Esther 9:22

_AS THE DAYS WHEREIN THE JEWS RESTED FROM THEIR ENEMIES, AND THE MONTH WHICH WAS TURNED UNTO THEM FROM SORROW TO JOY, AND FROM MOURNING INTO A GOOD DAY: THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THEM DAYS OF FEASTING AND JOY, AND OF SENDING PORTIONS ONE TO ANOTHER, AND GIFTS TO THE POOR._ That they should make them days of feasting and joy. [The Septuagint renders: agathas heemeras gamoon kai eufrosunees, good days of feasts (literally, marriage feasts) and merriment.]...

20-32 The observance of the Jewish feasts, is a public declaration of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures. And as the Old Testament Scriptures are true, the Messiah expected by the Jews is come long ago; and none but Jesus of Nazareth can be that Messiah. The festival was appointed by authority, yet under the direction of the Spirit of God. It was called the feast of Purim, from a Persian word, which signifies a lot. The name of this festival would remind them of the almighty power of the God of Israel, who served his own purposes by the superstitions of the heathen. In reviewing our mercies, we should advert to former fears and distresses. When our mercies are personal, we should not by forgetfulness lose the comfort of them, or withhold from the Lord the glory due to his name. May the Lord teach us to rejoice, with that holy joy which anticipates and prepares for the blessedness...

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

AS THE DAYS WHEREIN THE JEWS RESTED FROM THEIR ENEMIES,.... Having slain all those that rose up against them, and assaulted them: AND THE MONTH WHICH WAS TURNED UNTO THEM FROM SORROW TO JOY, AND FROM MOURNING UNTO A GOOD DAY; for in this month Adar, on the thirteenth day of it, they expected to have been all destroyed, which had occasioned great sorrow and mourning in them; but beyond their expectation, in the same month, and on the selfsame day of the month, they had deliverance and freedom from their enemies; which was matter of joy, and made this day a good day to them: THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THEM DAYS OF FEASTING AND JOY; keep both the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month as festivals, eating and drinking, and making all tokens of joy and gladness, though not in the Bacchanalian way in which they now observe them; for they say n, a man is bound at the feast of Purim to exhilar...

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...

Mordecai's injunctions for the keeping of Purim 20. _And Mordecai wrote these things_ Mordecai's position as a Jew, who had attained to the office of grand vizier, seems to have been regarded as giving him, under the circumstances, a right to impose upon the Jews within the king of Persia's dominions a new annual celebration. It is best to take -these things" to mean so much of the story as appeared needful by way of explanation of the circumstances of the deliverance, as calling for a commemorative festival. We may notice that in _this_letter, unlike the second (Esther 9:29), there is no reference to any but the joyous side of the commemoration....

AND MORDECAI WROTE THESE THINGS, &C.— See the introductory note to this book. It is from the 20th verse that some have supposed Mordecai to have been the author of it: but it is very evident, that these words relate not to the book itself, but to the circular letters which Mordecai sent to the Jews in all the provinces of the Persian empire; signifying what a mighty deliverance God had vouchsafed them, and appointing in commemoration thereof an annual festival to be observed for ever. This festival was called פורים _Purim,_ (Esther 9:26.) or _the feast of lots; Pur_ in the Persian language signifying _a lot,_ from the event mentioned Esther 9:24 and chap. Esther 3:7 and it is to this very day celebrated by the Jews

XI. Purim Instituted, Esther 9:20-32 A. Practiced TEXT: Esther 9:20-22 20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22 as the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. Today's English Version, Esther 9:20-22 Mo

THE JEWS SLAY THEIR ENEMIES. INSTITUTION OF PURIM 3. All the rulers, etc.] The great massacre described in href='190 9:16'>Est 9:16 is thus represented as being in part the work of the Persian authorities with the forces at their disposal....