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Commentary on Esther 9 verses 1–19
We have here a decisive battle fought between the Jews and their enemies, in which the Jews were victorious. Neither side was surprised; for both had notice of it long enough before, so that it was a fair trial of skill between them. Nor could either side call the other rebels, for they were both supported by the royal authority.
I. The enemies of the Jews were the aggressors. They hoped, notwithstanding the latter edict, to have power over them, by virtue of the former (Est 9:1), and made assaults upon them accordingly; they formed themselves into bodies, and joined in confederacy against them, to seek their hurt, Est 9:2. The Chaldee paraphrase says that none appeared against the Jews but Amalekites only, who were infatuated, and had their hearts hardened, as Pharaoh's against Israel, to take up arms to their own destruction. Some had such an inveterate implacable malice against the Jews that Haman's fall and Mordecai's advancement, instead of convincing them, did but exasperate them, and make them the more outrageous and resolute to cut all their throats. The sons of Haman, particularly, vowed to avenge their father's death, and pursue his designs, which they call noble and brave, whatever hazards they run; and a strong party they had formed both in Shushan and in the provinces in order hereunto. Fight they would, though they plainly saw Providence fight against them; and thus they were infatuated to their own destruction. If they would have sat still, and attempted nothing against the people of God, not a hair of their head would have fallen to the ground: but they cannot persuade themselves to do that; they must be meddling, though it prove to their own ruin, and roll a burdensome stone, which will return upon them.
II. But the Jews were the conquerors. That very day when the king's decree for their destruction was to be put in execution, and which the enemies thought would have been their day, proved God's day, Psa 37:13. It was turned to the contrary of what was expected, and the Jews had rule over those that hated them, Est 9:1. We are here told,
1.What the Jews did for themselves (Est 9:2): They gathered themselves together in their cities, embodied, and stood upon their defence, offering violence to none, but bidding defiance to all. If they had not had an edict to warrant them, they durst not have done it, but, being so supported, they strove lawfully. Had they acted separately, each family apart, they would have been an easy prey to their enemies; but acting in concert, and gathering together in their cities, they strengthened one another, and durst face their enemies. Vis unita fortior - forces act most powerfully when combined. Those that write of the state of the Jews at this day give this as a reason why, though they are very numerous in many parts, and very rich, they are yet so despicable, because they are generally so selfish that they cannot incorporate, and, being under the curse of dispersion, they cannot unite, nor (as here) gather together, for, if they could, they might with their numbers and wealth threaten the most potent states.
2.What the rulers of the provinces did for them, under the influence of Mordecai. All the officers of the king, who, by the bloody edict, were ordered to help forward their destruction (Est 3:12, Est 3:13), conformed to the latter edict (which, being an estopel against an estopel, had set the matter at large, and left them at liberty to observe which they pleased) and helped the Jews, which turned the scale on their side, Est 9:3. The provinces would generally do as the rulers of the provinces inclined, and therefore their favouring the Jews would greatly further them. But why did they help them? Not because they had any kindness for them, but because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them, he having manifestly the countenance both of God and the king. They all saw it their interest to help Mordecai's friends because he was not only great in the king's house, and caressed by the courtiers (as many are who have no intrinsic worth to support their reputation), but his fame for wisdom and virtue went out thence throughout all the provinces: in all places he was extolled as a great man. He was looked upon also as a thriving man, and one that waxed greater and greater (Est 9:4), and therefore for fear of him all the king's officers helped the Jews. Great men may, by their influence, do a great deal of good; many that fear not God will stand in awe of them.
3.What God did for them: he struck all people with a fear of them (Est 9:2), as the Canaanites were made afraid of Israel (Jos 2:9, Jos 5:1), so that, though they had so much hardiness as to assault them, yet they had not courage to prosecute the assault. Their hearts failed them when they came to engage, and none of the men of might could find their hands.
4.What execution they did hereupon: No man could withstand them (Est 9:2), but they did what they would to those that hated them, Est 9:5. So strangely were the Jews strengthened and animated, and their enemies weakened and dispirited, that none of those who had marked themselves for their destruction escaped, but they smote them with the stroke of the sword. Particularly, (1.) On the thirteenth day of the month Adar they slew in the city Shushan 500 men (Est 9:6) and the ten sons of Haman, Est 9:10. The Jews, when on the feast of Purim they read this book of Esther, oblige themselves to read the names of Haman's ten sons all in one breath, without any pause, because they say that they were all killed together, and all gave up the ghost just in the same moment. - Buxt. Synag. Jud. c. 24. The Chaldee paraphrase says that, when these ten were slain, Zeresh, with seventy more of his children, escaped, and afterwards begged their bread from door to door. (2.) On the fourteenth day they slew in Shushan 300 more, who had escaped the sword on the former day of execution, Est 9:15. This Esther obtained leave of the king for them to do, for the greater terror of their enemies, and the utter crushing of that malignant party of men. The king had taken account of the numbers that were put to the sword the first day (Est 9:11), and told Esther (Est 9:12), and asked her what more she desired. "Nothing," says she, "but commission to do such another day's work." Esther surely was none of the blood-thirsty, none of those that delight in slaughter, but she had some very good reasons that moved her to make this request. She also desired that the dead bodies of Haman's ten sons might be hanged up on the gallows on which their father was hanged, for the greater disgrace of the family and terror of the party (Est 9:13), and it was done accordingly, Est 9:14. It is supposed that they were hanged in chains and left hanging for some time. (3.) The Jews in the country kept to their orders, and slew no more of their enemies than what were slain the thirteenth day, which were in all, among all the provinces, 75,000, Est 9:16. If all these were Amalekites (as the Jews say), surely now it was that the remembrance of Amalek was utterly put out, Exo 17:14. However, that which justifies them in the execution of so many is that they did it in their own just and necessary defence; they stood for their lives, authorized to do so by the law of self-preservation, as well as by the king's decree. (4.) In these several executions it is taken notice of that on the prey they laid not their hand, Est 9:10, Est 9:15, Est 9:16. The king's commission had warranted them to take the spoil of their enemies for a prey (Est 8:11), and a fair opportunity they had of enriching themselves with it; if Haman's party had prevailed, no doubt, they would have made use of their authority to seize the goods and estates of the Jews, Est 3:13. But the Jews would not do so by them, [1.] That they might, to the honour of their religion, evidence a holy and generous contempt of worldly wealth, in imitation of their father Abraham, who scorned to enrich himself with the spoils of Sodom. [2.] That they might make it appear that they aimed at nothing but their own preservation, and used their interest at court for the saving of their lives, not for the raising of their estates. [3.] Their commission empowered them to destroy the families of their enemies, even the little ones and the women, Est 8:11. But their humanity forbade them to do that, though that was designed against them. They slew none but those they found in arms; and therefore they did not take the spoil, but left it to the women and little ones, whom they spared, for their subsistence; otherwise as good slay them as starve them, take away their lives as take away their livelihoods. Herein they acted with a consideration and compassion well worthy of imitation.
5.What a satisfaction they had in their deliverance. The Jews in the country cleared themselves of their enemies on the thirteenth day of the month, and they rested on the fourteenth day (Est 9:17), and made that a thanksgiving day, Est 9:19. The Jews in Shushan, the royal city, took two days for their military execution, so that they rested on the fifteenth day, and made that their thanksgiving-day, Est 9:18. Both of them celebrated their festival the very day after they had finished their work and gained their point. When we have received signal mercies from God we ought to be quick and speedy in making our thankful returns to him, while the mercy is fresh and the impressions of it are most sensible.
Queen Esther’s endeavor to successfully crush her enemies and root them out reveals the eagerness and zeal of a true queen, namely, of the holy church that constantly fights against her enemies and strives to defeat them completely and subdue them. And it is her voice the psalmist uses when he says, “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed. I struck them down so that they were unable to rise.” And when she first kills five hundred people in Susa, and then three hundred, she shows that eternal death awaits not only those who do not want to repent of their sins, but also those who neglect to adorn the faith of the Holy Trinity with good works.
What can it mean when we read that the Jews pursued their enemies and killed five hundred men in Shushan, except for the ten sons of Haman whom they nailed to gibbets? Merely that to the people of God, it is not only all the evildoers among the nations who appear to be loathsome and worthy of damnation when they persist in their wickedness, refuse to repent for their sins, and make no effort to obtain forgiveness for their offenses through the grace of the Holy Spirit; but also the actual Jews of the flesh, i.e. those who violated the Decalogue of the Law of Moses, and were guilty of the cross of Christ whom in their faithlessness they took responsibility for at his very passion, are quite rightly forced to bear the torments of Hell. And none of the chosen would deign to share in their wickedness, or to imitate their unspeakable actions; so it makes sense that the text would add that once the Jews had killed their enemies, they refused to touch or to handle any of the spoils of their property.
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SUMMARY
Esther 9:7 commences the solemn and meticulous enumeration of Haman's ten sons, with Parshandatha, Dalphon, and Aspatha being the first three named. This precise listing within the capital city of Susa underscores the comprehensive and irreversible judgment executed against Haman's lineage, symbolizing the complete eradication of his house and serving as a powerful testament to the dramatic reversal of fortune for the Jewish people, who were delivered from decreed annihilation to decisive victory and profound vindication.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Esther 9:7 is strategically positioned within the climactic resolution of the Book of Esther, immediately following the widespread defensive victories achieved by the Jewish people throughout the Persian provinces (Esther 9:1-6). This verse, along with the subsequent enumeration in Esther 9:8-10, provides a detailed account of the execution of Haman's ten sons in Susa, the capital city. This specific act is crucial, as it solidifies the Jewish triumph in the heart of the empire. The meticulous naming of each son directly precedes Esther's request for an additional day of action in Susa and the public display of the sons' bodies (Esther 9:11-14), further emphasizing the finality and public nature of the judgment against the chief antagonist. The detailed enumeration of Haman's direct male heirs here stands in stark contrast to the more general description of the widespread destruction of enemies in the preceding verses, highlighting the unique and particular significance of eradicating the source of the genocidal plot.
Historical & Cultural Context: The narrative of Esther unfolds against the backdrop of the vast Achaemenid Persian Empire, during the reign of King Ahasuerus (widely identified as Xerxes I, who ruled from 486-465 BC). In the ancient Near East, the complete eradication of a prominent enemy's male lineage, especially one deemed a traitor or a genocidal threat like Haman, was a deeply rooted and culturally understood practice. This act served not only as a severe punitive measure but also as a crucial preventative one, ensuring that no male heir remained to seek revenge, perpetuate the family's influence, or reignite the threat. The Persian origin of the sons' names—Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, and their brothers—further anchors the narrative firmly within its historical setting, lending an air of authenticity and verisimilitude to the detailed account of the judgment and the cultural context in which it occurred.
Key Themes: The explicit listing of Haman's sons in Esther 9:7-10 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that resonate throughout the Book of Esther. Foremost among these is the profound theme of Divine Justice and Reversal of Fortune. Haman's meticulously crafted plot for the annihilation of the Jewish people is dramatically turned back upon his own household, illustrating the ancient biblical principle that "whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling" (Proverbs 26:27). This verse also significantly emphasizes the Completeness of Victory for the Jewish people; the specific naming of all ten sons underscores the thorough, definitive, and final nature of the judgment, ensuring that no direct male heir remained to perpetuate Haman's hatred or plot further schemes against God's chosen people. Furthermore, this decisive act in Susa is a pivotal moment in the Establishment of Purim, the annual festival that commemorates the Jews' miraculous deliverance and the turning of their sorrow into joy, as commanded and observed in Esther 9:20-22.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Esther 9:7 (and extending through Esther 9:10) is Enumeration or Listing. The explicit naming of each of Haman's ten sons serves to emphasize the thoroughness, completeness, and finality of the judgment against Haman's house. This meticulous detail underscores that no male heir was left to perpetuate Haman's legacy of hatred or seek future revenge, thereby securing the Jewish people's deliverance. The act of listing also lends a sense of historical authenticity and precision to the narrative, reinforcing the reality of the events described. Furthermore, this enumeration contributes to the overarching Irony that pervades the entire book: Haman, who meticulously planned the annihilation of the entire Jewish people and specifically targeted Mordecai, sees his own family completely destroyed, fulfilling the principle of poetic justice where the wicked fall into their own snare (Psalm 7:15).
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 9:7, by meticulously listing the first three of Haman's ten sons, powerfully illustrates the biblical principle of divine justice and the ultimate triumph of God's purposes over human evil. While God is not explicitly named in the Book of Esther, His providential hand is undeniably evident in the dramatic reversal of fortune, where the very decree intended for Jewish annihilation becomes the means of their deliverance and the destruction of their enemies. The complete eradication of Haman's male lineage signifies the thoroughness of God's judgment against those who oppose His people and His plan. It assures believers that even when evil seems to prevail and darkness appears to triumph, God is sovereignly at work, turning the schemes of the wicked back upon their own heads and ensuring the ultimate vindication and security of His covenant people. This specific, detailed judgment serves as a powerful reminder that God's justice is precise and complete, leaving no stone unturned in securing His righteous ends and demonstrating His unwavering faithfulness to His promises.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The specific naming of Haman's sons in Esther 9:7, and the subsequent verses detailing their execution, offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It is a powerful reminder that God's justice, though sometimes delayed, is ultimately precise, comprehensive, and inescapable for those who set themselves against His people and His divine purposes. This passage encourages us to cultivate an unwavering trust in God's sovereign control, even when circumstances appear dire, when evil seems to be winning, or when our prayers for justice seem unanswered. Just as Haman's meticulously crafted plot was utterly reversed, we are reminded that God is capable of turning any situation around for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This narrative also challenges us to consider the "spiritual enemies" or "works of the flesh" in our own lives—those attitudes, habits, or influences that seek to undermine our faith, spiritual vitality, and relationship with God. The thoroughness of the judgment against Haman's house can inspire us to pursue a decisive and complete victory over these internal and external threats, relying on God's power to fully eradicate them from our lives and secure our spiritual freedom and flourishing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why are Haman's sons specifically named and listed in the text?
Answer: The specific naming and listing of Haman's ten sons (starting with Parshandatha, Dalphon, and Aspatha in Esther 9:7) serves several crucial purposes within the narrative. Firstly, it profoundly emphasizes the completeness and finality of the judgment against Haman's house. By naming each son, the text underscores that no male heir was left to perpetuate Haman's genocidal hatred or seek future revenge against the Jewish people. This meticulous detail ensures the thorough eradication of his lineage, preventing any future claim to power or continuation of his malicious agenda. Secondly, this detailed enumeration lends an air of historical authenticity and precision to the account, reinforcing the reality of the events described. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the complete destruction of a traitor's family was a recognized and often practiced measure to prevent future threats. This specific listing highlights the personal, definitive, and comprehensive nature of the victory, transforming a general statement into a concrete, verifiable act of divine justice and deliverance for the Jewish community in Susa. It underscores that God's justice is not abstract but precise and thorough.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Esther 9:7 recounts a specific historical judgment within the Old Testament, it powerfully foreshadows the ultimate and decisive victory achieved through Jesus Christ. Haman's complete defeat, symbolized by the thorough eradication of his lineage, prefigures Christ's triumph over all the forces of evil that seek to destroy humanity. Just as Haman's meticulously crafted plot was turned back upon his own head, Christ, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, decisively defeated sin, death, and the devil, disarming principalities and powers and making a public spectacle of them on the cross (Colossians 2:15). The thoroughness of the judgment against Haman's sons speaks to the completeness of Christ's redemptive work, which left no "heir" to the kingdom of darkness with power over those who believe and are united with Him. Through Christ, the one "who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), believers are delivered not merely from a human oppressor but from the ultimate enemy, the one who holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). The justice seen in Esther, where the wicked receive their due, finds its perfect and eternal fulfillment in Christ, who came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and establish a kingdom where righteousness reigns forever, guaranteeing eternal security and victory for His people.