Esther
King Ahasuerus’ Great Feast
Introduction
111This is what happened in the days of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India [in the east] to Kush [modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia in the west] [The Persian king Ahasuerus reigned around 486-465 BC. In Hebrew, the name Achashverosh is transcribed as meaning ”I will be silent and poor”. He is perhaps best known by the Greek name Xerxes the Great. He is also mentioned in other biblical books, see ; ; ] 2At that time King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) sat on his royal throne in the palace at Susa (Shoshan). [Ahasuerus’ father, Darius the Great, was the one who made Susa the capital of the Persian Empire in 521 BC. He transported over a million cubic meters of fill material and built a 15-meter-high plateau, covering about 100 hectares (1 km²), where he constructed an enormous palace and a large banquet hall. Ahasuerus’ son, Artashastas (who reigned from 465-424 BC) also based himself in Susa. It was here that his bodyguard (cupbearer) Nehemiah came before him to ask permission to return and rebuild Jerusalem. The contrast between the extravagant palace in Susa and a devastated Jerusalem must have weighed heavily on Nehemiah’s heart.] 3
Iranian town of Shush is located on the site of ancient Susa.
The Greatness of the King
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The roof of the banquet hall was supported by 36 (6 x 6) huge marble columns. At the top of each column, the rafters rested on 4 meter high ornate ornaments. The Louvre Museum in Paris has one of these. The total ceiling height was an incredible 21 meters and the entire banquet hall measured 100 x 100 meters. The adjacent palace was three times that size, see the model on the right.
Queen Vashti is Removed
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Vasti refuses to come before the King. Painting by Edwin Long in 1879.
Mehoman,
Bizzeta,
Charvona,
Bigta
and
Avageta,
Zetar
and
Karkkas,
the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), 11to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing the royal crown. He wanted to show the people and leaders her beauty, because she was very beautiful and attractive. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command, which the eunuchs presented. Then the king became furious and burned with anger [because she had undermined his authority]. 13The king consulted the wise men who investigated the times, for it was the king’s habit to consult experts in matters of law and justice. 14Those closest to him [of these wise men] were
Karshena,
Shetar,
Admata,
Tarshish,
Meres,
Marsena [and]
Memochan,
seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king’s face (proximity) and were the highest ranking in the kingdom. [The mention of seven eunuchs and seven princes symbolically indicates that the king wants to suggest that his kingdom is complete and perfect. The number seven stands for, among other things, perfection. Because it was a human kingdom, not subordinate to God, it was only humanly perfect, but there was also a blessing from God here as Ezra and Nehemiah received the king’s blessing to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and its temple. One of the eunuchs, Bigta (verse 10), is mentioned again in connection with a plot to kill the king, see ; .] 15What should we do with Queen Vashti according to the law, since she has failed to obey the king’s command that King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) issued and that the eunuchs presented?” 16Then Memochan [one of the seven closest men, see verse 14] answered before the king and the princes, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only to the king, but also to the princes and the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), 17for the queen’s behavior will become known among all the women and make them contemptible in the eyes of their husbands, saying, ‘King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) commanded Queen Vashti to come before him, but she did not come. 18This day the noble women of Persia and Media will hear about this concerning the queen, and they will react likewise to all the princes of the king, and there will be no end to all the contempt and anger. 19If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go forth from him and let it be written in the law of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti must never again appear before King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) again, and the king should give her royal status to someone else more worthy than she. 20Then the king’s decree, which he issues throughout the kingdom for it is great (literally “great is she”, the kingdom is in feminine form), and all women should give their husbands due reverence, from the greatest to the least.” [Although God’s name is not explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther, his existence is self-evident. Esther and her friends fast and pray to God, etc. He is also mentioned in the text. Here in verse 20 is the first of four times God’s name JHVH is encoded in the four words translated “she/it, and all women shall give.” The initial letters backwards form an acrostic pattern for God’s name Yahweh, see also ; ; ]. 21This proposal appealed to the king and the princes, so the king did according to the word of Memochan. 22He sent out letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own writing and to each people in its own language, that each man should be master of his own house and speak the language of his own people. [The letter established two things: full male headship in the family and, in cases where two languages were spoken in the home, the right to decide which language to speak. The Greek historian Herodotus describes how the Persians were able to send letters quickly by using a new horse and rider for each day’s journey.]Esther Becomes Queen
A Request for a new Queen
21After these events when King Ahasuerus’ (Xerxes) anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decided about her. [Here we can sense that the king is wondering if he might have gone too far, as the word zachar - remember, recall - has a positive undertone indicating that he has not really stopped loving Vashti]. 2Then the king’s servants who were with him said: “Let them search for beautiful young maidens on behalf of the king. 3Let the king appoint officials in all the provinces of his kingdom so that they can gather all the young, good-looking virgins to the palace at Susa, to the women’s house under the supervision of Hege, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women and give them beauty treatments. 4Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in Vashti’s place.” This advice was liked by the king and he did so.Esther is Introduced
[Before Esther can be introduced, Mordecai is introduced. This is his Babylonian name and it probably originates from the Babylonian creator god Marduk, but the name may also have Persian origins meaning ‘little boy’. Probably he also had a Hebrew name, see ; .] 5There was a certain Jew in the palace of Susa whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish [indicating that he was from the family of Saul, see ; ]. He was a Benjamite 6who had been taken away from Jerusalem with the prisoners who were taken away with Jechoniah king of Judah when he was taken away by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [in 597 BC, see 2 Kings 24:8-17]. 7He supported Hadassa, that is Esther his uncle’s daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. And the young woman was beautiful, shapely and pleasing to the eye. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had taken (adopted) her as his own daughter. [Esther’s Jewish name was Hadassa which means “Myrtle”. It is a plant associated with weddings and is another of the book’s hidden prophetic messages - her very name suggests that she will be a bride. Her Persian name Esther, meaning ‘star’, comes from the same root as the Babylonian love goddess Ishtar’s name. Esther was a cousin of Mordecai.] 8
Cosmetic Box of the Royal Butler Kemeni, from 1814 –1805 B.C.
The Procedure
12The time came for each virgin to go in to Ahasuerus (Xerxes), after everything had been done for her according to the law for the women, twelve months were their days of anointing (beauty treatments). There were six months of myrrh oil and six months of sweet odors and of other creams for the women. 13When the virgins went in to the king, they were allowed to bring whatever they wanted from the women’s house to the king’s house, and it was given to them. 14She left in the evening, and in the morning she returned to the other women’s house, under the supervision of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain who was in charge of the concubines [concubines; the king’s wives of lower rank than the queen]. She did not come to the king again unless the king found such pleasure in her that she was called by name.Esther is Chosen as Queen
15Now when it was the turn of Esther, the daughter of Avichajil, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, when her turn came to go in to the king, she desired nothing except what Hege, the king’s chamberlain and guardian of the women, recommended. And Esther had favor with all who looked upon her. 16Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), to his royal house, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet (December/January), in the 7th year of the king’s reign. [Esther becomes queen in December 479 BC or January 478 BC, four years after the deposition of the previous queen Vashti. Esther takes office either at the end of Persia’s second war with the Greeks or during the course of it. The invasion began in the spring of 480 BC.] 17The king loved Esther more than (over) all other women and she received (found) grace (undeserved love; favor) and mercy (compassion, tender love) before him, more than all virgins. [Two synonyms for grace, Heb. chen followed by chesed, reinforce Esther’s radiance, which has its source in her faith in God]. He put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in Vashti’s place. 18Then the king arranged (made) a banquet (big party) for all his princes and servants [he called it] Esther’s banquet and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts as befits a rich king.Mordecai Saves the King
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The Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked Lachish in Judea in 701 BC. The attack is documented on a large relief that also shows Jewish prisoners being impaled on wooden stakes. The wall panel is in the British Museum in London.
Haman’s Evil Plans
31After this event, King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) promoted Haman son of Hammedata, the Agagite, and placed him in the place of all the princes who were with him. [The event referred to is that Mordecai has saved the king’s life, see . The reader senses that all is not right. Shouldn’t Mordecai have received some reward or recognition for saving the king’s life? Instead, a completely different person is introduced, Haman. Whether Haman was actively involved in covering up Mordecai’s role, or whether it was a bureaucratic mistake, this is later discovered by the king (Est 6:1-3) and Mordecai is rewarded. In verse 7, four years have passed since Esther became queen, Est 2:16. The events of and occur sometime during this four-year period (479–474 BC).
Haman is introduced as the ”Agagite”, a deliberate reference to the conflict between the Israelites and the Amalekites. The conflict stems from the exodus when the Israelites fought Amalek, see ; . Balaam predicts that the king of Israel will be greater than ”Agag”, see Numbers 24:1, 7. Saul who was a Benjamite, see , was commissioned to destroy the Amalekites, but fails to do so even though he wins the battle, see . The connection between Mordecai the Benjamite, see Est 2:5, and Haman the Agagite prepares the reader for a future confrontation of some kind. The name Haman means: Magnificent, splendid and awesome. In Aramaic it means: necklace, chain, jewelry; but also ”of foreign origin”. Haman has several allusions to Lucifer, see , and also has a parallel with what happened to his sons, see and .] 2All the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, bowed down and prostrated themselves before Haman, because the king had commanded him to do so. But Mordecai did not bow, nor did he bow before him. [There are several examples where Jews have bowed to show reverence for other people, see ; ; ; ; ; . The reason why Mordecai did not bow must therefore have a religious explanation. The Persians considered the king divine, and it is not unlikely that Haman also considered himself divine. Since the Jews follow the commandment not to worship other gods (Exodus 20:5), Mordecai did not bow to Haman, see verse 4. See also .] 3Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate asked Mordecai, ”Why do you violate the king’s command?” 4Now it happened that while they were talking to him every day, he still did not listen to them, and they told Haman about this, to see if Mordecai’s word (explanation) would be valid, because he had said that he was a Jew [and does not worship idols, see ]. 5
This cube is inscribed with the name and titles of Yahali and a prayer: "In his year assigned to him by lot (puru) may the harvest of the land of Assyria prosper and thrive, in front of the gods Assur and Adad may his lot (puru) fall." It dates from the reign of Salmaneser III (858-824 B.C.E.) and was used in the ceremonies appointing Yahali eponym, i.e. naming the Assyrian year after him (833 and 825 B.C.). It provides a prototype (the only one ever recovered) for the lots (purim) cast by Haman to fix a date for the destruction of the Jews of the Persian Empire, ostensibly in the fifth century B.C.E. ((Esther 3:7; cf. 9:26)
Date of the Plan
7In the first month, which is the month of Nisan (March/April), in the 12th year of the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) [five years after Esther became queen, about 474 BC], lots were cast before Haman, from day to day and from month to month, [the lot fell on] the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar (February/March). [The pagan worldview placed great emphasis on asking the gods for advice. Haman would cast lots to find the ’most auspicious’ day to carry out his plan. Finds of ancient dice in the Assyrian Empire show how important the role of the various gods were in this. It is likely that at the beginning of the year the dice are thrown to determine days for important events. The lot now falls in the last month, barely a year after the casting of the lot.] 8Haman said to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), ”There is a special people [the Jews] scattered and dispersed among the peoples of all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of all other peoples, nor do they keep the king’s laws. Therefore it does not benefit the king to preserve (tolerate) them. 9If it pleases the king, let it be written that they will be destroyed. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver in the hand of those who manage the king’s affairs and bring it to the king’s treasury.” [This is a huge sum, equivalent to two-thirds of the kingdom’s annual tax revenue (based on the contemporary Greek historian Herodotus’ account in his Historia, 3.95). It is possible that Haman intended to pay from his own resources, or more likely, from the spoils of the Jewish people, see .] 10The king took his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedata the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, 11and the king said to Haman, ”The silver is given to you, the people as well, do with them as you see fit.”The Plan is Announced
12Then the king’s scribes were summoned in the first month on the 10th day of the month [This is the day before the Passover feast which begins on Nisan 14, see Exodus 12:6; in 479 B.C. it was April 17. ] Everything was written according to what Haman commanded, to the king’s satraps [provincial governors - ”protectors of the land”; there were 20-28 of them] and the governors who were over all the provinces, and to the princes of each nation, to all the provinces in their own writing (in their various written languages) and to each nation in their own language. In the name of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) it was written, and it was sealed with the king’s signet ring. [Here in verses 11-12 there is a strange coded message. With an interval of 6 letters it says Haman v´Satan rajach which means ”Haman and Satan stink.” Number six is man’s speech. See also ; ; ; , ; ; ; and the fact box at the end of the book of Esther about how God’s name is hidden in the book of Esther.] 13Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, to destroy, slaughter, and annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to take their possessions as booty. 14Copies of the letter were issued as a decree in all the provinces and published to all the people so that they would be ready on that day. [Many of these copies were probably written in cuneiform on clay tablets distributed through a network of horse couriers.] 15The letters were hastily distributed by the king’s couriers as soon as the decree was issued in the palace of Susa.
The king and Haman sat down and drank, but the city of Susa was in shock.Esther’s Courageous Decision
Grief Among the Jews
41ow when Mordecai [Esther’s foster father, see ] heard of all that had been done (decreed), he tore his clothes and sat down in sackcloth and ashes and went to the center of the city and cried out in a loud, boisterous, and bitter voice. [Sitting down in sackcloth and ashes is a common expression of grief, even the bitter cry.] 2He also came before the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate with sackcloth. 3In every province, wherever the king’s edict and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.Mordecai and Esther’s Plan
4When Esther’s maids and chambermaids came and told her, the queen was very upset; and she sent a robe to clothe Mordecai and take away his sackcloth, but he would not accept it. 5Then Esther called Hatach, one of the king’s servants, whom he had chosen to take care of her, and she asked him to go to Mordecai to find out what was going on and why he was doing this. 6Hatach went out to Mordecai in the great place in the city (the marketplace) that was outside the king’s gate. 7Mordecai told him [Hatach] what had happened to him and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay out of the king’s treasury to destroy the Jews. 8He [Mordecai] also gave him [Hatach] a copy of the letter with the decree issued in Susa to destroy them, so that he could show it to Esther and read it to her. He instructed her to go in to the king and appeal to him and petition her people. 9Hatach went back to Esther and reported what Mordecai had said. 10Then Esther talked to Hatach and gave him a message for Mordecai: 11”All the king’s servants and the people in the king’s provinces know that for anyone, man or woman, who comes before the king in the inner court without being summoned, there is a law that says he will be put to death unless the king lifts his golden scepter and lets that person live. I have not been called to come to the king in the last 30 days.” 12When he [Hatach, Esther’s servant] told Mordecai what Esther had said, 13Mordecai told them to give this answer to Esther: ”Don’t think that you are the only one of all the Jews to escape just because you live in the king’s house. 14If you are [remain completely] silent now (show total silence this time), deliverance (respite, relief) and rescue (quick rescue) for the Jews will [appear] from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you [have not] gained (come to attain) royal influence [become queen just] for such a time as this?” 15Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai: 16”Go and gather all the Jews who are in Susa [the Persian capital where they were] and fast [and pray] for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even if it is against the law. If I lose my life, so be it.” [This was fraught with danger to life, see verse 11.] 17Then Mordecai went away and did everything that Esther had instructed him to do.Esther Visits the King
51On the third day, Esther put on her royal robe and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house, and the king sat on the throne of the royal house, opposite the entrance to the royal house. 2When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she found grace (mercy, undeserved love) before the king’s eyes and the king reached out the golden scepter that he held in his hand towards Esther. Esther came closer and touched the top of the scepter. 3Then the king asked her: ”What do you want, Queen Esther? Whatever request you have for half my kingdom I will give you.” 4Esther replied, ”If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” [Here in verse 4 the name of God JHVH is encoded in the four words translated ”may the king and Haman come today”. The initial letters form a forward acrostic pattern for God’s name Yahweh, see also ; ; .] 5Then the king said, ”See that Haman makes haste so that we can do as Esther has said.”
The king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6The king said to Esther at the banquet with the wine, ”What is your wish? It will be guaranteed to you, and whatever your request is up to half of my kingdom I will give you.” 7Then Esther answered, ”My desire and my request is 8that if I have found grace (undeserved love) in the eyes of the king and it pleases the king to grant me my request and carry out my desire, let the king and Haman come to a second banquet that I will prepare for them, then tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”Haman’s Plans Against Mordecai
9So Haman went out that day, glad and happy in his heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not get up or move for him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10So Haman stopped himself (he did not give vent to his anger) and went home.
He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. [The name is of Persian origin and means ’gold’]. 11Haman told them of his wealth and glory (he boasted), and of the multitude of his children, and all about how the king had promoted him and how he had risen above the princes and the king’s servants. 12Haman also said, ”Yes, Queen Esther did not let anyone accompany the king to her banquet that she prepared, except me, and tomorrow I am also invited by her along with the king. 13However, I will not be satisfied with all this (all that he boasted about) as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king’s gate.” [Here is the name of God JHVH encoded in the four words translated ”I will not be satisfied with all this.” The last letters of these words form a backwards acrostic pattern for God’s name Yahweh, see also ; ; .] 14Then Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends said to him: ”Have a wooden pole (gallows) 50 cubits [22.5 meters] high made and speak to the king tomorrow morning so that Mordecai can be hung there, then you can go with the king to the banquet with joy.” This pleased Haman and he had the wooden pole (gallows) made and erected [Anyone hung on wood is cursed, see .]The humiliation of Haman
61
Evidence from the two royal Persian archives recovered from Persepolis indicate that official court records were kept on clay tablets in the Elamite language. A chronicle was literally the “events of the days,” a logbook of court happenings. The tablet shown here is in Akkadian and records a series of events including the reign of the last Babylonian king Nabonidus, the rise of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, the demise of the Babylonian Empire, and the founding of the Persian Empire.
Now Haman came into the outer court of the king’s house to talk with the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole (gallows) he had prepared for him. [The outer court of Susa was 62 x 53 meters]. 5The king’s servants answered him: ”Look, Haman is standing in the courtyard.”
The king said, ”Let him come in.” 6Haman came in and the king said to him: ”What should be done for the man whom the king wants to honor?”
Haman thought in his heart, ”Who would the king want to honor besides me? 7So Haman said to the king: ”For the man whom the king wants to honor, 8take a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head you have put a royal crown [and adorned the horse with it; reliefs from Persepolis depict decorated horses], 9and have the royal robe and horse given to one of the king’s noblest princes, so that they may clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor with this and put him on horseback and ride through the streets of the city and call out before him: This is what you do with the man the king wants to honor!” 10Then the king said to Haman, ”Hurry and take a royal robe and a horse as you have spoken, and do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits in the king’s gate. Let nothing of what you have spoken be undone.” 11Then Haman took the royal robe and the horse, dressed Mordecai, and paraded him through the streets of the city, crying out: ”This is what you do with the man the king wants to honor!” 12Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried home to his house, mourning and covering his head. 13Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him: ”If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is really a Jew, you will not be able to resist him. In fact, you will indeed fall before him.” [This is advice consistent with God’s promise to Abraham, see .]Esther’s Second Banquet
14While they were still talking, the king’s servants hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 71The king and Haman came to the banquet with Queen Esther. 2The king again said to Esther on the second day of the banquet with wine, ”Whatever you desire, Queen Esther, will be guaranteed to you, whatever you ask for until half the kingdom is given to you.” 3Then Queen Esther answered and said: ”If I have found grace (undeserved love) in your eyes, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given to me as my desire and my people at my request, 4for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slaughtered and to perish. But if we had only been sold as slaves and slave women, I would have remained silent, because our adversary is not worthy of the king’s harm.” 5Then King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) spoke and said to Queen Esther, ”Who is he and where is he who dares to think such a thought in his heart?” 6Esther answered, ”An adversary and an enemy, this evil Haman.”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7The king got up in anger from the banquet of wine and went out into the palace garden. Haman stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, because he saw that the king had decided against him. [Here in verse 7, the name of God YHVH is encoded in the four words translated ”it was evil decreed against him.” The last letter of these words forms a forward acrostic pattern for the name of God Yahweh, see also ; ; .] 8The king came back from the garden to the banquet in the palace with wine, and Haman had fallen (kneeled down) on the couch where Esther was sitting. Then the king said, ”Will he molest the queen also here before me in the house?” When the word went out from the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9Then Charvona, one of the king’s servants who was before the king, said, ”Look, there is a wooden pole fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke well of the king. It is in front of Haman’s house.”
Then the king said, ”Hang him on it.” 10They hung Haman on the wooden pole that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger was appeased.Ahasuerus Helps the Jews
Mordecai is Promoted
81On that day King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) gave the house of Haman to Queen Esther. Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had told her who he [Mordecai] was. 2The king took off his ring [signet ring that has royal stamp and authority], which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over Haman’s house.Esther’s Prayer to Save the Jews
3Esther spoke again before the king and fell down at his feet and begged him with tears to remove the iniquity of Haman the Agagite and his decision that he had made against the Jews. 4The king held out the golden scepter to Esther. Esther got up and stood before the king. 5She said, ”If it pleases the king and I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebrew chen) in his eyes, and if this thing seems right to the king and if I please his eyes, let a letter be written revoking the decision of Haman son of Hammedata the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces, 6for how can I endure to see the evil that is to come upon my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?” 7Then King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, ”Look, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hung him on the wooden stake (gallows) because he laid his hand on the Jews. 8Write also concerning the Jews, as you see fit, in the king’s name and seal it with the king’s ring. For the writing that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring no man can change (take back).” 9Then the king’s scribe was called at that time, the third month which is the month Sivan on the 23rd day of this month [June 25]. It was written in accordance with all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews to the satraps, governors, and princes of all the provinces extending from India to Cush [present-day Ethiopia/Sudan], 127 provinces, to each province in their own written language, and to each people in their own language, and to the Jews in their writing and their language []. 10They wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and sealed each letter with the king’s ring. They sent the letters with riders who rode fast horses used in the king’s service and were specially bred for their speed. 11In the letters, the king guaranteed the Jews that in every city where they live they may assemble and defend their lives, they may destroy, slaughter, and annihilate all the people who attack them in the provinces, their little ones and women, and they may take booty from them. 12On a day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is Adar (February/March) [March 7, 473 B.C., about twelve months after Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people and cast lots for the day.] 13Copies of the letter given as a decree in each province were to be published for all the people, that the Jews might be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. 14Couriers riding on fast horses used in the king’s service set off and were accelerated by the king’s command. The decree was also published in the palace of Susa. 15Then Mordecai went out from the king’s presence in a royal robe of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a white robe of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16The Jews had light and joy, gladness and glory. 17In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, there was joy and gladness for the Jews, feasting (banquet, celebration, feast) and a good (beautiful, appropriate - Heb. tov) day. And many of the people of the land became Jews [; ], because the fear of the Jews had come upon them.The Victory of the Jews
[About 8 months pass between the events of and . Sometime in between, occurs. Here in chapter 9, Mordecai’s decree has now reached all the Jews throughout the Persian Empire, and the day has come for them to defend themselves from the calamity caused by Haman’s proclamation, see , ; .] 91Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day [March 7, 473 B.C.] the king’s command and his decree would be carried out. The enemies of the Jews had hoped to overcome them on that day, but now it was the other way around - the Jews would overcome them [their enemies] instead. 2The Jews gathered in their cities in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), to lay their hands on anyone who sought to harm them. There was no one who could stand against them [the Jews], because the fear of them had come upon all the people. 3All the princes of the provinces, the satraps and governors, and all who were involved in the king’s business, helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai had come upon them. 4Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame (reputation) had gone out into all the provinces, because this man Mordecai became greater and greater.The Enemies of the Jews are Destroyed
5The Jews struck all their enemies with one stroke of the sword and slaughtered and destroyed and did what they wanted with those (enemies) who hated them (the Jews). 6In the castle of Susa the Jews struck and destroyed 500 men. 7Parshaneddata and Dalfon and Aseppata 8and Porata and Adaliah and Aridata 9and Parmashetta and Arisai and Aridai and Vajezata, 10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedata, the enemy of the Jews, they struck. But they did not lay their hand on (touch) the spoil (their possessions) [This shows that they acted in selfdefense, not for material gain, see ; .]
The ten sons of Haman and the meaning of the names:
Parshaneddata - self-absorbed
Dalfon - feeling sorry for oneself
Aseppata - self-sufficient
Porata - pleasure-seeking
Adalja - inferior
Aridata - self-confident
Parmashetta - superior
Arisaj - brazen ignorance, foolishness
Aridaj - proud and haughty
Vajezata - self-righteous
The interesting thing about the sons of Haman is that their names mean the things that stand in the way of a relationship with God. Figuratively speaking, we all need to hang the sons of Haman in our lives on the wooden stake, crucifying them with Jesus. Just as the Jews didn’t put their hand on what was wasted, we shouldn’t touch it or anything related to it once we’ve let it leave our lives.
11The same day the king was informed of the number of those who had been killed in the capital city of Susa []. 12Then the king said to Queen Esther, ”The Jews have slaughtered and destroyed 500 men in the castle of Susa and the ten sons of Haman, so what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Well, whatever is your desire will be guaranteed to you, and whatever you further request will be done.” 13Then Esther said, ”If it pleases the king, let the Jews of Susa be guaranteed to do tomorrow what they have done according to today’s decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hung on stakes.” 14The king commanded it to be done, and a decree was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. 15And the Jews who were in Susa also gathered on the 14th of the month Adar [March 8, 473 B.C.] and struck 300 men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the spoil. 16The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces also gathered together and defended their lives, and gained peace from their enemies, of those who hated them (the Jews) they struck 75,000, but they did not lay their hands on the spoils, 17on the 13th day of the month of Adar [corresponding to March]. On the 14th day they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy (days of banquets, celebrations, feasting and joy).Purim Becomes a Holiday
18But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the 13th day and on the 14th day. On the 15th day they rested and made it a day of celebration and joy. 19This is why the Jews in the countryside, those who live in villages without walls, have made the 14th of the month of Adar [March 8] a day of feasting and joy, a good (beautiful, appropriate - Hebrew tov) day for passing gifts to one another. [Literally, ”passing around portions,” i.e., sharing the food one has prepared. In modern Purim celebrations, gifts are still passed around and often include something edible like candy and cookies, but other dishes are also common in some Jewish communities]. 20Mordecai wrote these things down and sent letters to the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), both near and far, 21encouraging them to celebrate the 14th day of the month of Adar and the 15th day of the same month every year, 22the days when the Jews had been given peace from their enemies and the month that turned their lamentation into joy and their sorrow into good days. They would make these days days of feasting and joy (days of banquets, celebrations, feasting and joy) and days of sending portions [see verse 19] to one another and gifts to the poor. 23The Jews took it upon themselves to do as they had begun and as Mordecai had written to them, 24because Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had taken counsel against the Jews to destroy them and cast ”por”, that is, lots, to discourage and destroy them, 25But when she [Esther] came before the king, he [the king] commanded by letter that his [Haman’s] evil counsel which he had proposed against the Jews should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on wooden stakes (gallows). 26Therefore these days are called Purim (Hebrew Porim) after the name por. Therefore, because of everything in these letters and because of what they had seen and what happened to them, 27the Jews determined for themselves and their seed (their descendants) and for all those who joined them, that they should remember these two days in the manner described and at the appointed time every year. 28These days are to be remembered and celebrated in every generation and by every family and in every province and in every city. These days of Purim shall not be lacking among the Jews, their memory shall not be lost from their seed (descendants). 29Then Queen Esther, daughter of Avichajil, and Mordecai the Jew wrote down all the deeds of power, to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30And he sent around the letter to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), with words of peace (shalom, all kinds of prosperity) and truth, 31to establish these days of Purim and their appointed time, in accordance with the decision of Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther for themselves and their seed (descendants), regarding the time of fasting and lamentation. 32Esther’s command confirmed the celebration of Purim and it was written in the book.The greatness of Mordecai
101King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) imposed a tax over all the land and over the islands of the sea. 2And all that he did in his power and authority, and the full sum of the greatness of Mordecai, how the king promoted him, is written in the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia [; ]. 3Mordecai the Jew was King Ahasuerus’s (Xerxes) closest man and great among the Jews, and had found favor (conditional, arbitrary grace; accepted - Heb. ratsah) from the multitudes of his brothers. He sought the good of his people and spoke peacefully (spoke shalom, all kinds of blessing) to all his seed (all his descendants) [probably referring not only to Mordecai’s own children and grandchildren but to all Jews in the generations after him].
God’s name hidden in Esther
None of the names of God (Yahweh, Adonai, Elohim, etc.) appear in the book of Esther and no other attributes of God either. However, Yahweh is encoded in the text four times as an acrostic, see ; ; ; . There is a very nice structure here. The name YHVH consists of four letters and there are four unique occurrences of this name. All are different and are shaped by a combination of the first or last letter and whether the text is read forwards or backwards.
1. JHVH is formed by the first letter of each word backwards - God changes man’s mind, see .
2. YHVH is formed by the first letter of each word forward - God controls Esther’s actions, see .
3. YHVH is formed by the last letter of each word backwards - God reverses Haman’s plan (Haman’s end is approaching), see .
4. JHVH is formed by the last letter of each word forward - God rules and Haman is punished (this is the end of Haman), see .
These four passages involve different speakers:
1. memochan - the words are about a queen, see .
2. Esther - the words are spoken by a queen, see .
3. Haman - the words are spoken by Haman, see .
4. the author - the words are about Haman, see .
Four different pairs can be formed:
1. first letter | backwards
2. first letter | forwards
3. last letter | backwards
4. last letter | forward
The four pairs are: first letter (1 & 2), last letter (3 & 4), backwards (1 & 3) and forwards (2 & 4).
The backwards pairs refer to the Gentiles and the forwards to the Israelites. In the two cases where God’s name is spelled backwards (1 & 3), it is God who rejects the plans of the Gentiles to let his will be done, see ; . Where the name is spelled forwards (2 & 4), it is God who acts directly for his people, see ; .
The first and last letters describe the start and end of an event. In the two cases where the name is formed by the first letter (1 & 2), it is God who introduces the facts. In the last two cases where the name is formed by the last letters (3 & 4), the events are completed and lead to the end.
Four more times four of God’s names are encoded:
1.”Messiah” encoded at a distance of every 8th letter, see .
2. ”El Shaddai” (God Almighty) encoded at a distance of every 7th letter, see .
3.”I Am” is encoded at a distance of every 3rd letter, see .
4.”Yeshua” encoded at a distance of every 8th letter, see .
There is also another strange almost ironic message encoded in which describes how Haman is given the silver and the people. With an interval of six letters it says haman v´satan raj´jach which means: Haman and Satan stink. The number six is man’s speech. We can see that even though Satan operates in Haman’s life, the Messiah is still there in the background watching over his people, even today.
You have to be a little careful with Bible codes, but they are still remarkable coincidences that point to the Bible being a divinely inspired book.
