Charles Ellicott Commentary Esther 9
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Esther 9
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Esther 9
"Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king`s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them, (whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them,)" — Esther 9:1 (ASV)
Drew near. —Arrived, came, as in Esther 8:17.
"the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples." — Esther 9:2 (ASV)
To lay hand on such as sought their hurt. — How far the Jews acted according to the strict letter of the edict, and stood for their lives only when attacked, is perhaps to be doubted. They had on their side all the executive of the empire (Esther 9:3), and evidently, to all intents and purposes, the second edict was considered virtually to repeal the first. The Jews, therefore, being in favor at court, and, as was not unnatural after their alarm, being now full of indignation and vengeance, were probably resolved to use their opportunities while they had the chance. If so, who could object so long as they did nothing against the authorities? And they, we have seen, were on their side. That they did make a bloody use of their opportunity is shown clearly by Esther 9:16.
"And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men." — Esther 9:6 (ASV)
The palace. —Doubtless the whole royal city, rather than the palace strictly so called. It is obvious that even Xerxes would hardly have allowed bloodshed, other than by his direct orders, within the precincts of the palace.
"And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha," — Esther 9:7-9 (ASV)
The names of the ten sons of Haman are, except Adalia, all readily traceable to old Persian roots. It may be noted that in a Hebrew Bible the ten names are written vertically, one under the other, in a column; and the Targum or Chaldee paraphrase says that the ten sons were hanged one above the other at fixed distances.
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