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Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Esther 8:3–14. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Haman, the chief enemy of the Jews, was hanged, Mordecai and Esther, their chief friends, were sufficiently protected; but many others there were in the king's dominions that hated the Jews and desired their ruin, and to their rage and malice all the rest of that people lay exposed; for the edict against them was still in force, and, in pursuance of it, their enemies would on the day appointed fall upon them, and they would be deemed as rebels against the king and his government if they should offer to resist and take up arms in their own defence. For the preventing of this,
I.The queen here makes intercession with much affection and importunity.
She came, a second time, uncalled into the king's presence (Est 8:3), and was as before encouraged to present her petition, by the king's holding out the golden sceptre to her, Est 8:4. Her petition is that the king, having put away Haman, would put away the mischief of Haman and his device against the Jews, that that might not take place now that he was taken off. Many a man's mischief survives him, and the wickedness he devised operates when he is gone. What men project and write may, after their death, be either very profitable or very pernicious. It was therefore requisite in this case that, for the defeating of Haman's plot, they should apply to the king for a further act of grace, that by another edict he would reverse the letters devised by Haman, and which he wrote (she does not say which the king consented to and confirmed with his own seal; she leaves it to his own conscience to say that), by which he took an effectual course to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces, Est 8:5. If the king were indeed, as he seemed to be, troubled that such a decree was made, he could not do less than revoke it; for what is repentance, but undoing, to the utmost of our power, what we have done amiss?
1.This petition Esther presents with much affection: She fell down at the king's feet and besought him with tears (Est 8:3), every tear as precious as any of the pearls with which she was adorned. It was time to be earnest when the church of God lay at stake. Let none be so great as to be unwilling to stoop, none so merry as to be unwilling to weep, when thereby they may do any service to God's church and people. Esther, though safe herself, fell down, and begged with tears for the deliverance of her people.
2.She expresses it with great submission, and a profound deference to the king and his wisdom and will (Est 8:5): If it please the king and if I have found favour in his sightand again, "If the thing itself seem right and reasonable before the king, and if I that ask it be pleasing in his eyes, let the decree be reversed." Even when we have the utmost reason and justice on our side, and have the clearest cause to plead, yet it becomes us to speak to our superiors with humility and modesty, and all possible expressions of respect, and not to talk like demandants when we are supplicants. There is nothing lost be decency and good breeding. As soft answers turn away wrath, so soft askings obtain favour.
3.She enforces her petition with a pathetic plea: "For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people? Little comfort can I have of my own life if I cannot prevail for theirs: as good share in the evil myself as see it come upon them; for how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred, that are dear to me?" Esther, a queen, owns her poor kindred, and speaks of them with a very tender concern. Now it was that she mingled her tears with her words, that she wept and made supplication; we read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but, now that she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. Those that are truly concerned for the public would rather die in the last ditch than live to see the desolations of the church of God and the ruin of their country. Tender spirits cannot bear to think of the destruction of their people and kindred, and therefore dare not omit any opportunity of giving them relief.
II.The king here takes a course for the preventing of the mischief that Haman had designed.
1.The king knew, and informed the queen, that, according to the constitution of the Persian government, the former edict could not be revoked (Est 8:8): What is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may not, under any pretence whatsoever, be reversed. This was a fundamental article of their magna charta, that no law or decree, when once it had passed the royal assent, could be repealed or recalled, no judgment vacated, no attainder reversed, Dan 6:15. This is so far from bespeaking the wisdom and honour of the Medes and Persians that really it bespeaks their pride and folly, and consequently their shame. It is ridiculous in itself for any man, or company of men, to pretend to such an infallibility of wisdom as to foresee all the consequences of what they decree; and therefore it is unjust, and injurious to mankind, to claim such a supremacy of power as to make their decrees irrevocable, whether the consequences prove good or bad. This savours of that old presumption which ruined us all: We will be as gods. Much more prudent is that proviso of our constitution, that no law can, by any words or sanctions whatsoever, be made unrepealable, any more than any estate unalienable. Cujus est instruere, ejus est destruere - the right to enact implies the right to repeal. It is God's prerogative not to repent, and to say what can never be altered or unsaid.
2.Yet he found an expedient to undo the devices of Haman, and defeat his design, by signing and publishing another decree to authorize the Jews to stand upon their defence, vim vi repellere, et invasorem occidere - to oppose force to force, and destroy the assailant. This would be their effectual security. The king shows them that he had done enough already to convince them that he had a concern for the Jewish nation, for he had ordered his favourite to be hanged because he laid his hand upon the Jews (Est 8:7), and he therefore would d the utmost he could to protect them; and he leaves it as fully with Esther and Mordecai to use his name and power for their deliverance as before he had left it with Haman to use his name and power for their destruction: "Write for the Jews as it liketh you (Est 8:8), saving only the honour of our constitution. Let the mischief be put away as effectually as may be without reversing the letters." The secretaries of state were ordered to attend to draw up this edict on the twenty-third day of the third month (Est 8:9), about two months after the promulgation of the former, but nine months before the time set for its execution: it was to be drawn up and published in the respective languages of all the provinces. Shall the subjects of an earthly prince have his decrees in a language they understand? and shall God's oracles and laws be locked up from his servants in an unknown tongue? It was to be directed to the proper officers of every province, both to the justices of peace and to the deputy-lieutenants. It was to be carefully dispersed throughout all the king's dominions, and true copies sent by expresses to all the provinces. The purport of this decree was to commission the Jews, upon the day which was appointed for their destruction, to draw together in a body for their own defence. And,
(1.)To stand for their life, that, whoever assaulted them, it might be at their peril.
(2.)They might not only act defensively, but might destroy, and slay, and cause to perish, all the power of the people that would assault them, men, women, and children (Est 8:11), and thus to avenge themselves on their enemies (Est 8:13), and, if they pleased, to enrich themselves by their enemies, for they were empowered to take the spoil of them for a prey. Now,
[1.]This showed his kindness to the Jews, and sufficiently provided for their safety; for he latter decree would be looked upon as a tacit revocation of the former, though not in expression. But,
[2.]It shows the absurdity of that branch of their constitution that none of the king's edicts might be repealed; for it laid the king here under a necessity of enacting a civil war in his own dominions, between the Jews and their enemies, so that both sides took up arms by his authority, and yet against his authority. No better could come of men's pretending to be wise above what is given them. Great expedition was used in dispersing this decree, the king himself being in pain lest it should come too late and any mischief should be done to the Jews by virtue of the former decree before the notice of this arrived. It was therefore by the king's commandment, as well as Mordecai's, that the messengers were hastened and pressed on (Est 8:14), and had swift beasts provided them, Est 8:10. It was not a time to trifle when so many lives were in danger.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies that through his preachers our king, the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, orders the true Jews and his confessors among all the Gentiles, after they have gathered in the unity of society and peace, to fight for the salvation of their souls and to condemn their enemies both visible and invisible, namely the false Jews, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and the unredeemed pagan and heretics, and the unclean spirits with all their impieties.
So when this earthly king orders his couriers to gather the Jews in each place, and to command them to assemble so that they might fight for their lives and kill all their enemies together with their wives and children and all their houses, this can only mean that our king, who rules over all of Heaven and earth, is—through his preachers—ordering the true Jews and their adherents throughout the nations to assemble as a union of fellowship and peace; and to fight for the salvation of their souls; and to condemn all their enemies both visible and invisible, i.e. the false Jews who are the synagogue of Satan and the incorrigible pagans and heretics, as well as the impure spirits with all their impieties and perverse notions. Nor should they permit any remnant of these to survive, or even their wives and children, i.e. they should wipe out completely the carnal desires and the works of sinners together with their houses, namely with their worldly ambitions; or allow to remain any offshoot of these things that could pose a threat to them. So it is that in the Law, the Lord commanded the Israelites to kill and to wipe out those nations in the Promised Land that were antagonistic to them; so too he afterward commanded them to destroy the Amalekites until they were all slaughtered, because he wanted to deprive them of any occasion for misbehavior. This is what the prophet is thinking of when he says in the Psalms: “In the mornings I was killing all the sinners of the land, to wipe out from the city of the Lord all the evildoers” (Psalms 101).
Furthermore, the time at which this slaughter of enemies was ordered to take place accords very well with the mystery of this spiritual slaughter, since the twelfth Hebrew month, which is Adar, can only symbolize the last age of our world when this spiritual war is being waged above all by the soldiers of Christ. And in the same way, the thirteenth day symbolizes the faith in the holy Trinity through the observing the commands of God, which is the basis upon which all our adversaries are effectively subdued.
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Summary
Esther 8:11 delineates the groundbreaking counter-decree issued by King Ahasuerus, which granted the Jewish people across the vast Persian Empire the unprecedented legal right to assemble, defend their lives, and utterly neutralize any populace or province that would assault them. This royal edict, a direct consequence of Queen Esther's courageous intercession and Mordecai's strategic counsel, dramatically reversed Haman's genocidal plot, transforming the intended victims into authorized defenders empowered to protect their lives, families, and possessions from their aggressors.
Context
Literary Context
Esther 8:11 marks the pivotal turning point in the book's dramatic narrative, immediately following the exposure and execution of Haman in Esther 7. Haman's original decree, meticulously outlined in Esther 3:13, had commanded the complete annihilation of all Jews throughout the empire on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. A central legal dilemma arose because Persian law, once inscribed and sealed with the king's ring, was immutable and could not be revoked, as explicitly stated in Esther 8:8. Consequently, the king could not simply nullify Haman's decree; instead, a new, counter-decree was indispensable to grant the Jews legal authorization to defend themselves. This verse, therefore, meticulously lays the groundwork for the climactic confrontation and decisive victory detailed in Esther 9, effectively transforming a day earmarked for destruction into one of triumphant self-preservation and justice.
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of the Book of Esther are set during the reign of Ahasuerus, widely identified with Xerxes I (486-465 BC), who presided over the immense Achaemenid Persian Empire. This empire was renowned for its sophisticated administrative structure, but equally for the absolute authority vested in its monarch and the unalterable nature of its laws, a recurring theme emphasized throughout the book. Within this ancient Near Eastern geopolitical landscape, royal decrees held binding power and were universally enforced across the empire's 127 provinces. Minority groups, such as the Jewish diaspora, were frequently susceptible to xenophobia, political intrigue, and malicious machinations, rendering Haman's genocidal plot chillingly plausible. The concept of "spoil" (the taking of plunder from a defeated adversary) was a deeply entrenched practice in ancient warfare, symbolizing complete victory and often serving as a significant economic incentive or a deterrent against future aggression. The king's extraordinary grant of self-defense, while unique, represented a pragmatic and legally sound solution to an otherwise immutable legal conundrum, enabling the Jews to survive within the established framework of Persian imperial law.
Key Themes
This verse profoundly encapsulates several overarching and interconnected themes central to the Book of Esther. Foremost among these is Divine Providence, a theme powerfully conveyed despite the conspicuous absence of God's name throughout the entire narrative. The dramatic and improbable turn of events, from the precipice of genocide to legally sanctioned self-defense, strongly intimates an unseen divine hand meticulously orchestrating circumstances for the protection and preservation of His covenant people. This is a profound Reversal of Fortune, where the intended victims are not merely spared but are divinely empowered to become victors, directly countering the malicious intent of their enemies. The verse also underscores the theme of Justice and Retribution, as the very terms of destruction initially conceived for the Jews are now legally sanctioned to be applied to their assailants. Furthermore, it highlights the biblical principle of Righteous Self-Defense in the face of an existential threat, demonstrating that God's people are not called to be passive recipients of evil but are authorized and empowered to "stand for their life" when confronted with unprovoked aggression. The comprehensive scope of the decree, explicitly including "little ones and women" among the assailants, mirrors the comprehensive nature of Haman's original threat against the Jewish community, thereby emphasizing the totality and reciprocity of the authorization for defense.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From a primitive root meaning "to breathe," this word broadly refers to a "breathing creature," vitality, soul, or the very essence of existence. In the phrase "to stand for their life," nephesh emphasizes the fundamental right to self-preservation. The decree grants the Jews the legal authority to defend their very existence, their vitality, and their individual and collective souls against those who sought their annihilation. This is not merely about physical survival but the preservation of their identity and community.
A primitive root meaning "to smite with deadly intent," hârag signifies to kill, murder, or put to death. As one of the three powerful verbs ("destroy, slay, and cause to perish") used to describe the permitted actions, hârag underscores the decisive and lethal authority granted to the Jews. This term, mirroring the language of Haman's original decree, highlights the severity of the threat and the comprehensive nature of the authorized counter-action, allowing for the complete neutralization of active aggressors.
This word denotes force, whether of men, means, or other resources, encompassing concepts like an army, strength, valor, or might. In the phrase "all the power of the people and province that would assault them," chayil refers to the collective strength, resources, and armed might of the aggressors. The decree empowers the Jews to confront and overcome the full, organized force of any who would rise against them, indicating a comprehensive defensive mandate against any form of organized attack.
Verse Breakdown
"Wherein the king granted the Jews which [were] in every city"
This foundational clause establishes the ultimate source of the authority – the Persian king, Ahasuerus – and underscores the universal reach of the decree. It was not a localized or limited permission but a kingdom-wide authorization, extending to every Jewish community across the vast expanse of the Persian Empire, ensuring their protection regardless of their specific geographical location.
"to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life"
This segment highlights both the collective nature and the core defensive purpose of the authorization. The Jews were explicitly permitted to organize, unite, and mobilize, not to initiate unprovoked aggression, but to actively defend their very existence and preserve their lives against those who would assault them. This emphasizes the critical principle of self-preservation in the face of an existential threat.
"to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them"
This crucial part of the verse specifies the comprehensive and decisive actions legally permitted against their aggressors. The potent triplet of verbs – "destroy, slay, and cause to perish" – indicates a thorough and absolute neutralization of the threat. Importantly, this formidable power was granted only against "all the power of the people and province that would assault them," thereby clearly delineating the defensive scope against active, hostile aggressors, not a general license for violence.
"[both] little ones and women"
This chilling yet profoundly significant phrase refers to the "little ones and women" of the assailants, not the Jewish community. This detail directly mirrors the comprehensive and genocidal nature of Haman's original decree, which had targeted Jewish "little ones and women" for destruction (Esther 3:13). By explicitly including the aggressors' vulnerable groups, the counter-decree grants the Jews the same comprehensive authority in self-defense that their enemies had been granted to attack them, underscoring the severity of the threat and the totality of the authorized, retaliatory response.
"and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey"
This final clause grants the Jews the right to confiscate the property and possessions of their defeated assailants. This was a standard and accepted practice in ancient warfare, serving as both a practical benefit (compensation for losses, resources for rebuilding) and a powerful symbolic act of complete victory and humiliation for the defeated party. It further solidifies the dramatic reversal of fortune, where the Jews not only survive but also gain from the defeat of their enemies.
Literary Devices
The language of Esther 8:11 is replete with powerful literary devices, most notably Parallelism and Irony. The decree masterfully mirrors the destructive terms of Haman's original edict (Esther 3:13), employing the identical comprehensive triplet of verbs—"destroy, slay, and cause to perish"—and even extending to the "little ones and women" of the aggressors. This creates a profound sense of Poetic Justice and a dramatic Reversal of Fortune, as the very fate intended for the Jews is now legally authorized to be inflicted upon their enemies. The Irony is deeply profound: what was meticulously planned for their utter annihilation becomes the legal foundation for their triumphant self-preservation. The comprehensive nature of the authorized defense could also be interpreted as Hyperbole, emphasizing the absolute and unreserved authority granted to the Jews to ensure their survival against any who dared to attack them, thereby underscoring the king's unwavering commitment to protecting his Jewish subjects once their desperate plight was fully revealed.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Esther 8:11 stands as a powerful and enduring testament to God's hidden providence and His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant people, even in a narrative where His name is conspicuously absent. The dramatic and improbable reversal of fortune, from the brink of annihilation to divinely sanctioned self-defense, powerfully underscores the biblical theme that God is utterly sovereign over all human affairs, possessing the ultimate power to turn the malevolent schemes of the wicked back upon their own heads. It vividly demonstrates His active and protective hand over His people, meticulously orchestrating events through human agents like Esther and Mordecai to deliver them from seemingly insurmountable threats. This passage also highlights the biblical principle of justice, where the malicious intent and actions of the wicked are ultimately met with a proportionate, divinely sanctioned response, ensuring that, in the end, God's righteous purposes prevail.
Reflection and Application
Esther 8:11 offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today, serving as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest and most desperate circumstances, God's providential hand is actively at work, often unseen, meticulously orchestrating events for the ultimate good of His people and the triumph of His divine purposes. It courageously encourages us to stand firm against injustice, oppression, and evil, trusting implicitly that God possesses the sovereign power to turn curses into blessings and to decisively defeat the most insidious schemes of the wicked. While the New Testament calls believers to a higher and more transformative standard of love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation, this passage from Esther illustrates that there are specific times when righteous self-defense, particularly for the preservation of life and community against existential threats, is not only permissible but can be divinely sanctioned. It powerfully reinforces the timeless theme of divine faithfulness and the ultimate triumph of God's purposes over human malice, urging us to remain vigilant, fervent in prayer, and courageous in the face of adversity, confident that our God is indeed a God of justice, deliverance, and ultimate victory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why couldn't the first decree be revoked, necessitating a new one?
Persian law, once formally written and sealed with the king's ring, was considered unalterable and irreversible. This principle is explicitly stated in Esther 8:8. The king, despite his seemingly absolute authority, was bound by the very laws he or his predecessors had established. Therefore, Ahasuerus could not simply cancel Haman's original decree to annihilate the Jews. Instead, he was compelled to issue a new, counter-decree that granted the Jews the legal right to defend themselves against any individuals or groups who would attempt to execute the still-valid original decree. This legal nuance highlights the intricate, rigid, and binding nature of Persian imperial administration and its legal framework.
Was the Jewish action described in Esther 8:11 an act of vengeance or self-defense?
The decree in Esther 8:11 primarily authorizes a comprehensive act of self-defense. The precise language specifies that the Jews were permitted "to stand for their life" against "all the power of the people and province that would assault them." This clearly indicates a defensive posture against active aggressors, not an unprovoked offensive. While the permission to "destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish" and to "take the spoil" might appear vengeful through a modern lens, it directly mirrors the terms of Haman's original genocidal decree (Esther 3:13). In the ancient Near Eastern context, such comprehensive authorization for self-preservation, including the taking of spoil, was a standard and accepted part of warfare and a definitive sign of complete victory over an enemy. It was a legally sanctioned and just response to an existential threat, effectively turning the tables on those who sought their total destruction.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Esther 8:11, with its dramatic reversal of fortune and the empowerment of the intended victims, profoundly foreshadows the ultimate victory and comprehensive deliverance found exclusively in Jesus Christ. Just as the Jews were granted authority to "stand for their life" against their enemies, Christ, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, secured the ultimate and decisive victory over humanity's greatest adversaries: sin, death, and the devil. The decree in Esther transformed a day of impending doom into a day of triumph; similarly, the cross, which appeared to be the ultimate defeat and humiliation, became the very means of our ultimate victory and liberation. Jesus, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, disarmed the spiritual powers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). Believers, now spiritually united with Christ, are empowered to "stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11), not through physical warfare, but through the spiritual armor provided by God and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The temporal protection granted to the Jews in Esther finds its ultimate and eternal fulfillment in Christ's unwavering promise to build His church, against which "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matthew 16:18). He is our ultimate deliverer, transforming our spiritual death into eternal life and securing our eternal safety from all who would assault our souls.