Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
17. the royal crown ] See on Est 1:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Est 2:17-20
So that he set the royal crown upon her head.
The elevation of woman
Gloss it as you may, this is not pleasant reading, and yet not unprofitable, having much to say to us, and especially to women, of what we owe to Christianity for the elevation of woman. Telling of a despot and sensualist, and how he claimed his countrys fairest beauty for his insatiate pleasure. But it is purely told us. It can be read without dulling the conscience or staining the imagination. What nation of antiquity looked not upon woman as a decorated toy or an abject drudge? There was one exception. Among the Jews her position was relatively high as compared with that assigned to her in adjacent nations. She had larger liberty than even now is allowed her in Oriental countries, with greater variety and importance of employments. She headed, like Miriam, the bands of women who celebrated, with triumphant song, the overthrow of enemies. She led armies, like Deborah, and was, like her, a prophetess and a judge. In the free grace of an unconfined maidenhood she went out to meet her father with timbrels and dances. Her hymns were included in sacred records, as was the song of Samuels mother. She was consulted, like Huldah, by high-priest and king. And while the effect of polygamy was disastrous, so far as that obtained before the captivity, and while it was obvious that the husband, not the wife, was the acknowledged head of the household, in independence of whom the wife could enter on no engagements, the dowry was given for the wife, not with her. The modern harem was unknown, the matron walked abroad unveiled, her husbands house was esteemed her rest, she had a large authority in the family, and the grace and force of her character and mind were honoured, cultured, and allowed opportunity. (R. S. Storrs.)
Esthers advancement
from low estate to share the throne of Persia reminds us of what God does for His people in raising them from the miry clay to sit with Christ upon His throne. (A. B. Davidson, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Set the royal crown upon her head] Made her what is now called in the East the SULTANA, the queen. She was the mistress of all the rest of the wives, all of whom were obliged to pay her the most profound respect.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
17. the king loved Esther above allthe womenThe choice fell on Esther, who found favor in theeyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, orqueen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in theroyal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, ofwhom Oriental princes have a great number.
he set the royal crown uponher headThis consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked withwhite, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by amagnificent entertainment, and, in honor of the auspicious occasion,”he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, accordingto the state of the king.” The dotation of Persian queensconsisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, invarious parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal anddomestic expenditure. Some of these imposts the king remitted orlessened at this time.
Es2:21-23. MORDECAI,DISCOVERING A TREASON,IS RECORDEDIN THE CHRONICLES.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the king loved Esther above all the women,…. The virgins he made his concubines, as next explained; though Jarchi interprets it of married women, for such he supposes were gathered and brought to him, as well as virgins:
and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; who had been purified, and in their turns brought to him:
so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti; declared her queen, and gave her all the ensigns of royalty: so it was usual with the eastern kings to put a crown or diadem on the heads of their wives at the time of marriage, and declare them queens s.
s Vid. Paschalium de Coronis, l. 10. c. 8. p. 689.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE IDEAL SISTER AND DAUGHTER
(A Plain Talk to Girls)
Est 2:17
THE central figure of the model home, the one. in whom most affection fixes itself, and around whom social joys circulate, is not the son so much as the sister and daughter.
Our subject is the ideal rather than the real, and in consequence we may be pardoned for presenting Esther as a good illustration of the character to be copied by the young women of this hour.
Esther was not a real daughter or sister. She seems to have been an only child, and was early orphaned; but in those special traits to which we are about to call attention, she was ideal, an excellent example for every daughter and sister.
IN CHARACTER GENUINELY CHASTE
Our text tells us that this girl was among the fair young virgins of the kings dominion; and the whole record of her life, as reported in the Book that wears her name, is without suggestion of spot or stain.
Chastity, of the most immaculate sort, is the all-essential element in the character of that girl who would be a fit subject for parental pride and fraternal affection. It matters little what other graces of body, or mind, or spirit, may remain; the young woman whose character becomes stained is forever degraded, and all her tears will not suffice to put her back to the lofty, yet lost station, of ideal daughterhood; only the grace of God can do that.
It is a wonderful picture of a true woman that Solomon paints in the last chapter of his Proverbs; and the very first stroke on that picture is this question, Who can find a virtuous woman?, and the finishing touch is this sentence, Her price is far above rubies. Valuable above all personal charm or possible treasure of silver and gold, valuable above blood, above learning, above social station, above beauty, above brilliancy, above all these combined, is virtue. Its value is intrinsic! Virtue is loved for its own sake. As Victor Hugo wisely said, Virtue is its own reward. It is as august in rags as in the fleur-de-lis.
Public opinion puts no less a price on it. The world is one in its appreciation of unsullied womanhood. The very men who seek to despoil the innocence of the feminine, who are patrons of prostitutes, spurn to marry one whose name is not as unstained as the latest layer of mountaintop snow. England and Europe have better reasons for sending their sons to this side of the sea for our sisters, in marriage, than the mere money gain. Up to recent times, at least, American maidens were modest as a rule, and came more nearly to that measure of womanhood which the beautiful CorneliaScipios daughter, established for her sex when she said, My loveliest ornament is my modesty and my purity.
Joan of Arc came to the ascendency of the first woman in France primarily by the power of her virtue. John Lord tells us that when the king was indisposed to attend to the maids words the women of the court took up her cause and pled for her on the ground of her spotless purity.
Perhaps the first woman of the seventeenth century and one whose name is destined to live forever was Madame de Maintenon. Louis XIV. was ruler in name, but for many years the French sovereign was Madame de Maintenon, and John Lord says of her, No woman ever ruled with more absolute sway, from Queen Esther to Madame de Pompadour, than did the widow of the profane and crippled Scarron. It cannot be doubted that she exerted this influence by mere moral and intellectual forcethe power of physical beauty retreating before the Superior radiance of wisdom and virtue. La Valliere had wearied and Montespan had disgusted even a sensual king, with all their remarkable attractions; but Maintenon, by her prudence, her tact, her wisdom, and her friendship, retained the empire she had wonthus teaching the immortal lesson that nothing but respect constitutes a sure foundation for love, or can hold the heart of a selfish man amid the changes of life. Whatever the promises made emphatic by passion, whatever the presents or favors given as tokens of everlasting ties, whatever the raptures consecrating the endearments of a plighted troth, whatever the admiration called out by the scintillations of genius, whatever the gratitude arising from benefits bestowed in sympathy, all will vanish in the heart of a man unless confirmed by qualities which extort esteem the most impressive truth that can be presented to the mind of woman; her encouragement if good, her sentence to misery if bad, so far as her hopes center around an earthly idol. In other words, she must be spotless in character.
IN BEAUTY
Esther had no need of artificial adornment. The context says, The maid was fair and beautiful; and also informs us that when she was presented to the king she required nothing but what Hegai the kings chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed.
We do not wish to convey the impression that she was sloven when we say that she needed no artificial adornment. She was not like some sisters we have seen whose chambers look as San Francisco did the day after the earthquake, whose clothes are brushed by a mothers hand, if at all; whose abolutions are a lick and a promise, and whose adornments are dishabille. Every girl owes it to her brothers, to her father and to her mother, just as certainly as to her young gentleman friend, to be as sweet and pretty as possible on a work-a-day; and when Sunday comes it ought not to be necessary for the best beau to arrive to perfect her appearance. We have read somewhere of a girl who was criticised for lack of attention to her appearance and who answered in an injured tone, I dont think you should find fault with my looks, I am just as God made me. The quick retort of her young woman chum was, That is why I blame you, Mabel; you have never made any improvement on yourself.
But to criticise slovenliness is not to advise cosmetics and stimulants. Years ago the Record of Chicago gave an extended editorial on the use of falsehoods in adorning the person of women, condemning, as it ought, painting, penciling and the rest; and especially calling attention to the growth of intemperance in the upper classes of society of the same sex, and said, More and more our jaded society wives and daughters are using wines and other intoxicants to flush the cheeks, loosen the tongue and stimulate the brain, just as they employ belladonna to brighten and beautify the eyes. To say that such a practice is perilous is to put it mildly.
One of our papers a while ago reported that London society women, though scarce two-thirds the way through the present season, were exhausted every one, and were it not for strong stimulants upon which they relied, they could not make a decent appearance to the end.
I would like to remind those of you who want to be model daughters and ideal sisters that for roses in the cheeks there is nothing that equals making your own bed, helping to sweep the house, turning the sewing machine a bit; and then, if in decent dress, you want to take a spin in the auto, or a pull at the oar, or 9 to 18 holes of golf, youll find these things will add a splendid finishing touch, and instead of appearing in society in artificial beauty, you can bloom at home in a beauty all your own.
And as for intellectual stimulus, and the ability to talk intelligently, to work the brain a bit in reading and observation, surpasses all the intoxicants between the seas.
But beauty at its best is more a spiritual trait than it is a physical quality. The plain-faced sister of sweet temper, tidy habits, self-sacrificing spirit, and God-like graces is pretty in spite of all you can say to the contrary. I saw a while ago a statement from one of the most famed of American women in illustration of this thought. She said that in childhood her ugliness occasioned her much unhappiness. She seldom looked in a glass because that was to render herself sad. One day a good woman found her crying about this matter, and suspecting the cause, brought to her a rough, scaley, coarse, earth-covered bulb, and said, Dora, plant this in a pot of dirt, keep it in the sun, give it water, and see what will come of it. I did as commanded and watched it carefully. The green leaves came first, and at last the golden Japanese lilythe first I had ever seen. My friend came to share my delight. Ah, she said significantly, who would have believed that so much beauty and fragrance were shut up in that little rough, ugly thing? It was the first time it had ever occurred to me that, in spite of irregular features, I too could win to myself friends, and, by beauty of character, compel people to love me.
A little while ago a friend sent me some verses which I greatly prize. They run like this:
Beautiful faces are those that wear,
It matters little, if dark or fair,
Whole-souled honesty written there.
Beautiful eyes are those that show
Like crystal panes where hearthfires glow
Beautiful thoughts that shine below.
Beautiful lips are those whose words
Leap from the heart like songs of birds
Yet whose utterance prudence girds.
Beautiful shoulders are those that bear
Daily burdens of homely care,
With daily grace and constant prayer.
Beautiful hands are those that do,
Moment by moment the long day through
Deeds that are noble, good and true.
Beautiful feet are those that go
Errands of mercy to and fro, and
Weary never, till death shall slow.
Beautiful lives are lives that bless
Silent rivers of happiness,
Yet whose fountains few may guess.
IN SERVICE, SELF-FORGETFUL
For their sakes she risked life itself. In that day it quite often cost the head of the one who dared come into the presence of the king uncalled; but this queenly girl forgot self, dared the danger in love of her own people. Selfishness is perhaps the besetting sin of the fair sex. Esther illustrates how to rise above it, as she does also Christs adage, He that loseth his life, shall find it. To have sought her own safety, or pleasure, at this critical hour would have cost not only the loss of her Jewish loved ones but, likely, her own life also. Selfishness at any time is indulged at the cost of character, and endangers, if it does not destroy, the noblest that is within us.
You remember that when Rome was besieged the daughter of the king, seeing the golden bracelets on the left arms of the enemy, desired them, and sent word that she would betray her city into their hands if they would only deliver those beautiful bracelets unto her. They accepted the proffer and under the cover of darkness threw wide the city gates. The army entered, and keeping to their word, threw upon her both the bracelets and the shields until she was crushed down and killed by the weight. But self-love cost her little in excess of what it costs any woman, or for that matter, any man, who indulges it. The Apostle gave us one of the purest of all ethical principles when he told us to Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Bear ye one anothers burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Every young woman has opportunities in that direction which, if once lost, can never be regained.
By this same unselfishness Esther defeated the ends of the enemies of Israel. Sisters and daughters here present, Israel was never in such danger from Haman and his accomplices in crime as your own brothers are from the sins of modern society. Less danger to Israel from Haman than to your brother from that hole of hell, and drinking place; less danger to Israel from Haman than to your brother from that place of green cloth, the gambling house; and infinitely less danger from Haman to Israel than to your brother in the smile of scarlet women who sleep not except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
If the beautiful relations that ought to exist between brothers and sisters were realized many a youth, under a sisters benign influence, would stand out against temptation and be saved. After all, love is the largest element in redemption and the boy who knows the perfect love of a pure sister will find in that affection a refuge, an inviting retreat when tempted.
There is a story, whether true or not I cannot say, to the effect that the Jews, under a certain oppression, were wont to walk the streets of a city clothed in mean rags and looking poverty stricken indeed in order that their property might escape confiscation. When the days work was done they went into an obscure alley and passed into miserable rooms apparently to a foul nest of poverty and squalor. But they went far beyond this uninviting place through door after door, and when they had escaped the sight of their enemies, and were beyond the intrusion of the police, they came to gorgeous apartments where wealth and beauty reigned; where fathers and mothers, brother, sisters and friends flamed forth in brightest array, and discovered their better selves; forgetting the enemy without, and all the hardships by which they were threatened, they were happy. Home ought to be such a retreat, and the son and brother walking the streets of sin, tempted on every side, ought to feel that he could escape that vile deceiver and find one as fragrant as the rose, as pure as virtue itself, when he came into the house where his sister waits to greet and make him glad.
To defeat enemies is to save life. Of course that was Esthers noblest work. None the less yours, my sister! You are familiar with the heroines of fact and fiction. In our judgment, no woman holds much higher place in the memory of a grateful public than does Grace Darling. At the Worlds Fair in Chicago, 1894, how many of us, in the Transportation Building, paused before Grace Darlings boat and recalled the history of a certain night to be glad and to do honor to that woman. You know it was on the Northumberland coast, in Longstone Rock lighthouse some seventy five years ago, on the seventh of September, that Grace sat looking out to sea. A steamer, trading from Hull to Dundee, disabled in her machinery, was driving toward that coast in the darkness in the fury of a frightful storm. At three oclock in the morning the hull struck and parted, and twenty four cabin passengers were plunged into the angry deep. The captain went overboard with his wife in his arms. It was then that this fragile girl, with daring intrepidity, urged her father to attempt to rescue the wrecked ones should any be surviving. It was only after the most eloquent argument that he yielded to her wishes and went to the work. It was a tiny cockle-shell of a boat that the brave mother unselfishly pushed off that morning into the darkness of the blinding storm, knowing full well that unless they rescued those who could assist them back to shore, they too would go down. They crept amid the rocks, and by wonderful strength and skill brought this bit of a boat to where the survivors were still keeping up. Grace, with dauntless courage, managed the boat, and kept it from being dashed to pieces while Darling picked the survivors off the wreck, and with their assistance, landed safely at the lighthouse again. For three days that storm swept everything before it, and these survivors were consoled and comforted by the loved ones from the lighthouse. Canon Farrar says, It was this almost nameless girl from the humblest cottage in England, that by a deed of heroism awakened a transport of enthusiasm to the ends of the world. And yet, what was her virtue?
This, that she risked her life to assist in saving others. Nine bodies she aided in keeping from an ocean burial.
Better work, and work equally brave, is yours, young woman, if you save the soul of a brother. I have no doubt that Grace Darling holds high place in Heaven; but I knew one years ago, still in the flush of youth, who will, I believe, hold higher place when to Heaven she comes. She was a daughter and sister, baptized by my hand, quitting the baptismal waters to go after the souls of her mother, her father, her brother and her two sisters. I saw her persist in that work, praying to God, pleading with them, presenting the Gospel by word of mouth and preaching it more loudly still by daily conduct until she had seen them saved every one. That is the climax of privilege for those of you who have brothers and sisters who know not Gods love. Compass that, and all the crowns that earth may give you will fade before the beauty of the immortal crown that God will grant.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
17. Set the royal crown upon her head To show his delight in honouring her, and to distinguish her as his favourite mistress. Compare Est 1:9; Est 1:11, notes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Est 2:17. So that he set the royal crown upon her head According to this account, this Persian monarch seems to have had but one wife, at least but one in chief favour and esteem with him, though it is evident that he had a vast number of secondary wives or concubines. But in behalf of Esther it may be said, that the word vattilacach, Est 2:8 which we render she was brought, may equally signify she was taken away, 1:e. by violence; and thus the Targum upon the passage relates the matter: “Mordecai, hearing of the king’s edict for the collection of all the beautiful virgins in his dominions, hid his cousin in a private place, where the officers could not find her; but when Esther, whom all the neighbourhood knew to be a great beauty, was missing, an order from the king to Mordecai was procured, which, upon pain of death, obliged him to produce her.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Est 2:17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Ver. 17. And the king loved Esther ] This was the Lord’s own work, who regarded the low estate of his handmaid, Luk 1:48 , and framed the king’s heart to affect her. Let all such maids as desire loving husbands, and all such wives as would have their husbands loyal and loving to them, get God’s favour, and adorn themselves with humility and modesty, as Esther did. Let Christian husbands also learn (for shame) of this barbarian, to love their wives above all women, with a conjugal, chaste, and fast affection: not lusting and hankering after strange flesh. It is remarkable, that after Solomon had said, “Rejoice in the wife of thy youth, be thou ravished always with her love; ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” Pro 5:19-20 .
She obtained grace and favour in his sight
So that he set the royal crown upon her head
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Est 2:17-18
17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vasti. 18Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
Est 2:17 Again the author’s literary style of using parallel words, phrases, or sentences is seen.
A. The overall pattern of the verse
1. The VERB loved (BDB 12, KB 17) is Qal IMPERFECT, which matches the VERB (BDB 669, KB 724) before favor and kindness (see Special Topic: Hesed at Neh 13:14). This VERB (Qal IMPERFECT) describes a deep longing for one’s sexual partner.
a. Isaac – Rebekah, Gen 24:67
b. Jacob – Rachel, Gen 29:18; Gen 29:20; Gen 29:30
c. Samson – different women, e.g., Jdg 16:4
d. Elkanah – Hannah, 1Sa 1:5 (Qal PERFECT)
e. Rehoboam – Ma’acah, 2Ch 11:21
f. Xerxes – Esther, Est 2:17
(List from NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 291, but with changes)
2. The descriptive phrase, more than all the women, is an inclusive, emphatic assertion. It parallels the descriptive phrase, more than all the virgins.
B. The descriptive terms
1. favor (BDB 336, cf. Est 5:2; VERB form used in Est 5:8; Est 7:3; Est 8:5)
2. kindness (BDB 338, cf. Est 2:9)
This is apparently a hendiadys. Apparently Esther’s turn with the king was later in the rotation (four years had passed), possibly last because with her arrival before the king the contest stopped! As is common with Persian kings, the drinking party begins!
Est 2:18 he also made a holiday for the provinces The term (BDB 629, KB 252), meaning a giving of a rest, is a hapax legommenon and could refer to several royal favors:
1. no taxation (for a set period of time, KB 252)
2. no military draft (for a set period of time)
3. special amnesty (for a set period of time)
a. to slaves
b. to debtors
c. to prisoners (LXX)
4. a special holiday (BDB 629, from Aramaic root)
There is a historical example of the same type of amnesty found in Herodotus, Histories 3.67, which denotes a cancellation of #1 and #2 for three years.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
favour: or, kindness
in his sight: Heb. before him
so that he set: Est 4:14, 1Sa 2:8, Psa 75:6, Psa 75:7, Psa 113:7, Psa 113:8, Eze 17:24, Luk 1:48-52, bishop Patrick observes, that those who suggest that Esther committed a great sin to come at the dignity of queen of Persia, do not consider the custom of those times and countries. Every one that the king took to his bed was married to him, and was his wife of a lower rank, as Hagar was to Abraham.
Reciprocal: Gen 33:8 – to find 2Ki 11:12 – put the crown Est 8:5 – I be pleasing Eze 16:11 – and a
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE KING AND THE MAIDEN
The king loved Esther.
Est 2:17
After these things (chap. 2:1) is an indefinite expression that may mark the interval, during which Xerxes invaded Greece and was ignominiously defeated.
I. It almost appears that he was filled with compunction at the memory of his treatment of Vashti, and that his counsellors made their horrible proposals with the view of diverting the royal mind from an inconsolable grief. How frequently men endeavour to drown their remorse by yielding to unbridled passion! This is the expedient of turning out demon by demon.
Hadassah means a myrtle. This was the maidens Hebrew, while Esther, a star, was her Persian name. It was not left to the choice of Esther, or of her guardian, whether she should come to the palace with the rest. Had they had any option or choice, they would not have dreamt of such a degradation. The officials decided the matter for them, and against their determination there was no dispute. Had the Hebrew girl told her nationality, it might have barred her way to the throne; but it could not have saved her from the hands of the court officials.
II. That the maiden pleased the kings chamberlain, and ultimately the king, reminds us of Gen 39:21.The Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The hand of the Lord was evidently with this lonely girl, through whom His high purposes were to be achieved; and it was of God that the king raised her to share his throne. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Esther, the Jewish Queen
Est 2:17-23
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
“God works in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.”
The eye of God had beheld a growing antagonism against His people, Israel, during the reign of Ahasuerus. It was in order to break this opposition, and to shield His people, that certain things evidently began to take place in Shushan the palace.
1. The king gave a great feast. As we read the Bible record of this feast given to all the princes and servants throughout the Medo-Persian Empire, we obtain a slight glimpse into the riches, and the glories of the kingdom of one of the world’s greatest monarchs. The Bible speaks of “the honour of His excellent majesty” which was portrayed during the feast which lasted one hundred and eighty days.
At the conclusion of the feast, when all the people were found in Shushan the palace, there were seven days of rejoicing in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. The hangings of the garden were white, green, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings, and pillars of marble. The beds were of gold and silver upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble. The people drank from vessels of gold, every vessel being different. The royal wine flowed in abundance, and every man drank according to his own pleasure.
2. A recalcitrant queen. In the height of the glory of the feast Ahasuerus sent for Vashti, his queen, to come forth wearing the crown royal that he might show the princes and the people her beauty for she was fair to look upon.
Vashti, the queen, refused the king’s request, and would not come. Immediately the king was very angry. He called his wise men and asked what should be done to her according to the law. The result was that the queen was dismissed forever from the king’s presence, and her royal estate was to be given to her successor. In this deposing of the queen, we see God at work.
3. Preparing the way for Queen Esther. The Lord was moving toward a great consummation. He was about to open the way for Hadassah to become queen under the name of Esther. It was not only for Esther’s sake that He did this. He was rather working in behalf of His chosen people, the Jews.
Is it not wonderful to see all down through the ages how God has taken care of His own people, protecting and shielding them from danger? He brought them through many a difficult place. He brought them into rest and peace. Had Israel only obeyed His voice, and followed Him fully, she had never become a vassal nation: she had never known the sorrow and travail which became her lot; she had never been driven from pillar to post and scattered among the nations, even as she is at this present time. The truth is, that the story of the Book of Esther not only gives us a wonderful historical view of the Jews, but it gives a tremendous plan, and a vital testimony to the history of the Jewish nation and its final restoration under Christ at His Coming.
I. MORDECAI, THE JEW (Est 2:5)
When the Jews had been taken into captivity and had been carried away from Jerusalem in the days of Jeconiah, king of Judah, among others Nebuchadnezzar brought with him, was Hadassah, that is, Esther. With her he brought also Mordecai, who was the son of Jair, and an uncle to Esther.
1. A captive of honor. This Mordecai was a captive of honor. We read that he sat at the king’s gate. We cannot but think of Daniel and his three companions who were brought to Babylon, and who were given honor by Nebuchadnezzar, under the favor of God. Whom God wills, He sets up, and whom He wills, He puts down.
Mordecai was a man of great worth, and also of spiritual integrity.
2. A safeguard to the king. As Mordecai sat at the king’s gate he discovered that two of the king’s chamberlains were seeking to lay hands upon Ahasuerus, to slay him. Then it was that Mordecai revealed unto Esther, the queen, the strategy against the king’s life. The queen in turn told the king thereof in Mordecai’s name. The offenders were put to death on a tree, and the record was written in the Book of the Chronicles of Persia.
3. A Jew with courage. Haman was a great man under Ahasuerus. The king advanced him and set him above all the princes. All of the king’s servants bowed before Haman, and reverenced him; with the exception of Mordecai who would give homage to no one except to the God of Israel. He would not bow the knee to any man.
Would that we had more men like Mordecai who would not yield any point contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures. Daniel and his companions had the courage to refuse to obey the king’s command. We need men who have iron in their blood; young people who are willing to say “No!” We need young men who will suffer for Christ, rather than kneel to Satan.
II. ESTHER CHOSEN QUEEN (Est 2:17)
1. The exaltation of a Jewish maiden. We remember that Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah, was brought over with the captivity. No matter how high her station may have been in Judah, she was now no more than a captive servant to the Persians. Nevertheless she was fair of form, and of a good countenance.
When the order had gone forth from king Ahasuerus that maidens should be brought to the palace under the custody of his appointed servants, Mordecai arranged that Esther should be brought in with the other women of the realm. Esther pleased the custodian, and received many kindnesses from him. He hastened to give her things for her purification; he also gave her most becoming raiment.
Thus it was, that when her turn came to go before the king, she went robed in the raiment which Hegai, the king’s chamberlain, prepared for her. Our key verse says, “And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
2. Her attire. We cannot but speak a moment of the robe which Esther wore when she came before the king. It was a robe furnished by the king through his servants.
Our Lord will one day be crowned King of kings, and Lord of lords. In that hour the queen will come before Him. Our exaltation will be greater than that of Queen Esther.
Here is the way Psa 45:1-17 describes the queen’s dress: “Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.” As Esther pleased the king, so will the queen please her Lord. In Ezekiel we read: “I decked thee also with ornaments, * * Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; * * for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.”
With Esther crowned, a great feast was given in her honor. Also, when the bride, the Lamb’s wife, is crowned, we read, “Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”
III. THE GREAT OPPONENT (Est 3:5)
1. The promotion of Haman. “After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.” This Haman was a man of great magnificence as his name suggests. However, he hated the Jews. When he discovered that Mordecai, the Jew, would not bow to him, nor do him reverence, his anger knew no bounds.
Haman was not satisfied to reek his wrath upon Mordecai alone. He thought that his dignity and honor demanded a far greater revenge, therefore, he sought to destroy all the Jews that were in the kingdom.
2. Haman given a free hand. When Haman appealed to Ahasuerus telling him that there was a certain people scattered abroad in the kingdom whose laws were diverse from all people, and when he offered to pay ten thousand talents of silver, to have them destroyed; Then, “the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman * * the Jews’ enemy.” By this he was given authority to do what he deemed best against the Jews.
3. Esther’s inquiry. In chapter 4 we find that Queen Esther perceived that Mordecai had rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth and ashes, and that he had refused the raiment and the food she had sent to him. She was grieved, and sent her maids to find out the reason.
Mordecai sent back word that it was on account of Haman’s treachery, and because all the Jews were under sentence of death through Haman, and by order of the king, herself included.
We stop just long enough to remind you that we have a great enemy. He had hated God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and has sought to avenge himself upon the people of God. He goes about “as a roaring lion, * * seeking whom he may devour.”
IV. ESTHER’S SACRIFICIAL SERVICE (Est 5:1-2)
1. Her dependence on God. When Esther received from Mordecai a command that she must appear before the king in his behalf, and in behalf of the Jews, she sent word to Mordecai to tell him “that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre.” The queen added, “but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.” It was for this cause that the queen, who had determined to show herself before her lord, and king, bade Mordecai, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise.”
Beloved, what a wonderful thing it is for us to throw ourselves upon the Lord. Esther had no power to stay the king’s command, but she knew that God could touch the king’s heart when she came into his presence.
2. Her appearance before the king. Dressed in her royal apparel, on the third day, Queen Esther stood in. the inner court of the king’s palace. With what temerity, and yet with what confident trust, did the queen await her fate. Est 5:2 tells us, “And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.”
V. HOW GOD WROUGHT OUT HIS PLAN (Est 6:11)
1. The queen’s feasts. As Esther stood before the king, the king said unto her, “What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.” Esther then modestly requested that the king and Haman come to her banquet which she had prepared. “Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.”
Little did either of the men realize the import of that feast. During the feast the king said to Esther, “What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.” The queen simply invited them to another feast on the morrow.
2. Haman’s joy. As Haman left the feast and went home, he told his wife and family of his invitation with the king to the queen’s banquet. It made him very happy. Nevertheless, he was bitter because as he passed from the feast homeward, Mordecai, who sat in the king’s gate, stood not up, nor moved for him. As they talked over the matter in his home, his wife suggested that a gallows be made on which Mordecai should be hanged. “Then,” said she, “go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.”
As we study this message, step by step, we see God still moving in behalf of His people.
VI. THE DAY OF DELIVERANCE (Est 7:1-2)
1. A striking event. On the night following the first banquet, the king could not sleep. God was evidently troubling him. At that time he commanded that the book of records be brought, and they were read before him. It was found written therein that Mordecai had discovered unto the king how two men had sought to slay him. Then the king said, “What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court.” Haman was called in, and the king said to him, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?”
2. The beginning of Haman’s downfall. “Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?” He answered the king, “For the man whom the king delighteth to honor, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city.”
With what anguish of spirit did Haman fulfill the command of the king, for he was told to do the very things he had suggested to Mordecai, the Jew, “that sitteth at the king’s gate.” Then he hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered. While he talked with his wife, the king’s chamberlains came and hasted to bring him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
3. Esther’s request. At the banquet the king once more asked the queen what her petition was, saying, “It shall be granted thee.” “Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.”
When the king heard what the queen said, he cried out, “Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?”
Queen Esther with the courage of undaunted faith, said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” Thus it was that Haman died that day by order of the king, upon the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai.
VII. THE JEWS’ VINDICATION (Est 7:7-8)
1. The king’s writing could not be changed. When King Ahasuerus gave his ring to Haman, and the order for the slaughter of the Jews was made and sealed with the king’s ring, it could not, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, be changed. Thus it was that the king proposed another message, and signed it with his own signet according to the law. By this the effect of the letters which Haman had sent out were practically reversed, and the Jews throughout the kingdom, and by order of the king, were given the privilege to be fully armed against any who might seek to do them harm.
So it happened that the people fought with the Jews against their enemies inasmuch as the king had favored the Jews. The result was that, instead of the Jews being slain, their enemies fell on every hand.
2. The Jews’ joy and rejoicing. We read that “The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.” Their sorrows were turned into joy, and their sighings into rejoicing.
Will it not be so, once more, when the story of Israel’s national redemption from the wrath of Satan and the anti-christ has been achieved? God will descend from Heaven in behalf of His people. He will give them a great deliverance. Then shall they go forth with joy, and be led forth with singing.
The greatness of Mordecai following the death of Haman and the victory of the Jews over his intrigue is given in the three short verses which compose the 10th chapter. We quote these in full:
“And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.”
AN ILLUSTRATION
The Deliverance of Jerusalem by Esther’s Devotion speaks of another day.
Jerusalem was captured by God and not by guns. When General Allenby had learned that the Germans and Turks had mined all the sacred places in Jerusalem and the order had gone forth that just as soon as the British made entry every sacred place was to be blown into atoms that the British might get the blame and the shame, Allenby called together his military staff. Not a word was said about military affairs. The staff was summoned to pray, and they spent one hour and a half on their knees, asking the God of Jerusalem to give them the city without the destruction of the sacred places. After prayer Allenby ordered one division down the right, another down the left, his airplanes took the air. The enemies got frightened, ran and left their fortifications, and Allenby and his staff walked safely through the open gates.-From an intimate friend of Allenby’s, through Dr. A. C. Dixon.