Esther 9:6

_AND IN SHUSHAN THE PALACE THE JEWS SLEW AND DESTROYED FIVE HUNDRED MEN._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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 9:6. _AND IN SHUSHAN_] It is strange that in this city, where the king's mind must have been so well known, there should be found _five hundred_ persons to rise up in hostility against those whom they knew the king befriended!...

By “Shushan the palace (or the fort),” is probably meant the whole of the upper town, which occupied an area of more than 100 acres, and contained many residences besides the actual palace. The Jews would not have ventured to shed blood within the palace-precincts....

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

AND IN SHUSHAN THE PALACE THE JEWS SLEW AND DESTROYED FIVE HUNDRED MEN. Not in the royal palace, where it cannot be thought the Jews had so many enemies, or such a bloody slaughter of them should be made there; but in the city, where the palace was: and this may seem somewhat wonderful, that there should so many rise there against the Jews, so near the court, now altogether in the interest of the Jews; but these were men no doubt of Haman's faction, and enraged at his disgrace and death, and headed by his ten sons, who took the advantage of the decree to avenge his death; the Targum says, these were princes of the house of Amalek....

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...

DESTROYED, &C. Note that they took no advantage of the permission given in Esther 8:11....

Esther 9:1-10. Overthrow of the Jews" enemies The story, omitting the intermediate months of preparation, now passes to the date fixed by the decree for the Jews" overthrow....