Esther 8: 1 – 17
How to get around the law
1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.” 9 So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. 11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel. 15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. 16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.
A law implies a system of rules, recognized by a country to regulate the actions of the citizens. On the other hand, an Act is that segment of legislation, that deals with specific circumstances and people. Many use the two legal terms interchangeably, but there is notable differences between an Act and The Law.
Laws play a pivotal role in every country’s legislation. It applies equally to all the citizens of the country. Hence, no person is above the law. In contrast, an Act is situation specific, as is all the provisions relating to a situation only.
Today in a amazing way our Holy Father God gave Mordecai knowledge and wisdom to get around a bad law. He guided his loyal servant to create and implement an Act that helped the Jews get around the death sentence imposed as a law by the evil Haman. As we go through this chapter take special consideration as to the ways our Great God Yahweh directed and guided Mordecai to take actions to get around a law that could not be changed.
In chapter 5.1-3 The golden scepter was held out to Esther as she approached the king with a view to pleading for the lives of her people. Now she pleads for her people and the golden scepter is again held out to her.
1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.
It was common practice for the estates of a condemned criminal to revert to the crown. This was so in this case, and the king then granted them to his queen. She thus came into possession of vast riches. This helps to explain why later the sons of Haman are shown no mercy. In terms of those days they were initially shown leniency in being allowed to live and not share the fate of their father. But they not only continued plotting against the Jews, but also plotted against the very ruler of their house. In terms of those days only one fate was possible for them.
2 So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Having identified herself with her people the Jews Esther now informed the king of Mordecai’s relationship to her, and the king called for him to be brought before him. As we have seen he already owed Mordecai some form of promotion, and once he knew that he was Esther’s guardian he had no doubts of how to fulfil that debt of gratitude. He made him Grand Vizier in place of Haman. That is the significance of the giving of his ring to Mordecai. It gave him authority to act in the king’s name. From now on, like the seven chief princes, he would have had personal access into the king’s presence when the king was not in private. The author no doubt saw it as significant that the ring that had sealed the fate of the Jews had now been set on the hand of a Jew. Esther also set him over her new estates to manage them for her. He was now a man with huge responsibilities.
3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.
‘Esther spoke yet again before the king.’ Despite Mordecai’s advancement, it was still left in the hands of Esther to follow up her previous plea on behalf of her people (7.3-4). This makes good sense. The king had made no promises to Mordecai, but he had made promises to his queen that what she wished for would be granted ‘up to half of his kingdom’. Thus the impetus was with her. She was now again being called into the king’ presence (contrast 4.11). This therefore gave her an opportunity to again advance her plea on behalf of her people.
So, Esther then fell at the king’s feet, and pleaded with him in tears that he would remove from over the heads of the Jews the mischief that Haman had planned for them and would cancel Haman’s plot against them. For while Haman was now dead, the threat arising from the decree that he had promulgated still existed.
4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”
The king demonstrated his willingness to consider her request by again extending to her his golden scepter. It was a twofold witness. It was, however, done under different circumstances. This time Esther was already in the king’s presence. The extension of the scepter was thus simply an indication that he was pleased to hear her request. Unlike the first time, this time she had not been in danger of her life. Because of the scepter being extended towards her she was able to rise and stand before the king in order to explain what she was asking for in more detail
The humbleness seen here in Esther’s threefold plea, ‘if it please the king -- if I have found favor in your sight and the thing seems right before the king -- and I be pleasing in your eyes’ is typical of the way in which powerful monarchs had to be approached. The king’s will and desire must come foremost. There must be no thought of trying to put pressure on the king, or he might react against it. He must be allowed to think that the decision was really his. Esther had probably observed this approach many times as suppliants came before the king.
Approaching on this basis she requested the reversal of ‘Haman’s letters’. There is no mention of the king’s decree as sealed by Haman. No blame must be attached to the king. And she was probably aware that by precedent no decree of the king could be altered. Thus, she wanted her request to be seen as simply setting aside letters of Haman. Note the giving to him of his full title. This was official business.
She then makes clear what she wants of the king. Haman had written authorizing the destruction of all Jews within the provinces of the empire. She is requesting that this be reversed, and she makes the plea personal. She is not requesting it as a matter of justice, she is doing so because of the deep hurt that it will cause her. ‘How can I endure to see the evil that will come on my people, or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?’ Note the repetition of ‘how can I endure?’ It reveals her deep distress. She feels in her heart the approaching suffering of her people. Such an appeal would be appreciated by the king. Family loyalty was of prime importance. Furthermore, distress to Esther was his personal concern. What might have been ignored politically, because inconvenient, became of prime importance when it distressed his queen, and especially when it was related to a promise that he had given, and from which he could not turn back. This explains why she makes no delay in putting forth her plea. It must be done while his promises to her were still in his mind.
In contrast with the first decree which determined the destruction of the Jews and caused them great grief, and perplexed the people of Susa, the second decree is now issued, which causes great joy among the Jews, and causes the people of Susa to rejoice.
7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.
Ahasuerus was as good as his word. He called in, in the presence of Esther the Queen, Mordecai the Jew, who was now his Grand Vizier. It was Mordecai who would be responsible for any official action. And he pointed out to them that he was on their side. He had already given Haman’s vast estates to Esther, and had allowed his impalement because of what he had purposed for the Jews. (To ‘lay hands on’ is idiomatic for ‘to conspire against’) Thus he had gone a long way in fulfilling Esther’s request.
8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”
And he now authorized Mordecai and Esther to think of a way out of the dilemma. What had been sealed with the king’s seal could not be reversed. But what could happen was that some way could be devised to counteract its effect. And this he was leaving in the hands of Mordecai. He could write whatever seemed good to him and seal it with the king’s ring, and that also could not be reversed. The opening ‘you’ is emphatic in the Hebrew and is in the plural emphasizing the joint activity of Mordecai and Esther.
9 So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
What had happened there is now being countermanded. The king’s scribes (document compilers) were again called in. In 3.12 it had taken place on the 13th day of the first month, and the writing had been in accordance with the commands of Haman. Now it was taking place on the 23rd day of the third month, and the writing was in accordance with the command of Mordecai. And it was being directed at all the king’s governors, the satraps (over the twenty or so satrapies), the governors (over the provinces within the satrapies), and the native rulers within the provinces. Added in here as compared with 3.12 is the reference to ‘from Indian to Cush (Northern Sudan/Ethiopia), a hundred and twenty seven provinces’. The stress is on the fact that the whole empire was involved. Also added in is that it was specifically also sent to the Jews. Mordecai would be aware of how this could be done. Colonies of Jews regularly kept in touch with each other. Note again that it was the practise for all to receive the king’s decree in their own language and script.
10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds.
The personal authority of Mordecai is brought out by the positive nature of the description. He wrote it and he sealed it. Mordecai now had full authority to act in the king’s name. And whereas the previous letters were ‘sent by posts’ these letters were sent ‘by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds which were used in the king’s service, bred of the stud’. Mordecai naturally wanted the good news to reach the Jews as soon as possible. They had been under virtual sentence of death for two months.
11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
At first sight this appears simply to give the Jews the right to defend themselves. They would no doubt have done it anyway, but it would have been seen then as an attack on the king’s authority, for the decree would largely have been carried into effect by the Persian soldiery. But the king could hardly be seen as authorizing the Jews to fight against the Persian army. So implicit in the second decree is that the Persian army would be at the worst neutral. The authorities would now be aware that the king was favoring the Jews and would act accordingly. Thus the real difference now was that the Persian soldiery would no longer be involved. There would be no official action against the Jews. Any slaying would be in the hands of any who took advantage of the first decree to attack the Jews and seize their wealth. And it would be one thing to do that when they knew that the king was on their side. It would be quite another to do it when it was clear that it was against the king’s present wishes. Thus, the number of those who intended to take advantage of the first edict would be greatly reduced. It would be reduced to those whose greed or whose hatred of the Jews was so great that any excuse for an attack on them would be taken advantage of. And they would be in the minority. The odds had thus been hugely turned in the Jews’ favor.
It should be noted that the Jews were not given authority to kill and slay whoever they wanted. They were given authority to ‘gather together’ to defend themselves (which would thus no longer be the crime and act of rebellion that it previously would have been), and to ‘destroy, slay and cause to perish’ on one day all who actively assaulted either them, or their little ones and wives. In 3.13 the authority had been given to ‘destroy and to slay and to cause to perish, all Jews both young and old, children and women’ on one day. Now the Jews were given the authority to do the same to their enemies, which would certainly give their enemies pause to think. Thus this is not a question of revenge killing but of self-defense. It is noteworthy that although authorized ‘to take spoil from them as a prey’, the Jews specifically refrained from doing so. As they appear to have done this ‘universally’ it seems probably that Mordecai had privately written instructions to the Jews around the empire on how they ought to act.
‘On one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.’ The slaughter (in both cases) was to be limited to one day. Thus, presumably all who escaped on that one day would be allowed to live. There was no authorization to slay on the following day. This was why later it was necessary for Esther to request permission from the king for the Jews in Susa to protect themselves on the second day because she anticipated that the enemies there would continue their assaults, being less easily identifiable, and possibly being especially vehement as supporters of Haman. The latter might well have felt that they had little to lose (they probably judged Mordecai in terms of Haman).
13 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
Apart from the final clause this verse parallels 3.14. It was considered important that the king’s decree should be given out everywhere and understood by all. But in 3.14 it was in order that the people might be ready for when the day came so that the Jews might be destroyed. Here it was so that the Jews might be ready to avenge themselves on their enemies. The situation has been reversed. The word ‘avenge’ must not be over-pressed. The Jews were not seeking vengeance, but self-protection. They gained ‘revenge’ (justice) against those who attacked them by triumphing over them. The idea is regularly used in the Old Testament of God, or judges, acting in impartial justice. Both a just God and His justices were ‘avengers’ of wrongs, that is they determined just punishment.
14 The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel. 15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
‘And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purply-blue.’ Instead of sitting with the king getting drunk Mordecai went out arrayed in royal colors as the king’s representative to act on his behalf for the good of the kingdom. The word for ‘crown’ (‘atarah) is a different one from that used of the king’s crown (kether, probably of Persian origin). It is good for those who are on the King’s business to be ‘going out’ rather than sitting at home at leisure.
‘And the city of Shushan shouted and was glad’. Both because the threat against their fellow-citizens the Jews had been averted, and because their new Grand Vizier was a man of integrity and honor. It was not only the Jews who benefited from the downfall of Haman. He had been a hard and cruel man. It should be noted that whatever anti-Jewish feeling there might have been throughout the empire, it was not in general reflected in the capital city.
16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.
As would be expected the Jews especially celebrated what had happened ‘in every province and in every city’. They were no longer under threat of annihilation by the Persian authorities. The king’s hand was no longer raised against them. Any other threats they were confident that they could deal with. Thus they had ‘light and gladness and joy and honor’. This comes as close as possible to expressing Jewish worship whilst also describing it in general terms which could be applicable to all, for these are all words regularly associated with worship elsewhere. And this is especially stressed by the fact that they celebrated ‘a feast and a good day’.
This may simply indicate that they became ‘Jews for a day’ aligning themselves with the Jews against their enemies, and assisting them, but more likely it indicates that they went even further and outwardly represented themselves as Jews and may indicate therefore ‘pretended to become’). This would be in line with the known practice among some Orientals of representing themselves as of a different religion when danger threatened. It was perfectly permissible. In this case the way to ensure that Jews did not attack them was to represent themselves as Jews. It may, however, also have been true that many who saw the remarkable deliverance of the Jews did convert to Judaism. The Jews clearly had the reputation of having God on their side (6.13). The description may well include all three ideas.
