in the other provinces seventy-five thousand, Est 9:12-16. A recapitulation of what was done; and of the appointment of the feast of Purim to be observed through all their generations every year, Est 9:17-28. Esther writes to confirm this appointment, Est 9:29-32.

THE JEWS SLAY THEIR ENEMIES WITH THE TEN SONS OF HAMAN. (Est. 9:1-19) in the twelfth month, . . . on the thirteenth day of the same--This was the day which Haman's superstitious advisers had led him to select as the most fortunate for the execution of his exterminating scheme against the Jews [Est 3:7].

The Jews gathered themselves . . . no man could withstand them--The tables were now turned in their favor; and though their enemies made their long meditated attack, the Jews were not only at liberty to act on the defensive, but through the powerful influence enlisted on their side at court together with the blessing of God, they were everywhere victorious. the fear of them fell upon all people--This impression arose not alone from the consciousness of the all-powerful vizier being their countryman, but from the hand of God appearing so visibly interposed to effect their strange and unexpected deliverance.

The Jews Avenged of Their Enemies. The Feast of Purim Instituted - Esther 9 On the day appointed by both edicts, the Jews assembled in the towns and provinces of the kingdom to slay all who sought their hurt, and being supported by the royal officials, inflicted a great defeat upon their enemies (Est 9:1-10). At the queen's desire, the king granted permission to the Jews in Susa to fight against their enemies on the following day also (Est 9:11-15), while in the other towns and districts of the kingdom they fought for their lives only on the 13th of Adar; so that in these places they rested on the 14th, but in Susa not till the 15th, and consequently kept in the latter the one day, in the former the other, as a day of feasting and rejoicing (Est 9:16-19). The observance of this day of resting as a festival, under the name of Purim, by all the Jews in the Persian monarchy, was then instituted by Esther and Mordochai (Est 9:20-32).