INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 3 This chapter gives an account of the promotion of Haman, and of the mortification of him by Mordecai, who refused to bow to him, upon which he vowed revenge on him, and on all his people the Jews, Esther 3:1, for which purpose, through a false representation of them, he obt... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS,.... After the marriage of Esther, and the discovery of the conspiracy to take away the king's life, five years after, as Aben Ezra observe, at least more than four years, for so it appears from Esther 3:7 DID KING AHASUERUS PROMOTE HAMAN THE SON OF HAMMEDATHA THE AGAGITE; whom b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING'S SERVANTS THAT WERE IN THE KING'S GATE,.... Or court, all his courtiers; for it cannot be thought they were all porters, or such only that BOWED AND REVERENCED HAMAN; gave him divine honours, as to a deity; for such were given to the kings of Persia k, and might be given to their favo... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING'S SERVANTS, WHICH WERE IN THE KING'S GATE,.... Observing the behaviour of Mordecai towards Haman from time to time: SAID UNTO MORDECAI, WHY TRANSGRESSEST THOU THE KING'S COMMANDMENT? of giving reverence to Haman, which they knew he could not be ignorant of.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THEY SPAKE DAILY UNTO HIM,.... Putting him in mind of his duty to obey the king's command, suggesting to him the danger he exposed himself to, pressing him to give the reasons of his conduct: AND HE HEARKENED NOT UNTO THEM; regarded not what they said, and continued disobe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HAMAN SAW THAT MORDECAI BOWED NOT, NOR DID HIM REVERENCE,.... For, after the information given him, he observed and watched him, to see whether he bowed and did him reverence or not: THEN WAS HAMAN FULL OF WRATH; exceedingly displeased and angry; it was such a mortification to him he could... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THOUGHT SCORN TO LAY HANDS ON MORDECAI ALONE,.... That would not be a sufficient gratification of his revenge; he was too low and mean a person only to wreak his vengeance on; nothing short of his whole nation would satisfy him: FOR THEY HAD SHOWED HIM THE PEOPLE OF MORDECAI; that they were... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FIRST MONTH, THAT IS THE MONTH NISAN,.... Which was the first month of the sacred year of the Jews, by divine appointment, Exodus 12:2, and there called Abib, and answers to part of February and part of March; from hence it is clear this book was written by a Jew, and very probably by Mordec... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAMAN SAID UNTO KING AHASUERUS, Or "had said" r, as some choose to render it; nor indeed is it likely that Haman should cast lots to know when would be a proper time to destroy the Jews, until he had got leave of the king to do it: THERE IS A CERTAIN PEOPLE SCATTERED ABROAD, AND DISPERSED AMONG... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT PLEASE THE KING, LET IT BE WRITTEN, THAT THEY MAY BE DESTROYED,.... That is, a law made, signed and sealed, for their destruction, and letters written and sent everywhere, ordering it to be put in execution: AND I WILL PAY TEN THOUSAND TALENTS OF SILVER TO THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO HAVE THE CHAR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING TOOK HIS RING FROM HIS HAND, AND GAVE IT UNTO HAMAN, THE SON OF HAMMEDATHA THE AGAGITE, THE JEWS' ENEMY. As a token of his affection for him, and a mark of honour to him; with the Persians w for a king to give a ring to anyone was a token and bond of the greatest love and friendship ima... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SAID UNTO HAMAN, THE SILVER IS GIVEN UNTO THEE,.... The 10,000 talents of silver Haman proposed to pay into the treasury were returned to him, or the king out of his great munificence refused to take them: THE PEOPLE ALSO, TO DO WITH THEM AS SEEMETH GOOD UNTO THEE; that is, the people... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WERE THE KING'S SCRIBES CALLED, ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH,.... The month Nisan, Esther 3:7, after Haman had leave and power from the king to destroy the Jews, and his ring given him in token of it; the king's scribes or secretaries of state were called together on that day, to wr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LETTERS WERE SENT BY POST INTO ALL THE KING'S PROVINCES,.... Or by the runners x; by which it seems as if these letters were carried by running footmen, men swift of foot; or rather they were running horses, on which men rode post with letters, and which the Persians called Angari; a scheme... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COPY OF THE WRITING, FOR A COMMANDMENT TO BE GIVEN IN EVERY PROVINCE, WAS PUBLISHED UNTO ALL PEOPLE,.... Not only letters were sent to the governors, but a copy, or the sum of the contents of them, was published by heralds, or stuck up as with us, in various places, that it might be publicly kno... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POST WENT OUT, BEING HASTENED BY THE KING'S COMMAND,.... Both to set out and make as much dispatch as possible: AND THE DECREE WAS GIVEN IN SHUSHAN THE PALACE; by the king, and with the advice of his courtiers: AND THE KING AND HAMAN SAT DOWN TO DRINK; at a banquet which perhaps Haman had prep... [ Continue Reading ]