Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 8:2

And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

His ring – i. e. the royal signet by which the decrees of the government were signed.

Over the house of Haman – Not only the building and the furniture, but the household – the vast train of attendants of all kinds that was attached to the residence of a Persian noble.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 2. The king took off his ring] In the ring was the seal of the king. Giving the ring to Mordecai was tantamount to giving him the seal of the kingdom, and constituting him the same as lord chancellor among us.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The king took off his ring; that ring which he had formerly given to Haman for that present or any further use, Est 3:10, he now gives to Mordecai, and with it that power and authority whereof this ring was a sign, making him, as Haman had been, the keeper of his signet.

Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman; as her steward, to manage that great estate for her as he thought fittest.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. the king took off his ring, . . .and gave it unto MordecaiBy that act transferring to him allthe power and authority which the ring symbolized, and promoting himto the high dignity which Haman had formerly filled.

Esther set Mordecai over thehouse of Hamanas her steward or factor, to manage that largeand opulent estate which had been assigned to her.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai,…. which, with the Persians, was a token of the strongest affection and strictest friendship z; the Targum calls it his signatory ring, that with which he signed laws, edicts, letters, patents, c. and so hereby made him keeper of the seals:

and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman appointed him her steward of the estate of Haman, the king had given her.

z Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 26. & l. 2. c. 19.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(2) Took off his ring . . . and gave it unto Mordecai.Constituting him thereby his Vizier, who would thus authenticate a royal decree, and by having, as it were, carte blanche given him for the time, would for that time save his master all further trouble. Mordecais position had now become what Daniels had been to Darius, that nobler servant to a worthier lord (see Dan. 6:2, 38). He was the queens cousin, and he had on one occasion been the means of saving the kings life, and therefore starts under distinctly favourable auspices.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2. Took off his ring See note on Est 3:10.

Which he had taken from Haman When Haman was led forth to execution he was, of course, stripped of all seals and emblems of his office and authority, and all such insignia returned to the king.

Gave it unto Mordecai Thus transferring to a Jew the authority and emoluments lately enjoyed by the Agagite. It was no strange thing for eastern kings thus to honour foreigners.

And Esther set Mordecai She felt she could make no better disposal of her present than to give it to the keeping and use of her venerated relative and friend.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Est 8:2. The king took off his ringand gave it unto Mordecai That is, he made him the keeper of the royal signet, in the same manner as Haman had been before him.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Est 8:2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Ver. 2. And the king took off his ring ] As a sign of intimate friendship, and a bond of strictest league of love. That this was usual among the Persians, is testified by Alexander. ab Alexandro, Lib. i. c. 26. Of Alexander the Great it is told, that when he died he left his ring to his dearest friend Perdiccas, but his dominions, , to the worthiest. This set up competitors, and bred much trouble. Ahasuerus knew that a worthier than Mordecai he could not easily find, and therefore besides that momentary honour he had newly done him, Est 6:10 , he now not only by this ring admitteth him into nearest friendship, but, as some think, advanceth him to be keeper of the seal, and lord chancellor of all the empire.

Which he had taken from Haman ] And so degraded and exauthorated him before his execution: this is usual.

And gave it unto Mordecai ] Acknowledging thereby his error in promoting so unworthy a man before; whom having punished for his deserts, he here pitcheth upon a better. En Imperatorem valde terribilem nec minus clementem, Behold the very emperor terrible and very little mercy, as Frederick, the elector of Saxony, said of Charles V. Let Ahasuerus be what he wishes, Almighty God is in this text set forth as bountiful to his people, and terrible to his enemies. See Psa 34:15-16 .

And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman ] As her chief steward, to see that everything went right, and were put to the best. Haman’s sons lived some months after this, but were outed of all. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed, Pro 20:21 . He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor, Pro 23:8 . God will provide him both an executor and an overseer, as here he did Haman.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

gave it unto Mordecai. Compare Est 3:10. Note how God honoured godly Jews in foreign courts: Joseph next to Pharaoh; Moses the heir to the throne of Egypt; Daniel next to Darius in Babylon; Mordecai next to Astyages in Shushan.

over the house of Hainan. Wonderful retribution.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

his ring: Est 3:10, Gen 41:42, Isa 22:19-22, Luk 15:22

Esther set: 2Sa 9:7-10, Psa 37:34, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:19-26, Ecc 5:13, Ecc 5:14, Dan 2:48

Reciprocal: Gen 31:9 – General Est 3:12 – sealed Isa 22:21 – clothe Luk 12:20 – then Jam 2:2 – gold

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 8:2. The king took off his ring That ring which he had formerly given to Haman, but had resumed, he now gives to Mordecai, in token of his favour, and with it that power whereof this ring was a sign, making him, as Haman had been, the keeper of his signet. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman Not over his family, for that was destroyed, but over his lands and goods, given her by the king: of which she made Mordecai her steward, to manage that great estate for her, as he thought fit. With what little pleasure, nay, with what constant vexation, would Haman have looked upon his estate, if he could have foreseen that Mordecai, the man he hated above all men in the world, should have rule over all that wherein he had laboured, and thought he showed himself so wise! See, then, the vanity of laying up treasure on earth; he that heapeth up riches knoweth not who shall gather them, Psa 39:6; not only whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, (Ecc 2:19,) but whether he shall be a friend or an enemy. It is our interest, therefore, to make sure of those riches which will not be left behind, but will go with us to another world. Reader, attend to this, and lay not up for thy posterity, any more than for thyself treasures on earth.