_Sleep. Anxious what Esther could desire. Septuagint, "But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night." (Haydock) --- Providence watched over the welfare of his people. --- Chronicles. The king took particular care (Calmet) to have their benefactors mentioned in history and rewarded. (Herodotus... [ Continue Reading ]
_No reward at all. He received some presents from the king; (chap. xii. 5.) but these were so inconsiderable in the opinion of the courtiers, that they esteemed them as nothing at all; (Challoner) and they were not specified in the history. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Inner court. To which only such favourites and noblemen had access. (Herodotus iii. 72., and 84.) This king had himself come thither with six others, when they conspired to destroy Smerdis. Hebrew, &c., read, "the outward court," in which Aman was, till he heard the king was awake, and called for h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Apparel. Greek, "of byssus," which was very superb, chap. xv. 9. The king alone could wear the tiara upright. The nobles wore it hanging backwards. Cyrus allowed his nobility to appear in purple, but he would have only his own robes striped with white. (Cyrop. viii.; Curtius iii.) --- The kings oft... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nobles. Literally, "tyrants." (Haydock) --- But this word was not formerly odious; as it only denoted "a prince." Pars mihi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni. (Vigil, \'c6neid vii.) --- Abuse of power caused it to become hateful. (Tirinus)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Spoken. The distinction was not for one day only. Mardochai might afterwards wear the tiara, &c. God thus clearly manifested that he would resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. (St. James iv. 6.) The exaltation of Joseph in Egypt, (Calmet) and lately of Daniel at the court at Babylon, (Ti... [ Continue Reading ]
_Covered. To hide his shame, (Tirinus) as Demosthenes did, when the people kissed him. (Plutarch) See 2 Kings xv., and Ezechiel xii. 6._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wise men. Probably the magi, who concluded, from the first miscarriage, that he undertaking would prove abortive, (Calmet) as they were also informed of God's protection given repeatedly to the Jews. Septuagint, "because the living God is with him." (Chaldean) They might have heard of the fate of S... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER VI. _ As. Thus from morning till noon, (Tirinus) or night, had this petty god (Haydock) been forced to stoop to the meanest offices, and durst not say a word in opposition. (Tirinus) --- He would gladly have now absented himself from the feast, (Menochius) with the idea of which he had been... [ Continue Reading ]