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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.
Very often people’s evil schemes turn out differently than they had hoped and the trap they had placed to capture others ensnares them, as the Scripture confirms, “The wicked are ensnared in their traps. And whoever digs a pit will fall into it.” Therefore also Haman, who prefigures the enemies of the church, was obligated to suffer the death that he had prepared for Mordecai. The lot cast into the urn represents the machinations of the human mind; but the result of such machinations entirely depends on divine judgment. Therefore it is said through Solomon, “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the Lord’s alone.”
For wicked men often find that their desires are fulfilled in ways they had not expected to happen; and they are caught in the same traps they set to ensnare others, as the Scripture shows when it says: “The wicked are caught in their traps; and whoever digs a pit falls into it” (Proverbs 26). Hence Haman, who prefigures the enemies of the Church, was likewise forced to suffer the death he had planned for Mordecai. For the lot cast into an urn symbolizes the disposition of each and every thing in the mind of man, whose outcomes depend even so upon the judgment of God. Hence we are told by Solomon: “Lots are cast in the lap, but they are tempered by the Lord. For his way is not in the power of man; rather it belongs not to one who wills, or one who runs, but to God who grants mercy. For all things obey at his nod, and he does whatever he wishes in Heaven and on earth, on the sea and in all the depths” (Proverbs 16).
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SUMMARY
Esther 9:26 serves as the pivotal declaration for the annual Jewish festival of Purim, explicitly stating that these commemorative days were named "Purim" after "Pur," the lot Haman cast to determine the day of Jewish annihilation. This verse underscores that the establishment of this festival was a direct and divinely orchestrated response to the official decree disseminated by Mordecai and Esther, as well as the profound eyewitness accounts and personal experiences of the miraculous deliverance that transformed a day of intended destruction into one of joyous celebration and decisive victory for the Jewish people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The most prominent literary device in Esther 9:26 and the broader narrative it references is Irony. The festival is named "Purim" after "Pur," the very lot Haman cast to determine the day of Jewish annihilation. This is a profound example of situational irony, where the instrument intended for destruction becomes the namesake for a celebration of deliverance. It highlights the complete Reversal of Haman's plans, a central and pervasive theme throughout the Book of Esther. The narrative itself functions as a Historical Narrative, meticulously recounting specific events that led to the establishment of a lasting tradition. The verse also employs a form of Metonymy or Synecdoche when referring to "the words of this letter," where the "letter" represents the entire authoritative decree and its contents, signifying the formal and binding nature of the Purim observance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 9:26, by formally establishing the festival of Purim, profoundly illustrates God's sovereign control over human history, even when His name is not explicitly mentioned within the text. The festival serves as a perpetual reminder of God's hidden hand at work, orchestrating events to protect His covenant people and to turn the schemes of evil into opportunities for deliverance and triumph. It teaches that divine providence is not always overtly miraculous but often operates through seemingly ordinary human actions, political maneuvering, and a series of "coincidences" that are too perfectly timed to be accidental. The naming of Purim after the "lot" (Pur) is a powerful theological statement: what was intended for evil, God transformed for good, demonstrating His ultimate authority over fate and human malice. This truth resonates deeply with the broader biblical narrative of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, even in the face of immense threats and exile.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Esther 9:26 invites us to recognize and celebrate the "Purim moments" in our own lives and in the collective history of God's people. Just as the Jewish community was called to remember and commemorate their miraculous deliverance, we are encouraged to cultivate a spirit of profound gratitude and active remembrance for God's faithfulness. This verse reminds us that even in circumstances where God's presence seems hidden or His hand unseen, He is actively working behind the scenes, orchestrating events for our ultimate good and His glory. It challenges us to trust implicitly in His sovereignty when facing adversity, knowing with certainty that He can turn our greatest fears into our greatest triumphs. The act of remembering and celebrating strengthens our faith, reinforces our understanding of God's unwavering character, and equips us to face future challenges with enduring hope, confident that His divine purposes will ultimately prevail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the name of God not explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther, even though His providence is so evident?
Answer: The absence of God's explicit name in the Book of Esther is a unique literary feature that actually amplifies the theme of divine providence. Rather than direct intervention or explicit divine decree, God's hand is seen through a series of "coincidences," human actions, and dramatic reversals that are too perfectly timed to be accidental. This literary choice emphasizes that God works powerfully and sovereignly even in seemingly secular or political spheres, orchestrating events behind the scenes. It teaches us to discern God's activity not just in overt miracles but also in the subtle, intricate tapestry of everyday life and historical events, reinforcing the idea that His presence is pervasive, even when unstated. The entire narrative, culminating in the establishment of Purim, serves as a powerful testament to His unwavering commitment to His covenant people, regardless of whether His name is invoked.
What is the significance of the "lot" (Pur) in the naming of the festival?
Answer: The "lot" (Hebrew: pur) was the instrument Haman used to determine the "auspicious" day for the planned extermination of the Jews (Esther 3:7). By naming the festival "Purim" (the plural of pur), the Jewish people intentionally highlighted the very means Haman employed to plot their destruction. This act of naming is profoundly ironic and symbolic. It transforms an instrument of intended evil into a perpetual reminder of God's ultimate sovereignty and His ability to turn the enemy's schemes on their head. It underscores the complete reversal of fortune: what was meant for doom became the namesake for a joyous celebration of deliverance, demonstrating that God's purposes cannot be thwarted by human malice or pagan superstition. It is a powerful testament to God's ability to work all things for good.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Esther 9:26, by commemorating a great deliverance through the festival of Purim, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate and eternal deliverance accomplished through Jesus Christ. Just as the Jewish people were miraculously saved from physical annihilation by Haman's decree, humanity is saved from spiritual death and eternal separation by Christ's redemptive work on the cross. The "lot" (Pur) cast by Haman to determine destruction finds its ultimate reversal in the "lot" of humanity, which was destined for judgment but was transformed by Christ's sacrifice. He became the true "Pur" (lot) cast for us, willingly taking upon Himself the curse and judgment we deserved, so that we might receive life and salvation. The joy and feasting of Purim, celebrating freedom from a temporal enemy, point to the far greater and eternal joy of being liberated from sin, death, and the devil through Christ's decisive victory on the cross and His glorious resurrection (Colossians 2:15). He is our ultimate Mordecai and Esther, our great High Priest who continually intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25) and our King who has secured our eternal triumph. The annual remembrance of Purim finds its eternal fulfillment in the ongoing celebration of the new covenant, where believers feast on the spiritual provisions of Christ, remembering His body broken and blood shed for our salvation in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). His deliverance is not merely from a physical threat but from the power of sin itself, offering eternal life and true freedom to all who believe in Him (John 8:36).