ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:1–2:23 Introduction. In this opening section the author sets the scene by describing Queen Vashti’s downfall (1:1–22), her replacement by Esther (2:1–18), and how Mordecai foils a plot against the king (2:19–23). This situates Esther and Mordecai for the roles they will play in the main action that follows.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:1–22 Queen Vashti’s Downfall. This is a mini-story in its own right. The scene is set by a description of two banquets, hosted by the king and queen respectively (vv. 1–8, 9). Vashti’s defiance of the king and its consequences follow.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:1 Ahasuerus, better known by his Greek name, Xerxes I, was king of Persia from 486–464 B.C. India. The land around the Indus Valley (now Pakistan). Ethiopia. The land just south of Egypt (now northern Sudan).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:2–3 Susa, in western Persia (the city is now called Shush, in the southwestern part of modern Iran), was one of Persia’s four capital cities (see Neh. 1:1; Dan. 8:2). Media. Northwestern Persia, near the Caspian Sea. Once a separate nation, it was conquered c. 550 B.C. by Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian Empire. The time (483 B.C., the third year of Xerxes’ reign), and the presence of the army, suggest that Xerxes may have been building support for his invasion of Greece (preparations c. 483–480; the Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:4 The 180 days were presumably not spent in continuous feasting but in festivities punctuated by sumptuous meals.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:5 Susa the citadel refers to the fortified palace complex. The feast lasting for seven days was probably the climax of the 180 days of festivities (v. 4). court of the garden. An enclosed courtyard for entertaining in the summer months (see 7:7).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:6–8 no compulsion. King Ahasuerus set aside the custom that everyone had to drink whenever the king drank.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:9 A separate feast for the women was another departure from normal Persian practice (cf. v. 8; 5:5–6), perhaps because of the large number of guests.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:10 eunuchs. Castrated men who, among other duties, served in the royal harem.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:12 The author does not explain why Vashti refused to come, probably because the reasons were irrelevant: even the queen was expected to obey the king absolutely.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:13 wise men. Official advisers to the king (cf. Gen. 41:8; Ex. 7:11; Jer. 50:35; Dan. 2:48). the times. The most favorable times for particular actions (see Est. 3:7). versed in law and judgment. Trained to make decisions in accordance with the law (see Dan. 1:3–4; Acts 7:22).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:14 the seven princes. The inner circle of the king’s advisers. Media. See note on vv. 2–3.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:15–18 officials. Senior male civil servants appointed by the king. noble women. Wives of the officials. Memucan predicts that these women will show contempt for their husbands, and that the men, like the king, will be full of wrath toward their wives. Moreover, this will not be limited to one stratum of society. Memucan repeatedly uses all to impress on the king the danger of a total breakdown of proper domestic order.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:19–20 The absolute authority of the Persian king is expressed in laws which, once written, may not be repealed (see Dan. 6:8). This legal convention will give rise to a difficult situation later in the story: what if the king changes his mind? (See Est. 8:5–8; cf. Dan. 6:14–18.) Paradoxically, Vashti is to be punished by being forbidden to do what she has already refused to do: come to the king. But never again implies divorce and the end of her queenship.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 1:21–22 The way in which the wise men resort to law to try to control their wives suggests that they must already have thought this was a widespread domestic problem—a problem, however, that would certainly not have been easily rectified simply by issuing a legal edict. The command that local household leaders should each speak according to the language of his people is probably intended to ensure that the substance of the edict is understood by all family members everywhere.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:1–18 Esther’s Rise to the Throne. Esther finds favor with the king and is chosen to replace Vashti.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:1–4 In a more sober mood, the king apparently regrets dismissing his beautiful queen. But a solution is at hand. In contrast to the wise men of ch. 1, the young men were probably the king’s personal household servants (see 6:3). Their suggestion that beautiful young virgins should be gathered for the king’s appraisal immediately attracts his interest and approval, creating the opportunity for Esther to make her appearance. In line with normal practice, a eunuch (see 1:10–11) is in charge of the king’s women (his harem). Hegai may be the same officer of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) that Herodotus refers to in Greek as “Hegias.”
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:5 The name Mordecai occurs in Persian treasury records of the period as the name of a government official, but whether he was this Mordecai is not known. The Mordecai of the book of Esther has a genealogy that links him to King Saul, who lived 500 years earlier. He belongs to the same tribe (a Benjaminite), and his great-grandfather, Kish, has the same name as Saul's father (1 Sam. 9:1–2). For the significance of this, see note on Est. 3:1.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:6 Jeconiah, also known as Jehoiachin, was the second-to-last king of Judah. He was deported to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10–15), 114 years before the present events. So the clause who had been carried away from Jerusalem cannot refer to Mordecai himself (it would make him about 120 years old) but to Kish, his great-grandfather, mentioned in Est. 2:5.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:7 Hadassah (“myrtle”) is the Hebrew name of Mordecai’s cousin; Esther (“star”) is her Persian name. The reference to her great beauty prepares the reader for what follows.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:8–9 It was presumably an honor to be chosen for the harem, though it is unclear from the word taken whether she went willingly or unwillingly. Given the king’s order, she presumably had no choice in the matter. Once there, however, she appears to have been fully compliant, quickly winning the favor of Hegai, who provided her with the finest of everything and promoted her to the best place in the harem. The seven chosen young women, her personal maids-in-waiting, already hint at her royal bearing and destiny.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:10–11 Mordecai’s instruction to Esther not to reveal her people or kindred is the first hint of the anti-Semitism that will surface in ch. 3. See note on 3:15.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:12–14 Both the time involved and the cosmetics used indicate the elaborate nature of the beauty treatment the chosen women received. the regulations for the women. This further indication of the strict regimen of the Persian court shows how difficult, and potentially costly, it was for women like Vashti and Esther to assert their independence. myrrh. An expensive perfume obtained from trees native to Africa and southern Asia (cf. Prov. 7:17; Song 1:13; Matt. 2:11; John 19:39). Concubines, women officially recognized as the king’s mistresses, were housed separately (in the second harem), having a lower status than his wife or wives. Shaashgaz corresponds to Hegai, who was in charge of the first harem (see note on Est. 2:1–4). Each woman’s first night with the king was her initiation as a concubine. For some, there would be no other such night.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:15 Abihail. The uncle referred to in v. 7. By taking nothing except what Hegai … advised, Esther shows her trust in his experience and goodwill toward her. The fact that Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her bodes well for her success on this, her night of nights.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:16 Tebeth, in midwinter, was the tenth month of the Jewish religious calendar. seventh year. Four years after the events recounted in ch. 1 (see 1:3; and chart).
The events of Esther unfold over a period of 10 years.
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c91
| Reference | Event | Month | Day | Year of Ahasuerus’s Reign | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:3 | Ahasuerus holds his banquets | 3 | 483 B.C. | ||
| 2:16 | Esther goes to Ahasuerus | 10 | 7 | 479 | |
| 3:7 | Haman casts his lots | 1 | 12 | 474 | |
| 3:12 | Haman issues his decree | 1 | 13 | 12 | 474 |
| 3:13 | Date planned for annihilation of the Jews | 12 | 13 | 13 | 473 |
| 8:9 | Mordecai issues his decree | 3 | 23 | 13 | 473 |
| 8:12; 9:1 | Day upon which Jews could defend themselves from attack | 12 | 13 | 13 | 473 |
| 9:6–10, 20–22 | Ten sons of Haman executed; Feast of Purim celebrated | 12 | 14, 15 | 13 | 473 |
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:18 Esther’s feast. A feast in her honor as the new queen (cf. 1:3, 5, 9). remission of taxes. A customary form of celebration referred to by Herodotus in his history of the Persian Empire. gifts with royal generosity. Probably in the form of food given to the poor, so that all could share in the celebrations (see 9:22; Jer. 40:5).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:19–23 Mordecai’s Success in Foiling a Plot against the King. Mordecai, entirely without intent, is in the right place at the right time to serve King Ahasuerus. This is one of many examples where readers are meant to recognize God’s hidden direction of events, though God is never explicitly named (see Introduction: Key Themes).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:19 the second time. The meaning of this is uncertain. It possibly refers to a second gathering of all the virgins of v. 2 for a ceremonial parade to complete the celebration of Esther’s coronation. the king’s gate. A place where justice was dispensed by officials appointed by the king (2 Sam. 15:2–6; cf. Ruth 4:1–11).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:21 Mordecai was sitting. Probably as an official, because of Esther’s new influence with the king. the threshold. The door to the king’s private quarters.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 2:22–23 hanged on the gallows. A practice known from ancient records. Cf. Ezra 6:11. the chronicles. A record of significant events in the king’s reign (e.g., 1 Kings 14:29).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:1–9:19 Main Action. This is the heart of the story, where the main events take place. A plot to destroy the Jews (3:1–15) is foiled by a series of courageous actions by Esther and Mordecai (4:1–8:17), culminating in complete victory for the Jews (9:1–19).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:1–15 Haman Plots to Kill the Jews. This complication sets the key events of the story in motion.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:1 the Agagite. A descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, the ancient enemies of Israel (Ex. 17:8–16). Agag was defeated by King Saul and killed by the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 15:1–33). The conflict between Haman and Mordecai mirrors the earlier conflict between their ancestors, Saul and Agag (see note on Est. 2:5).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:2–4 bowed down and paid homage. According to Herodotus, bowing to superiors was a normal part of Persian court etiquette rather than an act of worship (cf. Gen. 23:7; 1 Kings 1:16). Mordecai did not bow because “he was a Jew.” The text does not give any more reason for Mordecai’s refusal to bow, but given Haman’s ancestry and animosity to the Jews, Mordecai apparently felt he could not bow to him without compromising his identity as a Jew. It is also possible that Haman was claiming some kind of divine status and Mordecai refused to give him that kind of honor. he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai did the very thing he had told Esther not to do in her situation (Est. 2:10, 20).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:5–6 Haman … disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Mordecai’s refusal to bow gave Haman the opportunity to reveal his hatred of the Jews by setting out to destroy them all. the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. This included Jerusalem and the surrounding area with its mainly Jewish population (see 1:1; cf. Neh. 1:1–3).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:7 Nisan. The first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which began in spring with the Passover (Ex. 12:1–2). While the Jews prepared to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, Haman plotted their destruction. the twelfth year. Cf. Est. 2:16; Haman has been biding his time for five years. Pur. The Persian word for “lot,” from which the term purim (“lots”) is derived (9:26). cast lots. A traditional way of seeking divine guidance (Josh. 18:6; Prov. 16:33) or, as here, finding the most opportune time to do something.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:8 they do not keep the king’s laws. An allusion to Mordecai’s refusal to bow (v. 2), with the (false) implication that all Jews behave similarly. not to the king’s profit. A clever tactic by Haman. The remission of taxes (2:18) and the unsuccessful war with Greece (see note on 1:2–3) may have left the royal treasury low on funds.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:9 Haman offers to pay 10,000 talents of silver, a huge sum (on the order of 12 million ounces; see esv footnote).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:10 signet ring. A ring used to seal official documents (Jer. 22:24). Haman is empowered to act with royal authority.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:11 The money is given to you. Ahasuerus authorizes Haman to use as much of the 10,000 talents of silver as he needs to implement his plan.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:12 the first month. Presumably of the following (13th) year of Ahasuerus’s reign (see v. 7).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:13 the twelfth month. Because of the extent of the empire, it took almost 12 months to notify and prepare all of those responsible for putting the edict into effect.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 3:15 sat down to drink. Haman and the king callously celebrate the forthcoming massacre. but … Susa was thrown into confusion. Reassuring evidence that many of Susa’s citizens did not share Haman’s intense hatred of the Jews.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:1–17 Mordecai and Esther Plan to Save Their People. Esther and Mordecai respond to Haman’s plan with a counterplan of their own.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:1–3 sackcloth and ashes … fasting and weeping. Traditional ways of expressing grief in the ancient Near East, including Israel (Gen. 37:34; 2 Sam. 1:11; Job 1:20; Isa. 15:1–3; Jonah 3:6). The ban on such behavior in the king’s gate (see note on Est. 2:19) is understandable, given its unseemly character and the strict court etiquette reflected elsewhere in the book (see 1:8; 3:12; 4:11; cf. Neh. 2:1).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:4 garments to clothe Mordecai. Given the ban of v. 2, Esther probably feared for Mordecai’s safety.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:11 one law. The law in this matter was absolute, without any qualifications or exceptions. The strict court etiquette shows the king’s total power over the lives of his subjects (cf. v. 2). not been called … these thirty days. An indication that the king’s love for Esther may have begun to wane, making Esther’s task even more difficult (see 2:14, 17).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:14 deliverance will rise. Despite his emotional turmoil (v. 4), deep down Mordecai is sure that the Jews will survive. This reflects his faith that God will protect his people, though the text does not make this explicit. from another place. Mordecai does not seem to know what other source of help would appear, but he expresses confidence that God will somehow rescue his people. your father’s house. Esther’s family on her father’s side. Since Mordecai is sure the Jews will be delivered, his statement that Esther and her family will perish presumably means that they will be punished for Esther’s refusal to act. God is apparently the one who will punish them, though again, this is not explicitly said. you have … come … for such a time as this. The strongest hint yet of Mordecai’s belief in divine providence.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 4:16 hold a fast. This is not a spontaneous outpouring of grief as in v. 3, but an organized activity aimed at increasing Esther’s chances of success, through earnest prayer—the strongest indication yet of Esther’s (and Mordecai’s) faith in God (cf. Ezra 9:5; Neh. 1:4). if I perish, I perish. Esther realizes that God cannot be manipulated, even by fasting (cf. Dan. 3:17–18).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:1–8 Esther Is Favorably Received by the King and Prepares to Expose Haman. Esther takes advantage of her renewed influence with the king to begin to implement her own plan to defeat Haman’s plot.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:1–2 the third day. At the end of the three days of fasting (4:16). the inner court. Esther stands where Ahasuerus can see her and waits for him either to reject or receive her. This is a very tense moment, for she is risking her life. the golden scepter. See 4:11.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:3 even … half of my kingdom. The Greek historian Herodotus describes Xerxes (Ahasuerus) as making such an offer, though on a different occasion. Esther rightly understands it as a traditional, grand gesture rather than one the king expects to be taken seriously (cf. Mark 6:23, where Herod makes a similar offer).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:4 a feast that I have prepared. Esther had carefully planned what she would do if she was received favorably. By inviting Haman too, she flatters him and sets him up for a colossal fall.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:8 the feast that I will prepare. Another feast, on the following day. Esther bides her time, as Haman had done. She puts Haman further off guard and makes sure the king is in the best possible mood before revealing what she wants.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:9–14 Haman Prepares to Hang Mordecai. A dangerous development. Events may be moving too swiftly for Mordecai to be saved.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:9–13 joyful … filled with wrath. Haman is elated at how he has been treated by the king and queen, but again becomes incensed by Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him. He won’t be able to enjoy the (second) feast until he has dealt with Mordecai.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 5:14 a gallows. There was a gallows in 2:23, but this is another gallows, to be erected especially for hanging Mordecai. Its enormous height (75 feet/23 m) reflects Haman’s “towering” rage; it is probably intended to make a public spectacle of Mordecai. tell the king. Zeresh assumes that Haman’s influence is now so great that he can virtually order the king to hang Mordecai. Mordecai’s fate now seems to depend on whose influence over Ahasuerus will prevail—Haman’s or Esther’s. This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made. Haman, who is just as much under the influence of his wife and friends as Ahasuerus is under the influence of Haman and Esther, unwittingly builds the means for his own demise.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:1–13 Mordecai Is Honored and Haman Is Humiliated. Events now move so tellingly in favor of Esther and Mordecai that a presumption of God’s providential involvement becomes unavoidable.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:1 that night the king could not sleep. The timing of this episode of royal insomnia is exquisite—another strong indication that something more than chance is involved (cf. Dan. 6:18). the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles. See note on Est. 2:22–23. Again, the request for this book and the reading of the passage about Mordecai can hardly be mere good luck.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:5 Haman is there. Haman now waits as Esther had done in 5:1. Again, the timing is perfect. Invisibly, and without explicit comment in the text, God is at work to protect his people.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:6 What should be done to the man … the king delights to honor? Neither Ahasuerus nor Haman is aware of the heavy irony involved in the question. The events now unfolding are completely out of their control.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:7–9 Haman’s response shows both the extent of his vanity and his total unawareness of the trap he is walking into. the horse that the king has ridden … a royal crown. Even greater honors than those bestowed on Joseph (Gen. 41:42–43).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:10–11 do so to Mordecai the Jew. Haman belatedly realizes the fate he has brought on himself.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:12–13 mourning and with his head covered. See 4:1–3. Now it is Haman’s turn to do as his intended victims had done when the decree of destruction was first published. wise men. These are normally associated with kings (see note on 1:13) and therefore serve as a subtle reminder of the heights from which Haman has begun to fall. If Mordecai … is of the Jewish people, you … will surely fall before him. Even Haman’s wife and advisers sense that an irresistible power or person protects the Jewish people.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 6:14–7:10 Esther Brings About Haman’s Destruction. This is the dramatic heart of the story, where Esther risks all to save her people.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 7:2 Even … half of my kingdom. See note on 5:3.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 7:4 I and my people. Esther reveals that she is a Jew and that Ahasuerus has been tricked into ordering the death of the queen he loves. we have been sold. Haman had “bought” the king’s agreement to his plan (3:9). our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king. With this exaggerated comparison, Esther, like Haman, appeals to the king’s self-interest. If he reduced the Jews to slavery, he would at least have the benefit of their free labor. By killing them, he will lose a valuable asset.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 7:7 the palace garden. See 1:5. Ahasuerus withdraws briefly to compose himself.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 7:8 falling on the couch. Haman was probably kneeling, perhaps with his hands or arms on the couch (probably to seek mercy from Esther), but the king’s perception is distorted by his anger (taking Haman’s move as an assault on Esther). they covered Haman’s face. Covering the head of a condemned prisoner is a custom well known in both ancient and modern times.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 7:10 Hang him on that. A gruesome piece of poetic justice that completes the “fall” Haman’s wife had predicted (see 5:13; 6:13).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:1–17 Esther Wins the Right of the Jews to Defend Themselves. In this section Esther solves the apparently unsolvable problem: how can something unchangeable (the king’s edict) be changed?
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:1–2 Ahasuerus gave … Esther the house of Haman. The property of condemned criminals was forfeited to the crown. Esther … told what he (Mordecai) was to her. Previously Esther had revealed only that she was a Jew. his signet ring. See note on 3:10.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:3–8 Haman was dead, but the edict of destruction he had issued with the king’s authority was still in force, for an edict … cannot be revoked (v. 8; cf. Dan. 6:8). Given this state of affairs, the only way a decree could be countered was by issuing another one that made it difficult or impossible to implement the first.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:9 Sivan. The third month of the Jewish religious calendar, in late spring (around May–June).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:11 any armed force. The Jews are only permitted to defend themselves by destroying armed enemies who attack them. (It is possible, but not certain, that the wording of 9:5 is broader, indicating that they also attacked known enemies who would have done them harm but who simply refrained from attacking them on that day.) children and women included. Any children and women who participated in the attack upon them.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:12 the thirteenth day of … Adar. See 3:13.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:13 take vengeance on their enemies. Defend themselves by killing all who tried to kill them (see note on v. 11).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:15 Susa … rejoiced (cf. 3:15). This is further evidence that Haman’s attitude to the Jews was not typical.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:16 The Jews had … honor. Probably because people saw that the king himself now favored them.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 8:17 joy among the Jews. They rightly saw that they were already as good as saved because their enemies would now be afraid to attack them. many … declared themselves Jews. Tried to pass themselves off as Jews. fear of the Jews. Because of the power now wielded by Mordecai (v. 15; 9:3–4).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:1–19 The Jews Completely Destroy Their Enemies. This is the climax of the story, where the tables are completely turned and the enemies of the Jews get what they deserve.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:1–10 The Jews … did as they pleased (v. 5). In context, this cannot mean that they cast off all restraint, but that they gave full vent to their (understandable) desire to destroy their attackers, as they were allowed to do (see notes on 8:11; 9:11–15). laid no hand on the plunder (also in vv. 15–16). They were allowed to take plunder (8:11), but they did only what was necessary to defend themselves.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:11–15 tomorrow also. Probably because there were still armed men in Susa committed to carrying out the first edict. the ten sons of Haman were hanged. In keeping with Persian royal practice, the king wipes out the conspirator’s family publicly, to deter other would-be plotters against himself and the Jews.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:16–19 These verses explain why two different dates arose for celebrating the deliverance of the Jews. In rural areas the fighting was completed on the thirteenth day of Adar, so they celebrated on the fourteenth. But in Susa it did not finish until the fourteenth, so they celebrated on the fifteenth—as they were still doing when Esther was written (v. 19).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:20–10:3 Conclusion. The story ends by showing what came about as a result of the deliverance the Jews experienced.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:20–32 The Establishment of the Feast of Purim. These verses show how the spontaneous celebrations of vv. 16–19 gave way to a properly organized, annual festival.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:20–22 the fourteenth … and also the fifteenth. The days on which the rural and the urban Jews (respectively) had spontaneously begun to celebrate their deliverance (see note on vv. 16–19). Mordecai avoids any difficulties this might cause by ordering that both days be observed. gifts of food. This would enable all alike to share in the feasting, including the poor (cf. Deut. 16:11; Neh. 8:10, 12; note on Est. 2:18).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 9:23–32 Purim. This is the Hebrew plural of Pur (see note on 3:7). Jews still keep the Feast of Purim today. This second letter suggests that the differences between rural and urban Jews, referred to in 9:9–16, had persisted to some extent in spite of the first letter (vv. 20–22). Both were distributed in the form of many letters, carried by many messengers but with the same basic content. words of peace and truth. A conventional, formal opening for Jewish letters (even today), but with added significance here. The intention of this letter was to bring peace between different Jewish communities by establishing the one true (correct) manner of observing the festival. as … with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. The Jews were to take their obligation to observe the joyful Feast of Purim just as seriously as they had already accepted their obligation to observe days of fasting and weeping (Lev. 16:29–31; Zech. 7:3; 8:19).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 10:1–3 Mordecai’s High Rank and Beneficent Rule. After all the turmoil of the preceding chapters, the story at last arrives at a state of peace.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 10:1 imposed tax. Reversing the (temporary) remission of 2:18. If the coastlands of the sea are remote parts of Ahasuerus’s empire (bordering the eastern Mediterranean), taxing them shows the impressive extent of his power (1:1; 10:2).
ESTHER—NOTE ON 10:2 the Chronicles. See note on 2:22–23. Media and Persia. See note on 1:2–3.
ESTHER—NOTE ON 10:3 second in rank to King Ahasuerus. Cf. Joseph (Gen. 41:40). brothers. Fellow Jews. welfare, peace. Under Mordecai as the king’s chief officer, the Jews experienced exactly the opposite of what they had experienced under Haman.