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Commentary on Esther 9 verses 20–32
We may well imagine how much affected Mordecai and Esther were with the triumphs of the Jews over their enemies, and how they saw the issue of that decisive day with a satisfaction proportionable to the care and concern with which they expected it. How were their hearts enlarged with joy in God and his salvation, and what new songs of praise were put into their mouths! But here we are told what course they took to spread the knowledge of it among their people, and to perpetuate the remembrance of it to posterity, for the honour of God and the encouragement of his people to trust in him at all times.
I. The history was written, and copies of it were dispersed among all the Jews in all the provinces of the empire, both nigh and far, Est 9:20. They all knew something of the story, being nearly concerned in it - were by the first edict made sensible of their danger and by the second of their deliverance; but how this amazing turn was given they could not tell. Mordecai therefore wrote all these things. And if this book be the same that he wrote, as many think it is, I cannot but observe what a difference there is between Mordecai's style and Nehemiah's. Nehemiah, at every turn, takes notice of divine Providence and the good hand of his God upon him, which is very proper to stir up devout affections in the minds of his readers; but Mordecai never so much as mentions the name of God in the whole story. Nehemiah wrote his book at Jerusalem, where religion was in fashion and an air of it appeared in men's common conversation; Mordecai wrote his at Shushan the palace, where policy reigned more then piety, and he wrote according to the genius of the place. Even those that have the root of the matter in them are apt to lose the savour of religion, and let their leaf wither, when they converse wholly with those that have little religion. Commend me to Nehemiah's way of writing; that I would imitate, and yet learn from Mordecai's that men may be truly devout though they do not abound in the shows and expressions of devotion, and therefore that we must not judge nor despise our brethren. But, because there is so little of the language of Canaan in this book, many think it was not written by Mordecai, but was an extract out of the journals of the kings of Persia, giving an account of the matter of fact, which the Jews themselves knew how to comment upon.
II. A festival was instituted, to be observed yearly from generation to generation by the Jews, in remembrance of this wonderful work which God wrought for them, that the children who should be born might know it, and declare it to their children, that they might set their hope in God, Psa 78:6, Psa 78:7. It would be for the honour of God as the protector of his people, and the honour of Israel as the care of Heaven, a confirmation of the fidelity of God's covenant, an invitation to strangers to come into the bonds of it, and an encouragement to God's own people cheerfully to depend upon his wisdom, power, and goodness, in the greatest straits. Posterity would reap the benefit of this deliverance, and therefore ought to celebrate the memorial of it. Now concerning this festival we are here told,
1.When it was observed - every year on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the twelfth month, just a month before the passover, Est 9:21. Thus the first month and the last month of the year kept in remembrance the months that were past, even the days when God preserved them. They kept two days together as thanksgiving days, and did not think them too much to spend in praising God. Let us not be niggardly in our returns of praise to him who bestows his favours so liberally upon us. Observe, They did not keep the day when they fought, but the days when they rested, and on the fifteenth those in Shushan, and both those days they kept. The sabbath was appointed not on the day that God finished his work, but on the day that he rested from it. The modern Jews observe the thirteenth day, the day appointed for their destruction, as a fasting-day, grounding the practice on Est 9:31, the matters of their fastings and cry. But that refers to what was in the day of their distress (Est 4:3, Est 4:16), which was not to be continued when God had turned their fasts into joy and gladness, Zac 8:19.
2.How it was called - The feast of Purim (Est 9:26), from Pur, a Persian word which signified a lot, because Haman had by lot determined this to be the time of the Jews' destruction, but the Lord, at whose disposal the lot is, had determined it to be the time of their triumph. The name of this festival would remind them of the sovereign dominion of the God of Israel, who served his own purposes by the foolish superstitions of the heathen, and outwitted the monthly prognosticators in their own craft (Isa 47:13), frustrating the tokens of the liars and making the diviners mad, Isa 44:25, Isa 44:26.
3.By whom it was instituted and enacted. It was not a divine institution, and therefore it is not called a holy day, but a human appointment, by which it was made a good day, Est 9:19, Est 9:22. (1.) The Jews ordained it, and took it upon themselves (Est 9:27), voluntarily undertook to do as they had begun. Est 9:23. They bound themselves to this by common consent. (2.) Mordecai and Esther confirmed their resolve, that it might be the more binding on posterity, and might come well recommended by those great names. They wrote, [1.] With all authority (Est 9:29), as well they might, Esther being queen and Mordecai prime-minister of state. It is well when those who are in authority use their authority to authorize that which is good. [2.] With words of peace and truth. Though they wrote with authority, they wrote with tenderness, not imperious, not imposing, but in such language as the council at Jerusalem use in their decree (Act 15:29): "If you do so and so, you shall do well. Fare you well." Such was the style of these letters, or such the salutation or valediction of them: Peace and truth be with you.
4.By whom it was to be observed - by all the Jews, and by their seed, and by all such as joined themselves to them, Est 9:27. The observance of this feast was to be both universal and perpetual; the proselytes must observe it, in token of their sincere affection to the Jewish nation and their having united interests with them. A concurrence in joys and praises is one branch of the communion of saints.
5.Why it was to be observed - that the memorial of the great things God had done for his church might never perish from their seed, Est 9:28. God does not work wonders for a day, but to be had in everlasting remembrance. What he does shall be for ever, and therefore should for ever be had in mind, Ecc 3:14. In this affair they would remember, (1.) Haman's bad practices against the church, to his perpetual reproach (Est 9:24): Because he had devised against the Jews to destroy them. Let this be kept in mind, that God's people may never be secure, while they have such malicious enemies, on whom they ought to have a jealous eye. Their enemies aim at no less then their destruction; on God therefore let them depend for salvation. (2.) Esther's good services to the church, to her immortal honour. When Esther, in peril of her life, came before the king, he repealed the edict, Est 9:25. This also must be remembered, that wherever this feast should be kept, and this history read in explication of it, this which she did might be told for a memorial of her. Good deeds done for the Israel of God ought to be remembered, for the encouragement of others to do the like. God will not forget them, and therefore we must not. (3.) Their own prayers, and the answers given to them (Est 9:31): The matters of their fastings and their cry. The more cries we have offered up in our trouble, and the more prayers for deliverance, the more we are obliged to be thankful to God for deliverance. Call upon me in the time of trouble, and then offer to God thanksgiving.
6.How it was to be observed. And of this let us see,
(1.)What was here enjoined, which was very good, that they should make it, [1.] A day of cheerfulness, a day of feasting and joy (Est 9:22), and a feast was made for laughter, Ecc 10:19. When God gives us cause to rejoice why should we not express our joy? [2.] A day of generosity, sending portions one to another, in token of their pleasantness and mutual respect, and their being knit by this and other public common dangers and deliverances so much the closer to each other in love. Friends have their goods in common. [3.] A day of charity, sending gifts to the poor. It is not to our kinsmen and rich neighbours only that we are to send tokens, but to the poor and the maimed, Luk 14:12, Luk 14:13. Those that have received mercy must, in token of their gratitude, show mercy; and there never wants occasion, for the poor we have always with us. Thanksgiving and almsgiving should go together, that, when we are rejoicing and blessing God, the heart of the poor may rejoice with us and their loins may bless us.
(2.)What was added to this, which was much better. They always, at the feast, read the whole story over in the synagogue each day, and put up three prayers to God, in the first of which they praise God for counting them worthy to attend this divine service; in the second they thank him for the miraculous preservation of their ancestors; in the third they praise him that they have lived to observe another festival in memory of it. So bishop Patrick.
(3.)What it has since degenerated to, which is much worse. Their own writers acknowledge that this feast is commonly celebrated among them with gluttony, and drunkenness, and excess of riot. Their Talmud says expressly that, in the feast of Purim, a man should drink till he knows not the difference between Cursed be Haman, and Blessed be Mordecai. See what the corrupt and wicked nature of man often brings that to which was at first well intended: here is a religious feast turned into a carnival, a perfect revel, as wakes are among us. Nothing more purifies the heart and adorns religion than holy joy; nothing more pollutes the heart and reproaches religion than carnal mirth and sensual pleasure. Corruptio optimi est pessima - What is best becomes when corrupted the worst.
When the whole nation of Israel was about to perish, blessed Esther defeated the tyrant’s anger simply by fasting and praying to God. By faith she changed the ruin of her people into safety. Those days are feast days for Israel; they used to call a feast when an enemy was slain or a conspiracy against the people was broken up and Israel was delivered. That is why Moses established the Feast of the Passover: because Pharaoh was killed and the people were delivered from bondage. So then, especially when tyrants were slain, temporal feasts and holidays were established in Judea. Now, however, the devil, that tyrant against the whole world, is slain. Therefore, our feast does not relate only to time but to eternity. It is a heavenly feast! We do not announce it as a shadow or a picture or a type but as the real thing.
In the face of all this, brothers and sisters, what should we do but give thanks to God, the king of all? Let us start by crying out the words of the psalm, “Blessed is the Lord, who has not let them eat us up.” Let us keep the feast in that way that he has established for our salvation—the holy day of Easter—so that we, along with the angels, may celebrate the heavenly feast. Remember that Israel, coming out of affliction to a state of rest, sang a song of praise for the victory as they kept the feast. And in the time of Esther the people kept a feast to the Lord because they had been delivered from a deadly decree. They called a feast, thanking and praising the Lord because he had changed the situation for them. Therefore, let us keep our promises to the Lord, confess our sins, and keep the feast to him—in behavior, moral conduct, and way of life. Let us keep it by praising the Lord, who has disciplined us so lightly but has never failed us nor forsaken us nor stopped speaking to us.
For those who always faithfully perform pious labors, and good works, and who generously give charity, are fighting for this so that they will be worthy to win entry to eternal life in faith, hope and charity, in accordance with the teachings of the Gospels and the apostles; and so that by comforting both themselves—and those who obey them—in the midst of the troubles of this world, they will gain strength. So by rejoicing in hope they are patient in times of tribulation, they pray without respite, they give thanks for everything, and with pious prayers they place their suffering in the hands of the faithful Lord so that they may be repaid, through his help, with eternal happiness.
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SUMMARY
Esther 9:21 formally establishes the annual observance of the festival of Purim, mandating that the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar be perpetually kept as days of remembrance, feasting, and joyous celebration. This decree solidifies a lasting tradition for the Jewish people, ensuring that the miraculous and providential deliverance from Haman's genocidal plot would be commemorated across generations, serving as an enduring testament to God's unseen hand and the radical reversal of their fortunes.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Esther 9:21 skillfully employs several significant literary devices to convey its message and establish its authority. The most prominent device is Decree/Edict, as the verse functions as a formal, authoritative pronouncement that establishes a new law or custom. This reflects the administrative and legal framework of the Persian Empire, where royal decrees held immense power, now mirrored in a communal, divinely inspired mandate. There is also a strong element of Repetition in the explicit mention of "the fourteenth day... and the fifteenth day... yearly," which serves to underscore the precise dates and the perpetual nature of the observance, reinforcing its importance and ensuring its consistent practice across time. Furthermore, the verse functions as a form of Commemorative Literature, transforming a pivotal historical event—the deliverance from genocide—into a mandated annual ritual. This ensures the story's transmission, the preservation of historical memory, and the enduring lessons learned from God's providential care are passed down through generations.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 9:21, in formally establishing the festival of Purim, profoundly connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant people, even when His name is not explicitly mentioned within the book itself. It powerfully illustrates the principle of God's hidden providence, where He sovereignly works through ordinary individuals and seemingly coincidental events to bring about His divine will and deliver His chosen ones from destruction. The annual festival serves as a tangible and perpetual reminder that even in exile, under foreign rule, and facing existential threats, God remains the ultimate protector and sustainer of Israel. It underscores the ongoing biblical imperative for God's people to remember His mighty acts of salvation and to transmit these sacred stories to future generations, thereby fostering a corporate identity deeply rooted in divine deliverance and gratitude.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Esther 9:21 calls us to cultivate a profound posture of remembrance and celebration in our own spiritual lives. Just as the Jewish people were commanded to annually recall God's miraculous deliverance, believers today are invited to intentionally remember and celebrate God's faithfulness in their personal histories and in the grand, unfolding narrative of salvation. This involves not only recalling past victories and providential interventions but also actively acknowledging His sovereign hand in present circumstances, fostering a deep and abiding sense of gratitude, trust, and hope. The establishment of Purim also powerfully underscores the importance of communal celebration and the vital passing on of faith. We are called to share the stories of God's redemptive work, particularly the ultimate deliverance found in Jesus Christ, with our families, our communities, and future generations, ensuring that the transformative lessons of His power, love, and faithfulness endure. This verse reminds us that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable threats and despair, God possesses the power to radically turn sorrow into joy, and mourning into dancing, offering profound and enduring hope for every challenge we encounter.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the two days (14th and 15th of Adar) for Purim?
Answer: The observance of two distinct days for Purim (the 14th and 15th of Adar) is deeply rooted in the historical events of the Jewish people's defense against their enemies throughout the Persian Empire. According to Esther 9:17, Jews residing in unwalled towns completed their fighting on the 13th of Adar and subsequently rested and feasted on the 14th. However, in the fortified capital of Shushan, the conflict extended through the 14th of Adar, meaning the Jews there rested and feasted on the 15th (Esther 9:18). The decree in Esther 9:21 formally established both days to accommodate these differing experiences across the Jewish diaspora, ensuring that all Jews, regardless of their geographical location or the specific timing of their deliverance, could collectively commemorate God's miraculous intervention.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Esther 9:21 establishes a festival rooted in a specific Old Covenant deliverance, its underlying themes find profound and ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment. The radical reversal of fortune, from a decree of death to a day of feasting and joy, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate reversal accomplished by Jesus Christ. Humanity, under a universal death sentence due to sin (Romans 6:23), found deliverance not through human might or political maneuvering, but through the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just as Haman's gallows, intended for Mordecai, became his own instrument of death, so too the cross, intended as an instrument of shame and death for Christ, became the very means of our salvation and triumphant victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15). The annual remembrance of Purim, with its focus on God's hidden hand of providence, points to the eternal remembrance of Christ's finished work, which ushers in a perpetual feast of joy and fellowship for all who believe, culminating in the marriage supper of the Lamb. Through Christ, the hidden providence of God is fully revealed, demonstrating His sovereign plan to redeem humanity and establish an everlasting kingdom of light and life.