Esther 9:1

_NOW IN THE TWELFTH MONTH, THAT IS, THE MONTH ADAR, ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE SAME, WHEN THE KING'S COMMANDMENT AND HIS DECREE DREW NEAR TO BE PUT IN EXECUTION, IN THE DAY THAT THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWS HOPED TO HAVE POWER OVER THEM, (THOUGH IT WAS TURNED TO THE CONTRARY, THAT THE JEWS HAD RULE OVER THEM THAT HATED THEM;)_ In the twelfth month ... on the thirteenth day of the same. This was the day which Haman's superstitious advisers had led him to select as the most fortunate for the execution of his exterminating scheme against the Jews....

1-19 The enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them by the former edict. If they had attempted nothing against the people of God, they would not themselves have suffered. The Jews, acting together, strengthened one another. Let us learn to stand fast in one spirit, and with one mind, striving together against the enemies of our souls, who endeavour to rob us of our faith, which is more precious than our lives. The Jews, to the honour of their religion, showed contempt of wordly wealth, that they might make it appear they desired nothing except their own preservation. In every case the people of God should manifest humanity and disinterestedness, frequently refusing advantages which might lawfully be obtained. The Jews celebrated their festival the day after they had finished their work. When we have received great mercies from God, we ought to be speedy in making thankful returns...

CHAPTER IX _On the thirteenth of the month Adar the Jews destroy their_ _enemies, and the governors of the provinces assist them_, 1-5. _They slay_ five hundred _in Shushan, and kill the_ ten _sons of_ _Haman, but take no spoil_, 6-10. _The king is informed of the slaughter in Shushan_, 11. _He desires to know what Esther requests farther; who begs that_ _the Jews may be permitted to act on the following day as they_ _had done on the preceding, and that Haman's sons may be hanged_ _upon the gallows; which is granted; and they slay_ three hundred...

DREW NEAR - Or, “arrived,” or “reached the time” specified Esther 3:13; Esther 8:12....

EXPOSITION RESULT OF THE SECOND EDICT' THE JEWS RESIST THEIR ENEMIES, AND EFFECT A GREAT SLAUGHTER OF THEM, BUT DO NOT LAY HAND ON THEIR GOODS (Esther 9:1). The Jews of all the provinces, having had ample time to prepare themselves, "gathered themselves together in their cities," as the day fixed by the first edict approached (Esther 9:2), and made their arrangements. Their "enemies"_ _no doub

NOW IN THE TWELFTH MONTH, THAT IS THE MONTH ADAR, ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE SAME,.... Of which see Esther 3:13, WHEN THE KING'S COMMANDMENT AND HIS DECREE DREW NEAR TO BE PUT IN EXECUTION; even both his commandments and decrees, the one empowering the enemies of the Jews on that day to destroy them, and the other empowering the Jews to act both defensively and offensively against their enemies: IN THE DAY THAT THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWS HOPED TO HAVE POWER OVER THEM; by virtue of the first decree of the king; and notwithstanding the second, they might hope to have it because of their superior numbers: THOUGH IT WAS TURNED TO THE CONTRARY, THAT THE JEWS HAD RULE OVER THEM THAT HATED THEM; it proved the reverse, partly through the second decree in favour of the Jews, and partly through the fear of them that fell upon their enemies; becau

THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF ADAR AND THE FEAST OF PURIM CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The resistance and victory of the Jews (Esther 9:1)_ 2. Esther's petition (Esther 9:12) 3. The institution of Purim (Esther 9:17) 4. The messages of Mordecai and Esther (Esther 9:20) Esther 9:1. The fateful day, the thirteenth day of Adar, came and with it the retribution for the enemies of the Jews. On that day they gathered together to withstand all who would assault them. The princes and governors and all other officials of the king helped the Jews,

THE JEWS SUCCESSFUL AGAINST THEIR ENEMIES. Adar 13th, the dreadful day, comes at last. What were the Jews to do? There were many partisans of Haman, some 500 at least in the city alone; there were thousands more in the land, ready to carry out the first decree. Should Mordecai and all Jews sit still and see their wives and children butchered, and be butchered themselves? The Hamanites attack: the Jews defend themselves. There fell of those who attacked, in Shushan itself, some 500, and in all the empire 15,000 as the LXX says, although the Heb. exaggerates and says 75,000. Was this mere wanton bloodshed on the Jews-' part? The tale rather pictured for the suffering people of Judah how their brave comrades, the Maccabees, had faced and fought and felled the cruel armies of Antiochus under Nicanor. And now the writer adds a touch of fine national self-respect, saying: No Jew took booty of...

THIRTEENTH. See note on Esther 3:12. COMMANDMENT. Hebrew. _dabar._ See note on Esther 1:12. DECREE. Hebrew. _dath_. See note on Esther 2:8. POWER. mastery. See note on Esther 8:11. THOUGH, &C. Note the _Parenthesis._ THE JEWS. the Jews themselves....

_when the king's commandment_ Beginning with these words, and extending to the end of this long verse, is a series of clauses, thus postponing the actual narrative. The writer's motive for this lengthened protasis may well be the literary effect of suggesting thereby the suspense which prevailed during the intervening period....