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Texts -- Esther 9:12-32 (NET)

Context
9:12 Then the king said to Queen Esther , “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman ! What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces ? What is your request ? It shall be given to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done .” 9:13 Esther replied , “If the king is so inclined , let the Jews who are in Susa be permitted to act tomorrow also according to today’s law , and let them hang the ten sons of Haman on the gallows .” 9:14 So the king issued orders for this to be done . A law was passed in Susa , and the ten sons of Haman were hanged . 9:15 The Jews who were in Susa then assembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar , and they killed three hundred men in Susa . But they did not confiscate their property . 9:16 The rest of the Jews who were throughout the provinces of the king assembled in order to stand up for themselves and to have rest from their enemies . They killed seventy-five thousand of their adversaries , but they did not confiscate their property . 9:17 All of this happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar . They then rested on the fourteenth day and made it a day for banqueting and happiness .
The Origins of the Feast of Purim
9:18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and rested on the fifteenth , making it a day for banqueting and happiness . 9:19 This is why the Jews who are in the rural country – those who live in rural cities – set aside the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a holiday for happiness , banqueting , holiday , and sending gifts to one another . 9:20 Mordecai wrote these matters down and sent letters to all the Jews who were throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus , both near and far , 9:21 to have them observe the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of the month of Adar each year 9:22 as the time when the Jews gave themselves rest from their enemies – the month when their trouble was turned to happiness and their mourning to a holiday . These were to be days of banqueting , happiness , sending gifts to one another , and providing for the poor . 9:23 So the Jews committed themselves to continue what they had begun to do and to what Mordecai had written to them. 9:24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha , the Agagite , the enemy of all the Jews , had devised plans against the Jews to destroy them. He had cast pur (that is, the lot ) in order to afflict and destroy them. 9:25 But when the matter came to the king’s attention , the king gave written orders that Haman’s evil intentions that he had devised against the Jews should fall on his own head . He and his sons were hanged on the gallows . 9:26 For this reason these days are known as Purim , after the name of pur . 9:27 Therefore, because of the account found in this letter and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews established as binding on themselves, their descendants , and all who joined their company that they should observe these two days without fail , just as written and at the appropriate time on an annual basis . 9:28 These days were to be remembered and to be celebrated in every generation and in every family , every province , and every city . The Jews were not to fail to observe these days of Purim ; the remembrance of them was not to cease among their descendants . 9:29 So Queen Esther , the daughter of Abihail , and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim . 9:30 Letters were sent to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the empire of Ahasuerus – words of true peace – 9:31 to establish these days of Purim in their proper times , just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established , and just as they had established both for themselves and their descendants , matters pertaining to fasting and lamentation . 9:32 Esther’s command established these matters of Purim , and the matter was officially recorded .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Mordecai

    [ebd] the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. It has been alleged that he was carried into captivity with Jeconiah, and hence that he must have been at least one hundred and twenty-nine years old in the twelfth year of Ahasueru...
    [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...

  • 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...

  • Retaliation

    [nave] RETALIATION. Ex. 21:23-25; Lev. 19:18; Lev. 24:17-22; Deut. 19:19-21; Psa. 10:2; Prov. 20:22; Prov. 24:29; Prov. 26:27; Isa. 33:1; Matt. 5:38-44; Matt. 7:1, 2; Luke 9:52-56; Rom. 12:17, 19; 1 Cor. 6:7, 8; 1 Thess. 5:15; 1 P...

  • 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.

  • 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 ...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Month

    [nave] MONTH Ancient use of, Gen. 7:11; 8:4. Twelve months reckoned to a year, 1 Chr. 27:1-15. 1. Abib (April). The Jewish calendar began with, Ex. 12:2; 13:4; Deut. 16:1. Passover instituted and celebrated in, Ex. 12:1-28; 23:1...

  • Purim

    [smith] (lots), the annual festival instituted to commemorate the preservation of the Jews in Persia from the massacre with which they were threatened through the machinations of Haman. (Esther 9:1) ... It was probably called Purim b...
    [nave] PURIM, a feast instituted to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from the plot of Haman, Esth. 9:20-32.

  • Pur, Purim

    [ebd] a lot, lots, a festival instituted by the Jews (Esther 9:24-32) in ironical commemoration of Haman's consultation of the Pur (a Persian word), for the purpose of ascertaining the auspicious day for executing his cruel plot a...

  • Festivals, Religious

    [ebd] There were daily (Lev. 23), weekly, monthly, and yearly festivals, and great stress was laid on the regular observance of them in every particular (Num. 28:1-8; Ex. 29:38-42; Lev. 6:8-23; Ex. 30:7-9; 27:20). (1.) The septena...

  • Adar

    [ebd] large, the sixth month of the civil and the twelfth of the ecclesiastical year of the Jews (Esther 3:7, 13; 8:12; 9:1, 15, 17, 19, 21). It included the days extending from the new moon of our March to the new moon of April. ...

  • Feasts

    [nave] FEASTS Ancient customs at: Men alone present at, Gen. 40:20; 43:32, 34; 1 Sam. 9:22; Esth. 1:8; Mark 6:21; Luke 14:24; women alone, Esth. 1:9. Men and women attend, Ex. 32:6, with vs. 2,3;Dan. 5:1-3. Riddles propounded at,...

  • PUNISHMENTS

    [isbe] PUNISHMENTS - pun'-ish-ments ('awon, "fault," "iniquity," "punishment for iniquity," "sin" (Gen 4:13; Lev 26:41; Job 19:29; Ps 149:7; Lam 4:22; Ezek 14:10 margin; Am 1:3,6,9,11,13; 2:1,4,6), `onesh, "tribute," "fine," "punis...

  • Gallows

    [nave] GALLOWS Used for execution of criminals, Esth. 2:23; 5:14; 6:4; 7:9, 10; 9:13, 25. Reproach of being hanged upon, Gal. 3:13. See: Punishment.

  • ABIHAIL

    [isbe] ABIHAIL - ab'-i-hal ('abhichayil; in some manuscripts 'abhihayil, when feminine, but best reading is the former: "father, or cause, of strength"): Five persons in the Old Testament are called by this name: (1) A Levite and t...
    [smith] (father of , i.e. possessing, strength). Father of Zuriel, chief of the Levitical father of Merari, a contemporary of Moses. (Numbers 3:35) (B.C. 1490.) Wife of Abishur. (1 Chronicles 2:29) Son of Huri, of the tribe of Ga...

  • Banquet

    [ebd] a feast provided for the entertainment of a company of guests (Esther 5; 7; 1 Pet. 4:3); such as was provided for our Lord by his friends in Bethany (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3; comp. John 12:2). These meals were in the days of C...

  • Book

    [nave] BOOK Genealogies kept in, Gen. 5:1. Law of Moses written in, Num. 5:23; Deut. 17:18; 31:9, 24, 26; 2 Kin. 22:8. Topography of Palestine, recorded in, Josh. 18:9. Chronicles of the times kept in: By Jasher, Josh. 10:13; 2 ...

  • Casting Lots

    [nave] CASTING LOTS Lev. 16:8; Num. 34:13; 36:2; Josh. 17:14; 18:6, 8, 10; 21:8; 1 Chr. 6:65; 24:31; 25:8; 26:13, 14; Neh. 10:34; 11:1; Esth. 3:7; 9:24; Psa. 22:18; Prov. 1:14; 16:33; Isa. 34:17; Ezek. 24:6; Joel 3:3; Obad. 11; Jon...

  • Hammedatha

    [nave] HAMMEDATHA, father of Haman, Esth. 3:1, 10; 8:5; 9:10, 24.
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Questions

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This feast (Heb. Sukkot) was another very joyous occasion for the Israelites. It was the third fall festival. It commemorated the Israelites' journey from Egyptian bondage to blessing in Canaan. Its other names were the Feast...
  • The Israelites were not to punish children for the crimes their parents committed. To do so charged them with guilt unjustly.". . . it was a common thing among heathen nations--e.g., the Persians, Macedonians, and others--for...
  • "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...
  • The writer did not identify himself in the text. References in the book show that he was familiar with Persian culture and literature (2:23; 10:2). The writer also wrote as though he was an eyewitness of the events he recorde...
  • There seem to be at least two purposes for the book. First, it demonstrates God's providential care of His people even when they were outside the Promised Land because of disobedience. Second, it explains the origin of the fe...
  • 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...
  • Mordecai's mourning may have been the only thing that disturbed Esther. She may have known nothing about the decree. On the other hand she may have known of both and concluded that since the king did not know that she was a J...
  • "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...
  • The king gave the Jews permission to defend themselves by killing their enemies. Evidently this meant that they not only met attack with resistance but in some cases initiated attack against those who they knew would destroy ...
  • Evidently Mordecai issued the decree establishing the feast of Purim some time after the slaying of the Jews' enemies (v. 20). His proclamation united the two days on which the Jews had defended themselves (Adar 13 and 14) in...
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