Esther 9:26

_WHEREFORE THEY CALLED THESE DAYS PURIM AFTER THE NAME OF PUR. THEREFORE FOR ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LETTER, AND OF THAT WHICH THEY HAD SEEN CONCERNING THIS MATTER, AND WHICH HAD COME UNTO THEM,_ They called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Pur, in the Persian language, signifies lot; and the feast of Purim or lots has a reference to the time having been pitched upon by Haman through the decision of the lot. In consequence of the signal national deliverance which divine Providence gave them from the infamous machinations of Haman, Mordecai ordered the Jews to commemorate that at event by an anniversary festival which was to last, for two days, in accordance with the two days' war of defense they had to maintain. There was at first a slight difference in the time of this festival; because the Jews in the provinces, having defended themselves against their enemies on the 13th day, d...

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...

Verse Esther 9:26. _THEY CALLED THESE DAYS PURIM_] That is from [Persian] _pari, the lot_; because, as we have seen, Haman cast lots to find what month, and what day of the month, would be the most favourable for the accomplishment of his bloody designs against the Jews. See on Esther 3:7. _AND_ OF THAT _WHICH THEY HAD SEEN_] The _first letter_ to which this _second_ refers, must be that sent by Mordecai himself. See Esther 9:20....

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

WHEREFORE THEY CALLED THESE DAYS PURIM, AFTER THE NAME OF PUR,.... The lot; because of the lots cast by Haman; see Esther 3:7, THEREFORE FOR ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LETTER; in obedience to what Mordecai wrote in his letter to the Jews, and because of the things contained in it: AND OF THAT WHICH THEY HAD SEEN CONCERNING THIS MATTER; with their own eyes, in the several provinces where their enemies rose up to assault them, but were destroyed by them: AND WHAT HAD COME UNTO THEM: by report; as the fall of Haman, and advancement of Mordecai, and the favours shown to Esther and her people; all this belongs to the following verse, containing the reasons of the Jews' appointment and engagement to observe the days of Purim....

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...

PURIM. lots. The name of the feast to this day. PUR. See note on Esther 3:7....

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