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Texts -- Esther 8:4-17 (NET)

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8:4 When the king extended to Esther the gold scepter , she arose and stood before the king . 8:5 She said , “If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha , the Agagite , which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces . 8:6 For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people , and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives ?” 8:7 King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew , “Look , I have already given Haman’s estate to Esther , and he has been hanged on the gallows because he took hostile action against the Jews . 8:8 Now you write in the king’s name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king’s signet ring . Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded . 8:9 The king’s scribes were quickly summoned – in the third month (that is, the month of Sivan ), on the twenty-third day. They wrote out everything that Mordecai instructed to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces all the way from India to Ethiopia – a hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all– to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language , and to the Jews according to their own script and their own language . 8:10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring . He then sent letters by couriers on horses , who rode royal horses that were very swift. 8:11 The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves – to destroy , to kill , and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries , including their women and children , and to confiscate their property. 8:12 This was to take place on a certain day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus – namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar ). 8:13 A copy of the edict was to be presented as law throughout each and every province and made known to all peoples , so that the Jews might be prepared on that day to avenge themselves from their enemies . 8:14 The couriers who were riding the royal horses went forth with the king’s edict without delay . And the law was presented in Susa the citadel as well. 8:15 Now Mordecai went out from the king’s presence in purple and white royal attire , with a large golden crown and a purple linen mantle . The city of Susa shouted with joy . 8:16 For the Jews there was radiant happiness and joyous honor . 8:17 Throughout every province and throughout every city where the king’s edict and his law arrived , the Jews experienced happiness and joy , banquets and holidays . Many of the resident peoples pretended to be Jews , because the fear of the Jews had overcome them.

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Bible Dictionary

  • Tatnai

    [ebd] gift, a Persian governor (Heb. pehah, i.e., "satrap;" modern "pasha") "on this side the river", i.e., of the whole tract on the west of the Euphrates. This Hebrew title pehah is given to governors of provinces generally. It ...

  • Servant

    [nave] SERVANT Distinguished as bond servant, who was a slave, and hired servant. Bond Laws of Moses concerning, Ex. 21:1-11, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32; Lev. 19:20-22; 25:6, 10, 35-55; Deut. 15:12, 14, 18; 24:7. Kidnapping forbidden, D...

  • Ring

    [isbe] RING - (Anglo-Saxon, Hring, "ring"): The word renders (the American Standard Revised Version) two Hebrew words (in the King James Version and the English Revised Version three) and two Greek words. Tabba`ath, the principal H...
    [nave] RING Of gold, Num. 31:50. Worn as a badge of office, Gen. 41:42. Given as a token, Esth. 3:10, 12; 8:2-10. Worn in the nose, Prov. 11:22; Isa. 3:21. Offerings of, to the tabernacle, Ex. 35:22; Num. 31:50.

  • Proselyte

    [ebd] is used in the LXX. for "stranger" (1 Chr. 22:2), i.e., a comer to Palestine; a sojourner in the land (Ex. 12:48; 20:10; 22:21), and in the New Testament for a convert to Judaism. There were such converts from early times (I...

  • Proclamation

    [nave] PROCLAMATION Imperial, 2 Chr. 30:1-10; Esth. 1:22; 6:9; 8:10-14; Isa. 40:3, 9; Dan. 3:4-7; 4:1; 5:29. Emancipation, 2 Chr. 36:23; Ezra 1:1-4.

  • Prince

    [ebd] the title generally applied to the chief men of the state. The "princes of the provinces" (1 Kings 20:14) were the governors or lord-lieutenants of the provinces. So also the "princes" mentioned in Dan. 6:1, 3, 4, 6, 7 were ...

  • Mordecai

    [nave] MORDECAI A Jewish captive in Persia, Esth. 2:5, 6. Foster father of Esther, Esth. 2:7. Informs Ahasuerus of a conspiracy against his life, and is rewarded, Esth. 2:21-23; Esth. 6:1-11. Promoted in Haman's place, Esth. 8:1...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER An officer in civil government. Joseph, Gen. 41:40-44; Ira, 2 Sam. 20:26; Zabud, 1 Kin. 4:5; Ahithophel, 1 Chr. 27:33; Zebadiah, 2 Chr. 19:11; Elkanah, 2 Chr. 28:7; Haman, Esth. 3:1; Mordecai, Esth. 10:3; 8-9; Danie...

  • Lieutenant

    [ebd] (only in A.V. Esther 3:12; 8:9; 9:3; Ezra 8:36), a governor or viceroy of a Persian province having both military and civil power. Correctly rendered in the Revised Version "satrap."

  • LIGHT

    [ebd] the offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). "All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews und...
    [isbe] LIGHT - lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words): 1. Origin of Light 2. A Comprehensive Term (1) Natural Light (2) Artificial Light (3) Miraculous Light (4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light 3. An Attribute of Holiness (1) God ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Haman

    [nave] HAMAN Prime minister of Ahasuerus, Esth. 3:1. Plotted against Esther and the Jews, thwarted by Esther and Mordecai, hanged, Esth. 3-9.

  • HORSE

    [isbe] HORSE - hors: 1. Names: The common names are (1) cuc, and (2) hippos. (3) The word parash, "horseman," occurs often, and in several cases is translated "horse" or "warhorse" (Isa 28:28; Ezek 27:14; Joel 2:4 the Revised Versi...

  • Esther

    [nave] ESTHER, called also Hadassah. Niece of Mordecai, Esth. 2:7, 15. Chosen queen, Esth. 2:17. Tells the king of the plot against his life, Esth. 2:22. Fasts on account of the decree to destroy the Israelites; accuses Haman to ...

  • EPISTLE

    [isbe] EPISTLE - e-pis'-'-l (epistole, "a letter," "epistle"; from epistello, "to send to"): 1. New Testament Epistles 2. Distinctive Characteristics 3. Letter-Writing in Antiquity 4. Letters in the Old Testament 5. Letters in the ...

  • DEPUTY

    [ebd] in 1 Kings 22:47, means a prefect; one set over others. The same Hebrew word is rendered "officer;" i.e., chief of the commissariat appointed by Solomon (1 Kings 4:5, etc.). In Esther 8:9; 9:3 (R.V., "governor") it denotes a...
    [isbe] DEPUTY - dep'-u-ti: This is the correct rendering of nitsabh (1 Ki 22:47). In Est 8:9 and 9:3 the term improperly represents caghan, in the King James Version, and is corrected to "governor" in the Revised Version (British a...

  • Colour

    [ebd] The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures. White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Gen. 49:12), manna (Ex. 16:31), snow (Isa. 1:18), horses (Zech. 1:8), raiment...

  • CAPTIVITIES OF THE JEWS

    [smith] The present article is confined to the forcible deportation of the Jew; from their native land, and their forcible detention, under the Assyrian or Babylonian kings. Captives of Israel. --The kingdom of Israel was invaded by ...

  • BEAST

    [isbe] BEAST - best: This word occurs often in both Old and New Testaments and denotes generally a mammal (though sometimes a reptile) in distinction to a man, a bird, or a fish. In this distinction the English is fairly in accord ...

  • AGAGITE

    [ebd] a name applied to Haman and also to his father (Esther 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5). Probably it was equivalent to Amalekite.
    [isbe] AGAGITE - a'-gag-it, ('aghaghi, from, 'aghagh, "a member of the house of Agag"): A title of opprobrium given to Haman (Est 3:1,10; 8:3,5; 9:24). Jewish tradition always assigned the arch-enemies of Israel membership in the h...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "In the short pericope 13:7b-15a obedience was the stone on which Saul stumbled; here it is the rock that crushes him."147Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul had with the Amalekites, Israel's enemy to the south (cf. 14...
  • I. God's preparations 1:1-2:20A. Vashti deposed ch. 11. The king's feast 1:1-92. The queen's dismissal 1:10-22B. Esther elevated 2:1-201. The plan to replace Vashti 2:1-42. Esther's selection 2:5-113. The choice of Esther as ...
  • This chapter records the providential circumstances whereby Esther was able to rise to her influential position with the Persian king."Though no mention is made of God's providence, it nevertheless plays a prominent part, and...
  • Ahasuerus is the Hebrew name of the Persian king, Khshayarsha, whom we know better in ancient history by his Greek name, Xerxes.22He reigned over the Persian Empire from 486 to 464 B.C. and was the son of Darius I (521-486 B....
  • The Persian kings castrated many of the men who served the king and his family (v. 10) so they could not have sexual relations with the female members of the royal court and start dynasties of their own."Vashti"("best,""the b...
  • The imprint of an official's signet ring (v. 10) was the equivalent of his signature in ancient times (cf. Gen. 41:42; Esth. 8:2, 8, 10). Ahasuerus gave permission to Haman to confiscate the Jews' wealth and to put them to de...
  • Esther again had to argue her case, this time for clemency for the Jews. Her request involved expense to the king. Esther would not have been sure he would grant it. Ahasuerus could have spared the life of the queen and Morde...
  • The first decree to destroy the Jews had gone out on April 17, 474 B.C. (3:12).93Ahasuerus published this one allowing the Jews to defend themselves on June 25, 474 B.C. The Jews had over eight months to prepare for the day t...
  • "Crown"(v. 15) should be "turban."Mordecai's clothing reflected his important position in the government.Evidently Mordecai read the second decree at a public meeting in Susa. Contrast the Jews' reaction here with their respo...
  • 106:6 The psalmist confessed that Israel had been unfaithful to God. This was true of his own generation as it had been true of former generations. This confession introduced a review of specific iniquities and wickedness.106...
  • 5:5 Like Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar received an omen from God. In Nebuchadnezzar's case it was two dreams (chs. 1; 4). In Belshazzar's it was a hand writing on a wall. The night of revelry became a night of revelation.176"In ...
  • 6:1-2 When the Medo-Persian alliance overthrew the Neo-Babylonian Empire, it acquired much geographic territory that it proceeded to incorporate into its kingdom. The Persian Empire became the largest that the world had yet s...
  • 6:4 The text does not say why the other officials wanted to get rid of Daniel. Perhaps his integrity made it difficult for them to get away with graft and political corruption. Maybe since he was quite old they wanted to elim...
  • 2:20 The Lord gave Haggai a second message on the same day as the previous message (v. 10), the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Kislev 24, December 18).2:21 Haggai was to tell Zerubbabel that Yahweh was going to shake t...
  • 15:11-12 The man in the story had two sons, a younger and an older one (v. 25). Therefore the younger son's inheritance would normally have been one-third of his father's estate since the older son would have received a doubl...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 4. Then the king held out ...
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