Introduction

‘On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned, and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.’ Esther 9:1-4

The day of the great battle had now begun, Esther 9:1, and those who hated the Jews were hoping they would be able to overpower them and wipe them from the face of the earth, but God was on the side of the Jews, and they prevailed against their enemies, Esther 9:1 / Romans 8:31.

On that day, all the Jews gathered together in each city, and they defended themselves, and no one could conquer them, because their enemies were afraid of them, Esther 9:2. It’s certainly possible that they were in such fear because God created that fear in them, Exodus 23:27, which again would be the providence of God.

Thanks to Mordecai’s position and the influence of God, the Jews weren’t alone. The king’s leaders, servants and most likely his military force were all helping the Jews survive Haman’s decree, Esther 9:3.

This tells us that not everyone in the Persian Empire hated the Jews. We are told that Mordecai was prominent in the palace, and his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful, Esther 9:4.

‘The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.” “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.” So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.’ Esther 9:5-15

So, the enemies of the Jews didn’t stand a chance, Esther 9:5, and in Susa alone, the Jews killed five hundred men, Esther 9:6. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha and the ten sons of Haman, Esther 9:7-10 / Esther 8:11.

The Jews now have the right to plunder their enemy’s goods, but they chose not to because they weren’t interested in increasing their material wealth; they only wanted to save their lives.

The fact that it is mentioned in the text that the Jews didn’t plunder those they overcame, Esther 9:10, is evidence of the fact that this wasn’t a battle that would prosper them materially.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘This statement occurs no less than three times in this chapter, appearing also in Esther 9:15, and Esther 9:16.’

The New Layman’s Bible Commentary says the following.

‘The Jews had a right to take the spoil, but they waived it, because they were fighting for survival, not for material gain. They were not the aggressors in this conflict, but they were defending themselves from their enemies who sought to slay them.’

When the king finds out how many have been killed in Susa, Esther 9:11, he wonders how many have been killed in his other provinces. He lets Esther know this information, Esther 9:12. This shows us how much the king favoured Esther because he wants to know if there is anything more he can give her, Esther 9:12.

Esther goes ahead and requests two things. First, she wanted her people in Susa to be able to carry out the decree made by Mordecai for one more day, Esther 9:13.

Second, that Haman’s ten dead sons be impaled on the gallows, Esther 9:13 / Esther 3:1 / 1 Samuel 15:8-33, which would serve as a warning to all those who were enemies of the Jews, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 / Numbers 16:27 / Numbers 16:32-33 / Numbers 25:4 / Joshua 7:24-25 / 1 Samuel 31:8-12 / 2 Samuel 21:6.

The king grants her request, Esther 9:14, and three more men are killed in the city, but once again, we’re told that Jews chose not to plunder their goods, Esther 9:15.

‘Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth, they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.’ Esther 9:16-19

We find out that the Jews in the other provinces had killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies on the thirteenth day of Adar, and they rested on the fourteenth day, but the Jews in Susa fought on the thirteenth day and fourteenth day and rested on the fifteenth day, Esther 9:16-17.

This is why there were two days of feasting and celebration, because most of the Jews rested on the fourteenth day, while the rest of them rested on the fifteenth day Esther 9:18. This event is where the feast of Purim originated from, Esther 9:19.

Constable, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The absence of explicit reference in the text to God helping His people does not deny His help. Instead, it reflects the attitude of the Jews who chose to ignore God’s commands, through Isaiah and Jeremiah, to return to the land, Isaiah 48:20 / Jeremiah 29:10 / Jeremiah 50:8 / Jeremiah 51:6 / Deuteronomy 28. They had pushed God aside in their lives, as Mordecai and Esther apparently had done to some extent. Nevertheless, God remained faithful to His promises, in spite of His people’s unfaithfulness, 2 Timothy 2:13.’

PURIM ESTABLISHED

‘Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. (Therefore, these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should, without fail, observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.’ Esther 9:20-28

Mordecai wants to make the feast of Purim official, and its theme is how the Jews’ sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a holiday because they were allowed to defend themselves and defeat their enemies, Esther 9:20-22 / Psalm 30:5. Part of the celebration called for them to send gifts to one another and give gifts to the poor, Esther 9:22.

The Jews thought this feast was a great idea, and they accepted it, Esther 9:23. They accepted it because Haman the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them for their ruin and destruction, Esther 9:24.

We learn that it got its name from Pur, which means lot, Esther 9:24 / Esther 3:7. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he, Esther 7:10, and his sons should be impaled on poles, Esther 9:25 / Esther 9:14.

Then they made it plural by calling it Purim, Esther 9:26, which indicates that many lots were cast against them. Again, this feast was to be celebrated yearly as a reminder of what Haman did and how Esther overturned his evil plot, Esther 9:27-28.

‘So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance—to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.’ Esther 9:29-32

Once the Jews accepted the feast of Purim, the queen and Mordecai wrote a letter of authority concerning the Purim, Esther 9:29.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Esther and Mordecai had the king’s license so to do, and their own authority was great and extensive.’

Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom, Esther 9:30 / Esther 1:1, which included words of encouragement, Esther 9:30. The letter included fasting and lamenting, and so a day of fasting before the feast of Purim was observed as well, Esther 9:31.

The letter being sent out made this an official civil rule that was recorded in the records, Esther 9:32, which is most likely referring to the book of the chronicles of the king, Esther 2:23 / Esther 6:1 / Esther 10:2.

Whitcomb, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The book’, Esther 9:32, must be the one in which Mordecai recorded all these events, Esther 9:20, that most scholars have concluded may have been a source the writer of Esther used. This document was probably not the Book of Esther itself, assuming the writer of Esther was someone other than Mordecai.’

Though not a part of the Old Testament law, the feast became a very significant celebration for the Jews. It is mentioned in the apocryphal book, 2 Maccabees 15:36, but there is no reference to the feast in the New Testament.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Quite appropriately, the day of fasting was called the Fast of Esther, stressing the anxiety and danger that existed when, after three days of fasting, she went unbidden into the presence of Ahasuerus. That fast is observed on Adar 13th and the two days of feasting on the succeeding two days. ‘The Jews still keep this day as Esther’s fast, prior to the Purim celebrations proper, marked by the reading of the scroll of Esther in its original chant, accompanied by blessings and hymns.’

A Jewish commentator says the following.

‘Purim is the most raucous holiday on the Jewish calendar, and observance of the holiday begins with dressing up in costume. Some people choose to dress as characters from the Purim story, and others dress in non-Purim-related costumes.’

‘It is a mitzvah, that is, a commandment, to listen to the story of Purim chanted from Megillat Esther, ‘The Scroll of Esther’ and to hear every word. It is customary to make a loud noise with a noisemaker called a ‘ra’ashan’ in Hebrew, or ‘grager’ in Yiddish, every time Haman’s name is mentioned, in order to fulfil the obligation of blotting out Haman’s name.’

‘Part of the holiday also includes giving gifts or charity to the poor, called ‘matanot l’evyonim’. A fun tradition on the holiday is to perform a Purim spiel, a satirical show either dramatizing the Purim story in a humorous way, or just a funny skit on any theme.’

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