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Esther
Chapter 8
{Chapters
6-10: Jews Deliverance and Prosperity - Continued}
{Chapter
8-9: Describes the World Wide Prominence of the Jews}
{Chapter
8 Freedom through Military Victory}
1a~~~On
that day
king
{Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh
gave
the house of Haman,
the
Jews' enemy,
to
Esther the queen.
1b~~~And
Mordecai came before the king . . .
for
Esther had disclosed what he was unto her
{her uncle and the man who raised her as a father}.
2a~~~And
the king took off his signet ring,
which
he had taken away from Haman,
and
gave it unto Mordecai.
2b~~~And
Esther set Mordecai
over
the house/estate/'financial empire' of Haman.
{Note:
Haman was a criminal of the state. Under Persian law, the property
of a criminal was confiscated by the state. The king then gave all
that Haman had to Mordecai. His estate was immense - Mordecai was now
very, very wealthy. The estate of the man who would destroy Israel
will be put into use to render important services for Israel.}
{A
Request for a 2nd Passover}
3~~~Then
Esther again spoke to the king,
and
fell down at his feet,
and
deplored him with tears . . .
to
avert/'cause to pass over'
{`abar - means here to cause to pass-over - a second Passover to
not cause the annihilation of the Jews}
the
'evil scheme'
of
Haman, the Agagite,
and
his 'harsh words'/recriminations
to
stir up anger against the Jews.
4a~~~Then
the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther.
{Note:
The queen has NOT been away from the king for 30 days this time. Her
life is at risk again with this un-requested visit, but not nearly as
much risk as her first un-requested visit.}
{Esther
Mindful of Protocol but Assertive on the Issue}
4b-6a~~~So
Esther arose, and stood before the king 5-6a
and
said,
"If
it please the king,
and
if I have found grace/favor in his sight,
{obviously she has found favor in his sight at this point}
and
the matter seems right/correct
before
the king . . .
and
I be pleasing in his sight,
let
it be written to revoke
the
letters devised by Haman,
the
son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,
which
he wrote to destroy the Jews
who
are in all the king's provinces . . . 6a~~~
for
how can I endure to see the calamity
that
shall befall upon my people?"
{Note:
Esther here gives us the prototype of how to deal with powerful
people. She is mindful of proper protocol, states her case clearly,
and then will rely on him to reach the proper decision.}
6b~~~
"And, how can I endure
to
see the destruction of my kindred?"
7~~~Then
the king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh
said
unto Esther the queen
and
to Mordecai the Jew,
"Behold,
I have given Esther the house of Haman,
and
him {Haman}
they
have hanged/impaled upon the gallows,
because
he had stretched out his hands against the Jews."
8~~~
"Now you {Mordecai} write
to
the Jews,
as
you see fit, in the king's name,
and
seal it with the king's signet ring . . .
for
a decree which is written in the king's name,
and
sealed with the king's signet ring,
may
not be revoked."
{Note:
By the law of the Meads and Persians, once a law was initialed by
the king, not even the king himself could change the edict. The law
to kill the Jews must stand. The holocaust will still occur. So, the
king is saying he cannot rescind the first edict, but Mordecai has
the right now to create a new edict - in other words "Mordecai,
you fix this!".}
9~~~Then
were the king's scribes called at that time
in
the third month, that is, the month Sivan,
on
the three and twentieth day thereof;
{this is May or June in 474 BC - about 8 months before
the Jewish Holocaust of the first decree was to happen}
and
it was written
according
to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews,
and
to the satraps,
and
the governors
and
princes of the provinces
which
extended from India unto Ethiopia,
an
hundred twenty and seven provinces,
unto
every province according to the script/writing thereof,
and
unto every people after their language,
and
to the Jews according to their writing,
and
according to their language.
{Note:
Persia was a large and diverse country. The notices had to go out to
everyone and in languages that all the people would understand. This
is a logistical nightmare - thousands and thousands of handwritten copies.}
10~~~And
he wrote in the king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh name,
and
sealed it with the king's signet ring,
and
sent letters by couriers on horseback,
riding
on steeds sired by the royal stud.
{Note:
This delivery system was similar to the US pony express. The horses
used were bred for this purpose from the king's stock of horses.}
{Freedom/Life
through Military Victory}
11-12~~~Wherein
the king granted the Jews
who
were in every city to band themselves together,
and
to stand for their life,
to
destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish,
all
the power of the people and province
who
would assault them,
both
small children and women,
and
to take the spoil of them for a prey, 12~~~
upon
one day in all the provinces of king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh,
namely,
upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
which
is the month Adar.
{Note:
The edict of the holocaust had the Jews being killed as animals. Now
the king came up with the best solution he could. He passed another
edict permitting the Jews to arm and defend themselves. This also
alerted many of the Persians that it was not the king's desire
anymore to obliterate the Jews. Many would change sides to fight with
the Jews (and be on the good side of the king). God told the Exodus
generation to kill all the Amalekites when they entered the land.
Similarly here, the Jews here are told to kill all who desire to
destroy all of them. In this case, it is the cancer of Anti-Semitism
that must be completely destroyed.}
13~~~The
copy of the edict
to
be issued into law
to
be issued in every province
was
published unto all people,
so
that the Jews should be ready for this day
to
avenge themselves on their enemies.
14~~~The
couriers,
hastened
and pressed on
by
the king's command,
went
out on the royal steeds.
And
the decree was given out
at
Shushan the capital.
{Note:
Shushan was the capital and a great center for the Jews who did not
return to the land. A major portion of the struggle to come would
unfold right under the nose of the king.}
15a~~~
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king
in
royal robes of blue and white,
and
with a large crown of gold,
and
a garment of fine linen and purple.
15b~~~And
the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced.
16~~~The
Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.
17a~~~And
in every province, and in every city,
wherever
the king's commandment and his decree arrived,
there
was gladness and joy for the Jews . . .
a
feast and a holiday.
17b~~~
And many among the people of the land became Jews . . .
for
the fear/respect/awe of the Jews had fallen upon them.
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