Esther 9:13

_THEN SAID ESTHER, IF IT PLEASE THE KING, LET IT BE GRANTED TO THE JEWS WHICH ARE IN SHUSHAN TO DO TO MORROW ALSO ACCORDING UNTO THIS DAY'S DECREE, AND LET HAMAN'S TEN SONS BE HANGED UPON THE GALLOWS._ Let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according unto this day's decree. Their enemies, adroitly concealing themselves for the first day, might have returned on the next, when they imagined that the privilege of the Jews was expired; so that that people would have been surprised and slain. The extension of the decree to another day, at the queen's special desire, has exposed her to the charge of being actuated by a cruel and vindictive disposition. But her conduct in making this request is capable of full vindication, on the ground: (1) that Human's sons having taken a prominent part in avenging their father's fall, and having been previously slain in the...

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...

Verse Esther 9:13. _LET HAMAN'S TEN SONS BE HANGED_] They had been slain the preceding day, and now she requests that they may be exposed on posts or gibbets, as a terror to those who sought the destruction of the Jews....

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

THEN SAID ESTHER, IF IT PLEASE THE KING,.... For she was all submission to his will: LET IT BE GRANTED TO THE JEWS WHICH ARE IN SHUSHAN; for no further did she desire the grant to be extended: TO DO TOMORROW ALSO ACCORDING TO THIS DAYS DECREE; one Targum makes the request only that they might keep the morrow as a festival, but the other, more rightly, to do according to the decree of this day; which was, to slay as many of their enemies as rose up against them; and whereas many might flee and hide themselves, who were implacable enemies of the Jews, Esther moves for a grant that the decree might be continued for the next day, that these might be found out and slain; in which she sought the glory of divine justice, in their righteous destruction, and the peace of the people of God, and not private revenge, or to indulge malice: AND LET HAMAN'S TEN SONS BE HANGED UPON THE GALLOWS; on wh...

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...

LET HAINAN'S TEN SONS BE HANGED. One of the ten deaths occasioned or obtained by women. See note on Judges 4:21. BE HANGED Not alive, but hanged up after death. They were slain in conflict first. See verses: Esther 9:6; Esther 9:7....

Institution of memorial celebrations 12. _what then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces!_ It is best to take this, not, with A.V., as an actual question, but as meaning, It is superfluous to enquire how extensive the slaughter must be throughout the Empire as a whole, when Shushan alone has yielded so many victims. _Now what is thy petition?_ The question implies that the king perceives that Esther is not yet satisfied....

LET HAMAN'S TEN SONS BE HANGED UPON THE GALLOWS— it is not unlikely that many might be enraged at Haman's death, and his sons in particular might set themselves at the head of those who were bold enough to attempt the destruction of the Jews at Shushan, being resolved to revenge their father's death, though in so doing they were sure to meet their own. This seems to suggest one reason why Esther was so solicitous to have their dead bodies hung on the gallows, because they had shewn more malice and indignation against the Jews, and, on the day when the cruel edict came to take place, had made more desperate attacks upon them, than any others; though the reason of state, in this severity, might be, to expose the family to greater infamy, and to deter other counsellors at any time from abusing the king with false representations: for though the Jews suffered none to hang on the _tree,_ as t...