Rabanus Maurus — Commentary on Scripture

Esther 3:1-6

Nothing else is symbolized by the arrogant Haman than the opulence of the powerful of this world who take advantage of the benefits conceded to them by divine mercy. They despise allowing their neighbors, who are given to them as companions by nature, to have as sharers of such grace. Therefore they are guilty of striving to transfer to themselves the honor and reverence that are rightly due to God alone. And so they pursue with hatred all those who do not want to act according to such behavior or comply with it. They persecute them with afflictions and endeavor to put them to death. But the heavenly judge, “who regards the lowly, and perceives the haughty from far away, who knows the deceiver and he, who is deceived, makes the pain return upon the heads of the sinful, and their iniquity descends on their head. The sinful are caught in their own traps: the righteous will be freed from their anguish, the impious will be handed over in their stead.”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 6

Esther 3:7-15

The fact that the twelfth month, which is called Adar, was chosen for the destruction of Israel after casting lots is not with its own spiritual meaning. It is referring, in fact, to the grace of Christ which has been prepared for the faithful in the fullness of time when the faithful will undergo a fierce persecution in the world in the last days. And writing about this to Timothy, the teacher of the Gentiles says, “You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” And the Lord himself says in the Gospel, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” And a bit further: “For at that time there will be great sufferi…

The fact that the twelfth month, which is called Adar, was chosen for the destruction of Israel after casting lots is not with its own spiritual meaning. It is referring, in fact, to the grace of Christ which has been prepared for the faithful in the fullness of time when the faithful will undergo a fierce persecution in the world in the last days. And writing about this to Timothy, the teacher of the Gentiles says, “You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” And the Lord himself says in the Gospel, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” And a bit further: “For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be.”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 6

Esther 3:8-11

So Haman promised ten thousand talents of silver to the king, and asked for the death of the Jews; and so too the Jewish people, who were dedicated to the fleshly observance of the rites of the Law in the belief that they were pleasing God in this way, planned the death of the true witnesses to Christ who were performing their spiritual service to God in accordance with the teachings of the Gospels. And just as Haman, when he sent his letters, took care to enforce them with the king’s seal because this would make it easier for him to carry out his wishes, the faithlessness of the Jews wrongly exploited—as evidence for their heresy—the books of divine law in which the seal of the supreme king is impressed, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit is made manifest. This they did in their effort to denounce the conversion of the nations to a fellowship of faith, and to condemn the Gospel of Christ as something contrary to God’s precepts.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 3:13

Nor is it merely a straightforward fact that it was the twelfth month of the year, which is called Adar, that was set aside by lot for the murder of Israel; it signifies rather that the grace of Christ, which has been entrusted to the faithful in the fullness of time, is going to experience a harsh persecution in this world in the last days, carried out upon the faithful. This is what the teacher of the nations is also writing about when he says to Timothy: “And let it be known that in the last days we will face dangerous times; and men will be lovers of themselves, greedy, arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, wicked, emotionless, implacable, slanderers, unrestrained, harsh, without kindness, treacherous, reckless, bombastic, loving their pleasures more than they do God; and though they will have the appearance of righteousness, they will deny its power.” Hence the Lord also says in the Gospel: “This evangel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will arrive” (Matthew 24). And a…

Nor is it merely a straightforward fact that it was the twelfth month of the year, which is called Adar, that was set aside by lot for the murder of Israel; it signifies rather that the grace of Christ, which has been entrusted to the faithful in the fullness of time, is going to experience a harsh persecution in this world in the last days, carried out upon the faithful. This is what the teacher of the nations is also writing about when he says to Timothy: “And let it be known that in the last days we will face dangerous times; and men will be lovers of themselves, greedy, arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, wicked, emotionless, implacable, slanderers, unrestrained, harsh, without kindness, treacherous, reckless, bombastic, loving their pleasures more than they do God; and though they will have the appearance of righteousness, they will deny its power.” Hence the Lord also says in the Gospel: “This evangel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will arrive” (Matthew 24). And a bit after that: “Then there will be great tribulation, of a sort there has not been since the beginning of the world till now; but it will not happen unless those days have been cut short” (ibid.).

Commentary on Esther

Esther 3:15

“And the decree was immediately issued in Shushan; and the king and Haman were attending the feast while all the Jews in the city were crying.” This is what the Savior preached to his disciples in the Gospel: “Amen, amen I say to you that you will cry and weep, while the world rejoices; and though you will be sad, your sadness will turn to joy” (John 16).

Commentary on Esther

Esther 4:1-4

When Mordecai heard about the destruction of the Jews which had been sanctioned with an imperial decree, he put on clothes for mourning and proceeded to the gates of the palace with bitterness in his soul and grief in his voice. In the same way, after the teachers of the church hear of the persecution which the princes of this world want to bring against the innocent servants of Christ, they come with their prayers and alms, with vigils and prayers, with tears and heavy hearts in view of what they know must happen. They give their all before the supreme judge, so that through the dignity and prayers of the true queen, namely, the holy church—which is still a stranger in this world even as it reigns in heaven together with the Lord—they might be heard by the king of the universe. If someone, then, should ask how it might be fitting to a most just king to inflict torments on the innocent, let him know that this is not the result of an evil decision, but of the command of a supreme will. Indeed divine wisdom—a wisdom which defeats every wickedness and leads things from beginning to end…

When Mordecai heard about the destruction of the Jews which had been sanctioned with an imperial decree, he put on clothes for mourning and proceeded to the gates of the palace with bitterness in his soul and grief in his voice. In the same way, after the teachers of the church hear of the persecution which the princes of this world want to bring against the innocent servants of Christ, they come with their prayers and alms, with vigils and prayers, with tears and heavy hearts in view of what they know must happen. They give their all before the supreme judge, so that through the dignity and prayers of the true queen, namely, the holy church—which is still a stranger in this world even as it reigns in heaven together with the Lord—they might be heard by the king of the universe. If someone, then, should ask how it might be fitting to a most just king to inflict torments on the innocent, let him know that this is not the result of an evil decision, but of the command of a supreme will. Indeed divine wisdom—a wisdom which defeats every wickedness and leads things from beginning to end with its power, and perfectly arranges everything—does whatever it wants in heaven and on earth, in the sea, and in every abyss. The events that occur, occur fairly so that (God’s) faithful servant may be given into the hands of their persecutors both for the expiation of sin, and the correction of their habits … as the prophet testifies, “the Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him.”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 7

Esther 4:1-2

When Mordecai hears that the slaughter of the Jews has been fixed by imperial decree, he dresses himself in somber clothing and approaches the doors of the palace with a bitter soul and a wailing voice; and when the leaders of the Church hear about the persecution which the princes of the earth desire to inflict upon the blameless slaves of Christ, they long to pour out their troubles—with fasting and charity, with vigils and prayer, with tears and the devotion of the heart—to the hidden recesses of Heaven, i.e. in the sight of the supreme judge. So in light of the honor and the prayers of the true queen, i.e. the holy Church which even now wanders the earth for some of the time, and rules with the Lord in Heaven for the rest, they deserve to be heard by the king of all ages. If, moreover, one were to ask how it might befit a just king to inflict torments on the innocent, he should know that the source of this is not some desire to do harm but the intention of the highest providence; for the divine wisdom—which conquers every sort of wickedness and reaches powerfully from one end to…

When Mordecai hears that the slaughter of the Jews has been fixed by imperial decree, he dresses himself in somber clothing and approaches the doors of the palace with a bitter soul and a wailing voice; and when the leaders of the Church hear about the persecution which the princes of the earth desire to inflict upon the blameless slaves of Christ, they long to pour out their troubles—with fasting and charity, with vigils and prayer, with tears and the devotion of the heart—to the hidden recesses of Heaven, i.e. in the sight of the supreme judge. So in light of the honor and the prayers of the true queen, i.e. the holy Church which even now wanders the earth for some of the time, and rules with the Lord in Heaven for the rest, they deserve to be heard by the king of all ages. If, moreover, one were to ask how it might befit a just king to inflict torments on the innocent, he should know that the source of this is not some desire to do harm but the intention of the highest providence; for the divine wisdom—which conquers every sort of wickedness and reaches powerfully from one end to the other, and disposes everything with ease—does whatever it wishes in Heaven and on earth, on the sea and in all the depths. It is, in other words, with just judgment that his faithful servants are delivered into the hands of the persecutors, whether to expiate their sins or to correct their behavior or even to add to their merits or multiply their rewards, since— as the prophet testifies—“the Lord is just in all his ways, and holy in all his acts; he is close to all who call upon him” (Psalms 145). In truth, he will do the will of those who fear him, and will listen to their prayers and bring them salvation; for the Lord did not deliver Job into Satan’s hands to destroy him because he asked him to, but so that with Job’s help he could defeat his most wicked enemy and so acquire for himself the palm of victory, and leave to that enemy the just punishment for his wickedness. The apostle Paul was subjected to a corporal goad, namely the angel of Satan, who pummeled him so that his virtue would be perfected in a state of weakness. We should also be careful not to pass over in silence the statement that Mordecai could not enter the royal court because he had put on sackcloth, but instead got as far as the doors of the palace; because no one who has been polluted by the life of this world may enter the court of the heavenly realm, rather each of us should, before the last day of his life, knock on the entrance of the kingdom by chastising his body and repenting in his heart for as long as he is here. And this way, he will be fortunate to enter the paradise of the Lord after he has passed into death.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 4:15-16

Mordecai prays with the Jews on behalf of Queen Esther, and the queen likewise prays for Mordecai and the Jews, because a teacher ought to offer prayers to the Lord on behalf of his students, and students on behalf of their teachers, that the entire community of the faithful—i.e. the limbs along with the whole body—may be kept whole through the kindness of Heaven. This explains why, when Paul writes to the Romans, he tells them that he constantly mentions them in his prayers; and he also makes these same Romans swear on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the charity of the Holy Spirit, that they would help him in their prayers and pray for him to the Lord that he might be freed from the faithless who were in Judea, and that his ministry—which he was bringing to Jerusalem—might be acceptable to the saints. So too is it written in the Acts of the Apostles that when Peter was thrown in jail, the Church prayed constantly to the Lord on his behalf; and he himself likewise asks in his letter that the grace of God, and the peace of the Church, may be multiplied and fulfilled in the knowledge of…

Mordecai prays with the Jews on behalf of Queen Esther, and the queen likewise prays for Mordecai and the Jews, because a teacher ought to offer prayers to the Lord on behalf of his students, and students on behalf of their teachers, that the entire community of the faithful—i.e. the limbs along with the whole body—may be kept whole through the kindness of Heaven. This explains why, when Paul writes to the Romans, he tells them that he constantly mentions them in his prayers; and he also makes these same Romans swear on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the charity of the Holy Spirit, that they would help him in their prayers and pray for him to the Lord that he might be freed from the faithless who were in Judea, and that his ministry—which he was bringing to Jerusalem—might be acceptable to the saints. So too is it written in the Acts of the Apostles that when Peter was thrown in jail, the Church prayed constantly to the Lord on his behalf; and he himself likewise asks in his letter that the grace of God, and the peace of the Church, may be multiplied and fulfilled in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 5:1-4

What can it mean that on the third day Esther dressed in royal garments, if not that in the third age of the world—i.e. after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ—the Church of the nations dressed herself in faith, hope and charity, and in the beauty of all the virtues, to receive the sacraments of baptism through the confession of the holy Trinity so that she would then be worthy of the king’s company, since she was burning incessantly with a special love for him? She stands in the courtyard of the king’s house which was inside, opposite the king’s basilica, i.e. in the righteous works of this life which looks toward future compensation in Heaven, where the king himself sits on his celestial throne and assents to the prayers of those who piously cry out to him. He extends to this queen the staff he holds in his hand when he shows her the power of his rule, or rather the cross of his passion through which he has acquired for himself power in Heaven, on earth, and below the earth; so that “in his name every creature—celestial, terrestrial and infernal—shall bend his kne…

What can it mean that on the third day Esther dressed in royal garments, if not that in the third age of the world—i.e. after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ—the Church of the nations dressed herself in faith, hope and charity, and in the beauty of all the virtues, to receive the sacraments of baptism through the confession of the holy Trinity so that she would then be worthy of the king’s company, since she was burning incessantly with a special love for him? She stands in the courtyard of the king’s house which was inside, opposite the king’s basilica, i.e. in the righteous works of this life which looks toward future compensation in Heaven, where the king himself sits on his celestial throne and assents to the prayers of those who piously cry out to him. He extends to this queen the staff he holds in his hand when he shows her the power of his rule, or rather the cross of his passion through which he has acquired for himself power in Heaven, on earth, and below the earth; so that “in his name every creature—celestial, terrestrial and infernal—shall bend his knee.” In fact, she kisses this staff lovingly, that is, she reveres it with total devotion. And the king himself pledges that he will agree to her request, just as he says in the Gospel: “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7). And likewise: “Seek and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” For complete joy is given to the holy Church solely in the sense that it partakes in the kingdom of Heaven, where the fortunate queen will rule forever with Christ the king. And yet once she is allowed to choose her request, she invites him to the feast she has prepared for him; though this can best be understood as that complete and perfect devotion to her faith upon which the observer and arbiter of all the ages nourishes himself within. Of course, the Church invites to this refreshment, i.e. to this communion of vigorous faith, not only her friends but even her enemies and persecutors, namely pagans, Jews and heretics, so that—leaving behind the isolation of complete error—they may rejoice in the common good in the single home of catholic belief.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 5:1-4

The fact that Esther put on all her royal robes on the third day undoubtedly signifies that the church of the nations, in the third time of the world, that is, after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ, clothed herself through the sacrament of baptism and the confession of the Holy Trinity with faith, hope and charity, and the ornament of every virtue so that she might become worthy of the royal marriage while the love of (the Lord) remained constantly fervent. She stood in the inner court of the royal palace, that is, in the pious actions of this life which look at the future reward in heaven where the king himself sits on the supreme throne and fulfills the prayers of those who implore him piously. He, who held out to that queen the golden scepter that was in his hand, showed the power of his rule, that is, the cross of his passion through which he gained authority over heaven, earth and the underworld so that “at his name every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth.” And (the church) lovingly kissed it, that is, worshiped it with all her devotion…

The fact that Esther put on all her royal robes on the third day undoubtedly signifies that the church of the nations, in the third time of the world, that is, after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ, clothed herself through the sacrament of baptism and the confession of the Holy Trinity with faith, hope and charity, and the ornament of every virtue so that she might become worthy of the royal marriage while the love of (the Lord) remained constantly fervent. She stood in the inner court of the royal palace, that is, in the pious actions of this life which look at the future reward in heaven where the king himself sits on the supreme throne and fulfills the prayers of those who implore him piously. He, who held out to that queen the golden scepter that was in his hand, showed the power of his rule, that is, the cross of his passion through which he gained authority over heaven, earth and the underworld so that “at his name every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth.” And (the church) lovingly kissed it, that is, worshiped it with all her devotion. And with regard to her petition, the king answered that he would listen to it, as it is said in the gospel as well, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” And again: “Ask, and you will receive, that you joy may be full.” Indeed the full joy of the church is provided nowhere but in the perception of the heavenly kingdom where the queen will happily reign with the king Christ forever. But she, after choosing her petition, invited him to the banquet that she had prepared. This cannot be better interpreted than as the full and perfect devotion of her faith of which the supervisor and arbiter of all things himself nourishes in her. To that magnificent repast, that is, to the communion of wholesome faith, the church invites not only her friends but also her enemies and persecutors, namely the pagans, the Jews, and the heretics so that, after abandoning the wrong path of error, they may rejoice in the one house of universal confession for the common good.

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8

Esther 5:5-6

Notice how the will of the inviting queen and the order of the commanding king agree. But woe to the one who comes to the banquet of the Lord with an evil mind! Even though such a person has his heart defiled by hatred and a corrupt conscience, he is not ashamed to enter unworthily the banquet of the Lord. Even though he comes after being invited, he does not bask in the joy of the guests. But when the king comes and sees that he sits there without wearing a wedding robe, he will rebuke his temerity and will order him to be bound hand and foot and thrown into the outer darkness where he will be forced to suffer the evil of his deception which he was wickedly preparing against the innocent, as Solomon says, “The wicked will be caught in his snares.”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8

Esther 5:5

Notice that the will of the queen when she invites them is at one with the order issued by the king; but woe to anyone who approaches with evil intent the table of the Lord, who has a breast marred by hatred and an impure conscience and so does not fear to enter the feast of the Lord even though he is unworthy. And even when he has often been invited and has come, he will not linger amid the joyousness of the feasters because his faults force him to leave; but when the king comes in to see him lying there without having dressed in wedding clothes, he chastises him for his arrogance and orders his men to tie his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where he is rightly forced to suffer the harm he was wickedly planning to inflict on the innocent; as Solomon tells us: “The wicked are caught in their own traps.” So after the king once again gives Esther the chance to make a request, she responds as follows: “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to give me what I ask and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast whi…

Notice that the will of the queen when she invites them is at one with the order issued by the king; but woe to anyone who approaches with evil intent the table of the Lord, who has a breast marred by hatred and an impure conscience and so does not fear to enter the feast of the Lord even though he is unworthy. And even when he has often been invited and has come, he will not linger amid the joyousness of the feasters because his faults force him to leave; but when the king comes in to see him lying there without having dressed in wedding clothes, he chastises him for his arrogance and orders his men to tie his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where he is rightly forced to suffer the harm he was wickedly planning to inflict on the innocent; as Solomon tells us: “The wicked are caught in their own traps.” So after the king once again gives Esther the chance to make a request, she responds as follows: “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to give me what I ask and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast which I have prepared for them, and tomorrow I will surrender my will to the king.” The fact that she puts off her request should be attributed not to the vice of laziness, but to the virtue of patience; it signifies, in other words, that in the future rewards will be given to the righteous, but punishment to the sinner. For tomorrow means here a future time, as it does in the Gospel passage “Do not concern yourselves about tomorrow.” And in Genesis, Jacob says to Laban: “Tomorrow my justice will appear.” In Exodus as well, where the commandment to eat the paschal lamb is given, it adds: “And nothing of it will remain till the morning.” When, moreover, the day of future judgment arrives, and the entire human race- i.e. both the righteous and the sinners—is stood in the presence of the supreme Judge, the intent with which a person has lived in this world will be revealed; and there the righteous are invited by a verdict of the judge who sits before them to partake in the kingdom of their heavenly homeland, and the sinners are expelled to be punished, together with the Devil, with the torments of Hell.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 5:6-7

This postponement of the petition is not due to a fault of laziness but must be attributed to the virtue of patience, clearly indicating that the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the sinners are reserved for the future. “Tomorrow,” in fact, must be interpreted as “the future,” as in that comforting sentence, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” And in Genesis Jacob says to Laban, “My justice will answer for me tomorrow.” And in Exodus, when the rules about the eating of the Passover lamb are given, it is added, “You shall let none of it remain until the morning.” Therefore when the day of future judgment comes and the entire human race, both righteous and sinners, is brought before the supreme Judge, then it will be revealed with which mind each person lived in this world. The righteous will be invited to reach the kingdom of the heavenly homeland through the sentence of this judge, and the sinners will be punished and expelled together with the devil into the torments of hell.

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8

Esther 6:1-10

What can the fact that the king spent a sleepless night mean but that which is written in the Psalm: “See, the one who guards Israel will not sleep or slumber” (Psalms 121). They read before him the histories and chronicles of earlier times in which are mentioned the loyalty and the good deeds of Mordecai, because the king of the saints and the prince of the kings of the earth—who remains the same within himself—comes to know with a single glance the course of all the ages and the actions of every individual; and nothing ever escapes his notice, rather everything lies open before him in his sight. Jeremiah tells us about this: “For it is he who has strengthened all things, and Israel is the staff of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name” (Jeremiah 10). Hence the apostle also says: “For in Christ Jesus there is no ‘is’ and ‘was’, but in him there is always ‘is’.” And likewise: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and for all time” (Hebrews 13). So Mordecai’s actions are mentioned before this king, because the good deeds of the holy teachers never fade from his memo…

What can the fact that the king spent a sleepless night mean but that which is written in the Psalm: “See, the one who guards Israel will not sleep or slumber” (Psalms 121). They read before him the histories and chronicles of earlier times in which are mentioned the loyalty and the good deeds of Mordecai, because the king of the saints and the prince of the kings of the earth—who remains the same within himself—comes to know with a single glance the course of all the ages and the actions of every individual; and nothing ever escapes his notice, rather everything lies open before him in his sight. Jeremiah tells us about this: “For it is he who has strengthened all things, and Israel is the staff of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name” (Jeremiah 10). Hence the apostle also says: “For in Christ Jesus there is no ‘is’ and ‘was’, but in him there is always ‘is’.” And likewise: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and for all time” (Hebrews 13).

So Mordecai’s actions are mentioned before this king, because the good deeds of the holy teachers never fade from his memory; rather it is as it is written: “The righteous will be in eternal memory, he will have no fear of bad tidings” (Psalms 112).

Commentary on Esther

Esther 6:11

After all, the preachers of the sacred Gospel and the leaders of the Church, who glisten with their practice of all the virtues and the beauty of wisdom and—because they are the limbs of the supreme king—are nobly honored with the diadem of royal rank, are ordered to mount the king’s horse, i.e. to take charge of and govern the people of the faithful in whose hearts the king of Heaven himself presides continuously. The Lord himself is told about these horses by the prophet Habakkuk: “Going up you shall mount your horses, and your horsemanship is salvation” (Habakkuk 3).

It is to Mordecai that Haman, the spiritual enemy of the people of God, offers—if unwillingly—the appropriate obeisance, since the persecutors of the holy Church are often forced with the assent of Heaven to preach with accurate testimony the praises of the Church, even though they do so in a spirit of disdain; because once the truth has been revealed, the guilty cannot conceal what is obvious by hiding it away.

Commentary on Esther

Esther 6:12-13

This is the change caused by the right hand of the Highest: the one who had just boasted about his power and was arrogant towards everyone else becomes viler and weaker than anyone else. When Mary the mother of our Lord considered the greatness of this divine ordering, she sang in her song of praise, “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” And through Isaiah it is said about this same power, “Shall not Lebanon be transformed into Carmel, and Carmel be regarded as a forest?”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 9

Esther 6:12-13

This is the change in the right hand of the Most High, when someone who was only recently boasting that he had power over others, and was more arrogant than anyone, suddenly becomes more wretched than anyone else and weaker than all of them. It is the magnitude of this phenomenon that Mary, the mother of the Lord, has in mind when she says in her song in the Gospels: “He has made power in his arm, and scattered the arrogant with the thought of his heart. He has dislodged the powerful from their seats, and raised up the humble. He has sated the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed” (Luke 1). We are told about this in Isaiah: “Lebanon will be turned into Carmel, and Carmel will be regarded as a forest” (Isaiah 29). Here we see how the stubbornness of the Synagogue of the Jews was crushed, and the humility of the Church of the nations exalted; how the persecutors of the Christian faith, who once tore apart the flock of Christ like savage lions, have now been destroyed and reduced to nothing; and how those who proclaim Christ throughout the world have been raised…

This is the change in the right hand of the Most High, when someone who was only recently boasting that he had power over others, and was more arrogant than anyone, suddenly becomes more wretched than anyone else and weaker than all of them. It is the magnitude of this phenomenon that Mary, the mother of the Lord, has in mind when she says in her song in the Gospels: “He has made power in his arm, and scattered the arrogant with the thought of his heart. He has dislodged the powerful from their seats, and raised up the humble. He has sated the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed” (Luke 1). We are told about this in Isaiah: “Lebanon will be turned into Carmel, and Carmel will be regarded as a forest” (Isaiah 29).

Here we see how the stubbornness of the Synagogue of the Jews was crushed, and the humility of the Church of the nations exalted; how the persecutors of the Christian faith, who once tore apart the flock of Christ like savage lions, have now been destroyed and reduced to nothing; and how those who proclaim Christ throughout the world have been raised up in a state of vigorous faith and exalted through the power of the virtues. The head has been turned into the tail and the tail into the head, because “Everyone who exalts himself will be brought low; and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Commentary on Esther

Esther 6:14

Now, notice that Haman is now attending the second day just as he had come before when he was summoned; and yet once Esther lays out her request, he is condemned and goes off to his punishment. This explains the fact that in one place in the Gospels is mentioned a lunch made by a person, and elsewhere a dinner; since the lunch symbolizes the present Church, and the dinner the eternal and final feast. Hence once the sinners have been removed, only the good may rejoice in the sight of their creator. Because Haman—who was of course the spiritual enemy of the people of God—was not wearing the garment of charity which would have made him worthy of the king’s feast, he realized that the king was angry; and when the king rushed into the garden—that is, when he invited his chosen ones to the delights of paradise—he tried to plead with the queen for his own safety but in vain, since he could not find an opportune moment for this. For once the penalty of vengeance is imminent, it is too late to look for a means of salvation. So too in the Gospel parable, the foolish virgins ask for oil to re…

Now, notice that Haman is now attending the second day just as he had come before when he was summoned; and yet once Esther lays out her request, he is condemned and goes off to his punishment. This explains the fact that in one place in the Gospels is mentioned a lunch made by a person, and elsewhere a dinner; since the lunch symbolizes the present Church, and the dinner the eternal and final feast. Hence once the sinners have been removed, only the good may rejoice in the sight of their creator.

Because Haman—who was of course the spiritual enemy of the people of God—was not wearing the garment of charity which would have made him worthy of the king’s feast, he realized that the king was angry; and when the king rushed into the garden—that is, when he invited his chosen ones to the delights of paradise—he tried to plead with the queen for his own safety but in vain, since he could not find an opportune moment for this. For once the penalty of vengeance is imminent, it is too late to look for a means of salvation.

So too in the Gospel parable, the foolish virgins ask for oil to refill their lamps when the groom is on his way, but do not receive it. So after the Groom has entered the wedding with the wise virgins, and the door has been closed, the others remain locked out and must look for a point of entry; but there is no way they can be worthy of this, since they no longer find the opportunity for absolution which they had earlier failed to seek out by doing the appropriate deeds.

One may no longer deserve there what he asks from the Lord, if he did not listen here to what he was ordered to do; once he has lost the chance to do the appropriate penance, in vain does he come with his prayers before the door of the kingdom. This is, in fact, the reason why the Lord says through Solomon: “I called and you refused; I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; you despised all my counsel, and you ignored my reproaches. I too will laugh at your destruction, and I will mock you when that which you fear comes to pass; when sudden disaster overwhelms you, and destruction assails you like a storm. Then they will call on me but I will not listen; they will arise in the morning but will not find me” (Proverbs 1).

Commentary on Esther

Esther 6:14

The second day of the banquet arrives to which Haman is invited like before. However, after Esther reveals her petition, he is condemned and brought to his place of execution. The gospel mentions this as a noonday meal in one passage and as an evening meal in another. For it designates the noonday meal of the present church but also the eternal supper and final banquet where only the righteous will rejoice before their creator after sinners have been separated out. Therefore Haman, the spiritual enemy of the people of God, realized that the king was angry because he did not have the robe of charity that would make him worthy of the royal banquet. And while he was hurrying to the palace gardens, that is, while he invited his elect to the delights of paradise, he tried to entreat the queen for his salvation. It was to no avail, however, because he was not able to find the right time for this. It is already too late to ask for the remedies of salvation when revenge and punishment are near.In the parable of the gospel concerning the coming bridegroom, the foolish virgins also ask the wis…

The second day of the banquet arrives to which Haman is invited like before. However, after Esther reveals her petition, he is condemned and brought to his place of execution. The gospel mentions this as a noonday meal in one passage and as an evening meal in another. For it designates the noonday meal of the present church but also the eternal supper and final banquet where only the righteous will rejoice before their creator after sinners have been separated out. Therefore Haman, the spiritual enemy of the people of God, realized that the king was angry because he did not have the robe of charity that would make him worthy of the royal banquet. And while he was hurrying to the palace gardens, that is, while he invited his elect to the delights of paradise, he tried to entreat the queen for his salvation. It was to no avail, however, because he was not able to find the right time for this. It is already too late to ask for the remedies of salvation when revenge and punishment are near.In the parable of the gospel concerning the coming bridegroom, the foolish virgins also ask the wise for oil to fill their lamps, but do not receive any. And after the bridegroom has entered the wedding banquet with the wise virgins, the door is closed. And because they are left outside, they ask to be admitted. They are no longer able to incur this favor, however, because the time for mercy which they neglected to ask for previously with their good works is now past.
One who has no desire to hear what the Lord has commanded cannot receive from him what he asks for. And one who has neglected the time for appropriate repentance comes in vain to the door of the kingdom with his prayers. And indeed the Lord says through Solomon, “I called you and you refused. I stretched out my arms and no one heeded. And because you ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.”

EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 10

Esther 7:8

That is, Haman’s attempt to beseech Queen Esther was regarded by King Ahasuerus as a ruse, because when the day of judgment arrives the petitions of the wicked are seen not as prayer but as provocation. Hence it is written in the Psalm: “When he is judged let him leave condemned, and let his prayer become sin” (Psalms 109). For it is then that the oppression with which they were crushing the humble is thrown back in their faces, because the time of recompense is at hand; for then those who have been condemned for their sins are covered in shame, as it is written: “The confusion of their faces will cover them,” when they are dragged off to the depths of Hell to be given a reward that suits their actions.

Commentary on Esther