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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 9:9 meticulously continues the enumeration of Haman's ten sons, specifically listing Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha among those executed by the Jewish people on the 13th day of Adar. This precise detailing underscores the comprehensive nature of the Jewish people's deliverance from their existential threat and the thoroughness of the divine judgment meted out against Haman's lineage, solidifying the dramatic reversal of fortune orchestrated by God's sovereign providence.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Esther 9:9 is an integral part of the broader narrative found in Esther 9:1-19, which chronicles the Jewish people's authorized defense and triumphant victory over their adversaries throughout the vast Persian Empire. Following the king's decree that permitted Jews to defend themselves against those who sought their destruction, this chapter vividly describes the violent confrontations that ensued. Specifically, Esther 9:6-10 focuses on the grim tally of Haman's ten sons, who were among the 500 slain in the citadel of Susa. The preceding verses (Esther 9:1-5) establish the context of the Jews' overwhelming triumph, noting that "no one could withstand them" because "the fear of the Jews fell upon all peoples." The explicit listing of Haman's sons, culminating in their hanging on the gallows originally prepared for Mordecai (Esther 9:10), signifies the complete and definitive eradication of the primary threat to the Jewish people. This precise accounting provides a definitive closure to the immediate conflict and serves as the foundational historical record for the subsequent establishment of the festival of Purim (Esther 9:20-32).
Historical & Cultural Context: The events detailed in the book of Esther are set during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), who ruled the expansive Achaemenid Persian Empire from 486-465 BC. In the ancient Near East, the complete annihilation of an enemy's family, particularly their male descendants, was a common and brutal practice. This was not merely an act of retribution but a strategic measure to prevent future acts of revenge or the resurgence of a rival lineage. Haman, a high-ranking official, harbored a deep-seated, genocidal hatred for the Jewish people, fueled by Mordecai's refusal to bow to him (Esther 3:5). His original plot was to "destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day" (Esther 3:13). Therefore, the execution of his sons was not merely an act of vengeance but a culturally understood and decisive means of ensuring the absolute defeat of Haman's house and the lasting security of the Jewish community within the empire. This act underscored the king's authority and the finality of the judgment against Haman's family, effectively preventing any potential future claims or revivals of their genocidal agenda.
Key Themes: This verse, by meticulously listing Haman's sons, powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Esther. Firstly, it highlights Divine Justice and Reversal, demonstrating that the wicked often fall into the very pit they dig for others. Haman's original decree aimed at the destruction of the Jews (Esther 3:13), but through God's unseen hand and the courageous actions of Esther and Mordecai, the tables were dramatically turned. Haman and his sons met the very fate intended for the Jews, echoing the principle found in Psalm 7:16 that "his mischief shall return upon his own head" and Proverbs 26:27 that "whoever digs a pit will fall into it." Secondly, it emphasizes Complete Deliverance. The killing of Haman's ten sons, alongside the general defeat of the Jews' enemies across the provinces, signifies a thorough and decisive victory, ensuring the lasting safety and peace of the Jewish people within the empire. This was not a partial victory but a comprehensive one, securing their future against the most significant threat they had faced. Thirdly, the meticulous record of these names and events provides the Historical Validation for Purim, the festival established to commemorate this miraculous deliverance. The detailed account in Esther 9 serves as the historical bedrock for the celebration, ensuring that future generations would remember the magnitude of God's protection and the definitive defeat of their adversaries.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in Esther 9:9 is Enumeration. The verse, along with Esther 9:7-8, provides a specific, itemized list of Haman's ten sons. This detailed enumeration serves several crucial purposes: it lends historical authenticity to the narrative, emphasizing the factual basis for the events that led to the establishment of Purim; it underscores the completeness and finality of the judgment against Haman's house, leaving no ambiguity about the eradication of his lineage; and it highlights the magnitude of the deliverance for the Jewish people, as the very source of their persecution was utterly removed. There is also a profound element of Irony present in this enumeration, as Haman, who sought to erase the Jewish people's name from existence, has his own family's names meticulously recorded, not for honor or remembrance, but as a stark testament to their downfall and the triumph of his intended victims.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 9:9, though a simple list of names, powerfully illustrates the biblical principle of divine justice and the ultimate triumph of God's purposes over human wickedness. The meticulous enumeration of Haman's sons underscores the completeness of the judgment against those who oppose God's people. It serves as a stark reminder that while evil may flourish for a time, God is sovereign and will ultimately bring about a dramatic reversal of fortune, ensuring that the wicked fall into the very trap they set for others. This passage reinforces the theme that God, though often unseen and unmentioned by name, is actively working behind the scenes to protect His covenant people and fulfill His promises, even when His hand is not explicitly visible in the human drama.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The specific listing of Haman's sons in Esther 9:9, while seemingly mundane, carries profound implications for our understanding of divine justice and the security of God's people. It reminds us that God's providence is thorough and extends to the complete neutralization of threats against His purposes. In our own lives, this can be a source of immense comfort: even when we face seemingly insurmountable opposition, hatred, or injustice, God is at work, orchestrating events to protect His own and to bring about His perfect justice in His perfect timing. This passage encourages us to trust in God's ultimate control, even when His hand is not immediately visible, and to remember that evil, no matter how powerful or pervasive, has a finite lifespan under His sovereign rule. It also calls us to reflect on the devastating consequences of hatred, prejudice, and genocidal intent, seeing in Haman's fate a stark warning against allowing such destructive forces to take root in our hearts. Ultimately, it inspires confidence in the God who defends His people and ensures their deliverance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is it important that Haman's sons are specifically named and listed in the text?
Answer: The specific naming and listing of Haman's ten sons in Esther 9:7-9 serves several crucial purposes within the narrative and for its historical significance. Firstly, it provides historical validation for the events described, particularly for the establishment of the festival of Purim (Esther 9:26-28). The meticulous record-keeping lends credibility and weight to the narrative, affirming its factual basis. Secondly, it emphasizes the completeness and finality of the judgment against Haman's household. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the annihilation of an enemy's male lineage was a definitive act to prevent any future resurgence or revenge. By naming each son, the text underscores that no male heir remained to continue Haman's legacy of hatred against the Jews. Finally, it highlights the magnitude of the deliverance God granted to His people, demonstrating that the source of their greatest threat was utterly and comprehensively neutralized, ensuring their lasting security.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Esther 9:9, with its account of the complete defeat and eradication of Haman's lineage, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate and decisive victory of Jesus Christ over all the enemies of God's people. Haman, functioning as a type of the adversary, sought to annihilate God's chosen people, but his meticulously laid plans were utterly thwarted, and his own family met with complete destruction. Similarly, humanity was enslaved by sin, death, and the devil, the ultimate adversaries who held dominion over creation. Yet, in Christ, the true King and Deliverer, God orchestrated the greatest reversal in history. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them (Colossians 2:15). He conquered sin and death, rendering powerless "him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). Just as Haman's sons were executed to ensure the lasting peace and security of the Jewish people, Christ's victory ensures the eternal security and spiritual freedom of all who believe in Him. His resurrection is the definitive proof that the power of evil has been broken, and those who trust in Him are delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). The thoroughness of the judgment against Haman's house points to the absolute completeness of Christ's triumph, guaranteeing that no enemy can ultimately stand against the redeemed, who are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37-39).