Ester 8
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Ester 8
Henry comments on Esther's humble attitude "Let none be so great as to be unwilling to stoop, none so merry as to be unwilling to weep, when thereby they may do any service to God's...people."
Ester 8
Henry comments of Queen Esther's "demure" approach to King Xerxes... "If the thing itself seem right and reasonable before the king, and if I that ask it be pleasing in his eyes, let the decree be reversed.'' Even when we have the utmost reason and justice on our side, and have the clearest cause to plead, yet it becomes us to speak to our superiors with humility and modesty, and all possible expressions of respect, and not to talk like demandants when we are supplicants. There is nothing lost be decency and good breeding. As soft answers turn away wrath, so soft askings obtain favour. Let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman - It is interesting that she asked this. Did she not know the king's edict could not be revoked? Revoke (07725 - shub/sub) means to turn back, to go back, to withdraw. From Esther 1:19 we know that Persian law could not be revoked. Destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces - This is the first time that the king is told specifically that the people who Haman sought to destroy were the Jews. (Compare Esther 7:3, 4 where she uses the non-specific phrase "my people".) Destroy/destruction (Key word in Esther) - Esther 3:6 3:9 3:13 4:7 4:8 7:4 8:5 8:6 8:11 9:5 9:6 9:12 9:24) MEDO-PERSIAN LAW COULD NOT BE REVOKED Daniel's adversaries (much like Haman the enemy of the Jews) attempted to destroy, kill and annihilate the Jew Daniel, a godly man devoted to prayer, by enticing King Darius to issue an injunction that Persian law stipulated could not be repealed... Now, O king, establish the injunction (no prayer to any god or man but Darius for 30 days - Da 6:7-note) and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked. 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed (Ed: Daniel would have been familiar with the unchangeable nature of this injunction, but he choose to obey God), he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously....Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den?" The king answered and said, "The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked....Then (Context: The distressed king was trying to devise a way to deliver Daniel from the lion's den - Da 6:13-14) these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” (Daniel 6:8-10,12,15-Daniel 6 Commentary) Comment: What happened to Daniel? (Da 6:22-note) What happened to those men (and their families) who sought to destroy Daniel? (Da 6:24-note) What happened to the renown of God? (Da 6:25-27-note) How do Daniel's last days parallel Mordecai's last days? (Da 6:28-note, Esther 10:2-3) What fate will inevitably befall all who seek to destroy the Jews? Beloved, do you love Israel like God loves Israel or do you harbor a latent (or even overt) Anti-Semitic attitude? If the latter describes you, then from Biblical history, you need to beware of inciting God's defensive wrath reflected in His oath in Genesis 12:3. Similarly, any nation, including America, which opposes Israel is in effect opposing God and will in time be opposed by Him! THOUGHT - Beloved, as I write these notes on July 11, 2012, I sense that our current President and many political leaders in Washington are actively opposed to Israel and behind the scenes are even overtly rejecting and "dissing" our longstanding best friend not only in the Middle East but in the world! If the book of Esther (and Daniel 6) teaches us anything, it teaches that anyone or any nation who opposes the Jews will be justly recompensed. May we who love Israel, pray for our nation's leaders to continue to actively support the nation of Israel (not because they deserve it or are always right in their actions but because they remain forever the "apple of God's eye" Zec 2:8) even as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Amen Esther 8:6 "For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?": For (term of explanation) - Esther presents the king the reason for her strongly emotional plea. How can I endure to see the calamity - The latter half of this verse in the Septuagint is translated into English as "how shall I be able to survive the destruction of my kindred?" It is as if she is saying to the king "If my people die, something inside of me dies" and this seems to be too much for the king to bear. This is the climax of Esther's appeal. She is appealing to to the king's heart, to his affection for her. Earlier he had said he would give her up to half the kingdom (a figure of speech), but now this final plea moves him to give up in a sense "all the kingdom", for the new edict will effect every province where people are planning on killing and plundering Jews. We encounter a similar deep sacrificial intercession in Moses' plea for idolatrous Israel who God is threatening to destroy... But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin-- and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!" (Ex 32:32) Comment: Moses' request was not an attempt to bargain with God. Rather, it demonstrated his strong identity with the people for whom he was praying. We see a similar intercessory pattern in Paul's passion for his people the Jews and yet who had not accepted their Messiah I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh (physically Jews but not born again), (Ro 9:1-3). Comment: Paul's plea is primarily for the spiritual life of his Jewish brethren, whereas Esther plea was for their physical life. My kindred - NAB "my race"; NIV "my family"; NLT "my people and my family"; NET "my relatives." Esther had earlier identified herself with her people for whom she had also interceded... Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request (Esther 7:3) Comment: Although we cannot state with certainty, it appears that King Xerxes still did not fully comprehend who Esther's people were in Chapter 7. However here in Chapter 8, she again identifies herself with "my people" but now clearly identifies them as Jews (Esther 8:5) Esther 8:7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.: So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew - Observe that Mordecai apparently was in the room when Esther was falling at the king's feet, weeping and imploring. Mordecai the Jew - Not Mordecai the prime minister, even though that was in essence his new title (Esther 10:3). He had stretched out his hands against the Jews - If Esther is a Jew and the law cannot be repealed, theoretically what should happen to Queen Esther? Whether such thoughts entered into the king's reasoning for his following statement is unclear, but is at least possible. Esther 8:8 "Now you 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 name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked.": Esther 3:12 1Ki 21:8 revoked: Esther 8:5 1:19 Da 6:8,12-15 2Ti 2:19 Heb 6:17,18 Write to the Jews as you see fit - Esther and Mordecai were given a royal "carte blanche!" This is interesting because the Queen had not put words in the king's mouth, but left the next course of action to his discretion. Surely this is once again a manifestation of the providential hand of God as pictured in Pr 21:1. Edict/decree (key word in Esther) - Esther 1:19, 1:20, 2:1, 2:8, 3:9, 3:14, 3:15, 4:3, 4:8, 8:8, 8:13, 8:14, 8:17, 9:1, 9:13, 9:14 Esther 8:9 So the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language.: MORDECAI'S DECREE COUNTERS HAMAN'S DECREE (Es 8:9-17) As an aside, Esther 8:9 is the longest verse in "The Writings", which is the name for the third major division of the Hebrew Bible. Sivan - This word was used after the Babylonian Captivity as the name of the third month of the Jewish year, which is roughly equivalent to our modern May-June (some say June-July). Recall that Haman's original decree was written on "the thirteen day of the first month" so that the 23rd day of Sivan would be 2 months and 10 days later. This left 8 months and 20 days until Haman and Mordecai's decrees would both become effective. In other words, the Jews would have almost 9 months to prepare to defend themselves. Remember that the reason they had such a long warning and preparatory time was because superstitious Haman had "rolled the dice" (pur) to determine which day he should carry out the Jewish extermination. And since God controls the roll of the pur (See Pr 16:33), the day of destruction fell 12 months after the actual evil edict was sent to all 127 provinces. Clearly the providence of God was working to save the Jews from total annihilation! It was written according to all that Mordecai commanded the Jews - The royal "okay" had been given to Esther, but here we see it is actually Mordecai who prepared the actual counter decree (although it is not actually called a decree or edict in this verse). Jews according to their script and their language - What does this statement indicate. especially since the first part of the verse has already specified "to the Jews"? While we cannot be dogmatic, it appears that there were Jews in the provinces who had continued to write in Hebrew script and speak the Hebrew dialect. This detail is not specified in Haman's edict. And it is interesting that the The Septuagint omits the addendum of to the Jews according to their script and their language. See the chart below for the comparison of the two edicts. Pulpit Commentary adds that... Copies of the former edict had not been sent especially to the Jews. They had been left to learn their danger indirectly from the people among whom they dwelt; but Mordecai took care that they should be informed directly of their right of defense. TWO PERSIAN EDICTS THAT IMPACTED THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD NOTE: Major Differences in Red AUTHOR Haman (Es 3:12) Mordecai (Es 8:9) DATE EDICT SENT 1-13 (13th of Nisan) (Es 3:12) 3-23 (23rd of Sivan) (Es 8:9) GEOGRAPHY Each Province (Es 3:12) Every Province (Es 8:9) RECIPIENTS Each People (Es 3:12) Every People The Jews (Es 8:9) LANGUAGE According to its Script According to its Language (Es 3:12) According to its Script According to its Language Jews according to their script & language (Es 8:9) AUTHORITY Name of King Sealed w/ Signet Ring (Es 3:12) Name of King Sealed w/ Signet Ring (Es 8:10) DISTRIBUTION By couriers (Es 3:13) By couriers Royal steeds (Es 8:10, 14) Hastened & impelled (Es 8:14) SPECIFIC LAW Destroy, kill, annihilate All the Jews Plundering allowed (Es 3:13) Destroy, kill, annihilate Assemble, Defend Any who attack them Plundering allowed (Es 8:11) DATE EDICT TAKES EFFECT One day 12-13 (13th of Adar) (Es 3:13) One day 12-13 (13th of Adar) (Es 8:12) WHY COPY OF EDICT ISSUED AS LAW? So that they Should be ready for this day (Es 3:14) So that the Jews would be ready to avenge themselves (Es 8:13) EFFECT ON SUSA In confusion (Es 3:15) Shouted & Rejoiced (Es 8:15) EFFECT ON JEWS Great Mourning Fasting, weeping, wailing (Es 4:3) Gladness and joy A feast, A holiday (Es 8:16,17) Esther 8:10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud.: In the name of King: 1Ki 21:8 Eccl 8:4 Da 4:1 Sealed it with the king's signet ring - This very same action was taken to authenticate Haman's edict (Esther 3:12) Sent by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud - This detail about steeds sired by the royal stud is not mentioned in the context of the distribution of Haman's edict (Esther 3:13). Esther 8:11 In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil,: to assemble: Esther 9:2-16 to destroy: Ps 37:14,15 68:3 137:8 146:6-9 Eze 39:10 spoil: Esther 3:13 9:10,15,16 Isa 10:6 In them - The letters of the preceding verse. The right to assemble and to defend their lives ("to gather for self-defense") - This is the key to the counter edict - to give the Jews time (almost 9 months) to prepare to defend themselves from those who were waiting to carry out Haman's edict of extermination! Defend their lives - Literally “to stand upon their nepesh (soul)“ thus the KJV has "stand for their life." The New Jewish Version renders it "to fight for their lives." It is worth noting that Mordecai’s decree was in complete harmony with God’s covenant with Abraham And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3; cp some of Isaac's last words to Jacob - Ge 27:29, Ex 23:22, Nu 24:9) To destroy, to kill and to annihilate - This is the exact phrase used in Haman's decree which also included the right to kill women, children and to plunder spoil (Esther 3:13). Children and women - The NIV gives a different sense to the passage "NIV - The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies. Esther 8:12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).: one day: Esther 9:1 Ex 15:9,10 Jdg 1:6,7 On one day - 13th of Adar, the very same day of Haman's edict (Esther 3:13-14), the day before Passover! Esther 8:13 A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies.: avenge themselves: Jdg 16:28 Ps 37:14,15 Ps 68:23 Ps 92:10,11 Ps 149:6-9 Lk 18:7 Rev 6:10 So that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies - Esther 8:14 The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king's command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.: Hastened and impelled by the king's command - As noted in the chart these specific facts are not mentioned in the courier distribution of Haman's edict (Es 3:13). It as if the king understands the urgency of the matter, and although there was almost 8 months until both edicts would dramatically clash, the more time the Jews had to prepare to defend themselves, the better would be their chances. Wiersbe contrasts this sense of urgency among the ancients with the often complacent attitude of the church with it's life saving message of the Gospel - If only the church today were like those secretaries and couriers! How we need to tell the peoples of the world in their own languages the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ! The King has commanded us, and we must go, but for some reason we linger. If a group of pagan scribes and messengers, without modern means of transportation and communication, could take Mordecai’s decree to an entire empire, how much more should Christian workers be able to take Christ’s Gospel to a lost world! (Ibid) Hastened (0926) (bahal) means to tremble inwardly or palpitate, make alarmed or agitated. Bahal usually expresses an emotion of one who is confronted with something unexpected, threatening or disastrous. Impelled (01765) (dahap) means to hurry, to hasten, to do something quickly. There are only 4 uses in the OT (2Chr 26:20, Esther 3:15, 6:12, 8:14). The same phrase -- impelled by the king's decree -- was used to describe the distribution of Haman's decree (Esther 3:15). The Septuagint uses only one verb in place of the two Hebrew verbs. The Greek verb is speudo (present tense) which means to hasten, to hurry, to do something as quickly as possible.