Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 9:19

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar [a day of] gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

19. the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make etc. ] not ‘dwelt’ and ‘made’ as in the A.V. The writer is describing the custom of his own day as arising out of the circumstances here recounted. He implies that in his time the Jews who did not come under the above description followed the date at which those in Shushan celebrated their deliverance. The LXX., however, inserts a clause to this effect, viz. ‘But those who dwell in the chief cities keep the fifteenth day of Adar as a day of glad feasting, and of sending portions likewise to their neighbours.’

and of sending portions one to another ] i.e. that the poor might share in the happiness of the occasion. The same procedure was enjoined by Nehemiah (Neh 8:10; Neh 8:12) at the proclamation of the Law in his time. It was in accordance with the ordinance (Deu 16:11; Deu 16:14) that the enjoyment of the Feast of Weeks should be extended to ‘the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.’ The custom of sending gifts (usually sweetmeats) is still preserved at Purim.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The Jews of the villages … – Rather, the Jews of the country districts, that dwelt in the country towns, as distinguished from those who dwelt in the metropolis.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. The Jews of the villages] They joined that to the preceding day, and made it a day of festivity, and of sending portions to each other; that is, the rich sent portions of the sacrifices slain on this occasion to the poor, that they also might be enabled to make the day a day of festivity; that as the sorrow was general, so also might the joy be.

It is worthy of remark that the ancient Itala or Ante-hieronymian version of this book omits the whole of these nineteen verses. Query, Were they originally in this book?

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

Therefore, to wit, because they did their whole work upon the thirteenth day, as was noted Est 9:17, to which this manifestly relates, the 18th verse coming in as it were by way of parenthesis.

In the unwalled towns, Heb. in the cities of the villages, i.e. in the lesser cities and villages, which are here opposed to the great city Shushan, and those who dwelt in it.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

19. a day of . . . feasting . . . ofsending portions one to anotherThe princes and people of theEast not only invite their friends to feasts, but it is their customto send a portion of the banquet to those who cannot well come to it,especially their relations, and those who are detained at home in astate of sorrow or distress.

Es9:20-32. THE TWODAYS OF PURIMMADE FESTIVAL.

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

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting,…. Jarchi observes that those in the villages, who are they that do not dwell in walled towns, observed the fourteenth, and they in towns surrounded with walls the fifteenth, as Shushan; and this circumvallation, he says, must be what was from the days of Joshua; according to the Jewish canons, every place that was walled from the days of Joshua the son of Nun, whether in the land of Israel or out of it, though not now walled they read (i.e. the book of Esther) on the fifteenth of Adar, and this is called a walled town; but a place which was not walled in the days of Joshua, though now walled, they read in the fourteenth, and this is called a city; but the city Shushan, though it was not walled in the days of Joshua, they read on the fifteenth, because in it was done a miracle m and each of these was kept as a day of public rejoicing for their great deliverance and freedom from their enemies:

and a good day: as the Jews usually call the several days of the passover, pentecost, and tabernacles:

and of sending portions one to another: expressive of mutual joy, and congratulating one another upon the happiness they shared in; see

Re 11:10, and particularly this may respect sending gifts to the poor, who had not that to rejoice and make merry with others had; see Ne 8:10, though these seem to be distinct from them, Es 9:22.

m Maimon. Hilchot. Megillah, c. 1. sect. 4. 5. T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 2. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(19) The Jews of the villages . . . the unwalled towns.Virtually the same Hebrew word is used in both these cases (perazim, perazoth). The meaning is that of country towns, undefended by bulwarks, or, at any rate, not in the sense in which the capital would be. We find the word used in contrast with fenced cities in Deu. 3:5.

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

19. Therefore the fourteenth day Because the Jews outside of Shushan did all their fighting on the thirteenth, and rested on the fourteenth, as stated in Est 9:17, therefore they made the latter day their day of feasting and joy; but the Jews in Shushan, having fought both on the thirteenth and fourteenth, made the fifteenth their feast day, Est 9:18. See also Est 9:21.

Jews of the villages Rather, of the country places, that is, as distinguished from those who dwelt at the capital, Shushan. They are further defined as those that dwelt in cities of the country, (not unwalled towns, as our version has it, for some of these country towns may have had walls.) The writer of this was evidently a citizen of Shushan, and seems to have regarded the whole Persian empire outside of this capital city as country.

Sending portions Comp. Neh 8:10, note.

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

Est 9:19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar [a day of] gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

Ver. 19. Therefore the Jews of the villages, &c. ] Pagani. This is expounded in the next words.

That dwelt in the unwalled towns ] Such as is the Hague in Holland, that hath two thousand households in it; and chooseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe than a lesser city.

Made the fourteenth day, &c. ] See Est 9:17 , while the Jews in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies. This day was afterwards called Mordecai’s holiday, H M , 2Ma 15:36.

And of sending portions one to another ] See Neh 8:10 . To the rich they sent in courtesy, to the poor in charity, and both these to testify their thankfulness to God for their lives, liberties, and estates, so lately and graciously restored unto them.

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

month Adar

i.e. March; Est 9:15; Est 9:17.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

gladness: Est 9:22, Est 8:17, Deu 16:11, Deu 16:14, Neh 8:10-12, Psa 118:11-16, Luk 11:41, Rev 11:10

sending portions: The eastern princes and people not only invite their friends to feasts, but it is their custom to send a portion of the banquet to those that cannot well attend, especially their relations, and those in a state of mourning. Thus, when the Grand Emir found that it incommoded M. D’Arvieux to eat with him, he desired him to take his own time for eating, and sent him from his kitchen what he liked best.

Reciprocal: Jdg 5:7 – the villages 1Sa 25:8 – a good day Ezr 6:15 – Adar Ecc 11:2 – a portion

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 9:19. The Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns Hebrew, in the cities of the villages; that is, in the lesser cities and villages, which are here opposed to the great city Shushan, and those who dwelt in it. Made the fourteenth day a day of gladness, &c. Namely, because they did their whole work upon the thirteenth day, as was observed Est 9:17, to which this manifestly relates, the 18th verse coming in by way of parenthesis. And a good day, and of sending portions one to another A day of thanksgiving and praise to God, as well as of feasting one with another, and of sending meat from their tables to their neighbours, that the meaner sort might feast and rejoice also. Hence the Jews have a rule, that they should make a collection of money, at this time of the year, to send to the poor, to enable them to provide for themselves things necessary to make a feast; which money they judge it unlawful to apply to any other use.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

9:19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, {k} made the fourteenth day of the month Adar [a day of] gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

(k) As the Jews do even to this day, calling it in the Persian language Purim, that is, the day of lots.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes