Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 9:22

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

22. as the days a good day ] This has the character of a parenthesis, the preceding clause being taken up again in the words ‘that they should make them’ etc.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Which they used to give upon days of thanksgiving; of which see Neh 8:10.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies,…. Having slain all those that rose up against them, and assaulted them:

and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning unto a good day; for in this month Adar, on the thirteenth day of it, they expected to have been all destroyed, which had occasioned great sorrow and mourning in them; but beyond their expectation, in the same month, and on the selfsame day of the month, they had deliverance and freedom from their enemies; which was matter of joy, and made this day a good day to them:

that they should make them days of feasting and joy; keep both the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month as festivals, eating and drinking, and making all tokens of joy and gladness, though not in the Bacchanalian way in which they now observe them; for they say n, a man is bound at the feast of Purim to exhilarate or inebriate himself until he does not know the difference between `cursed be Haman’ and `blessed be Mordecai:’

and of sending portions one to another; and these now consist of eatables and drinkables; and according to the Jewish canons o, a man must send two gifts to his friend, at least; and they that multiply them are most commendable; and those are sent by men to men, and by women to women, and not on the contrary:

and gifts to the poor; alms money, as the Targum, to purchase food and drink with, nor may they use it to any other purpose; though some say they may do what they will with it p; and a man must not give less than two gifts to the poor; these are called the monies of Purim q.

n T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 7. 2. Lebush, par. 1. c. 695. sect. 2. Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 695. sect. 2. o Lebush & Schulchan, ib. sect. 4. p Ib. c. 694. sect. 1. 2. q Ib. sect. 2. 3.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Est 9:22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

Ver. 22. As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies ] And therefore they in thankfulness would consecrate the same as a holy rest unto the Lord, calling the fourteenth day, Festurn sortium minus, the lesser festivity of lots; and the fifteenth day, Festum sortium maius, the greater festivity of lots, as Drusins telleth us.

And the month ] They thought the better ever after of the month Adar, that magnificent month, wherein was that golden day of their deliverance. O dieculam illam, &c., dexter sane prae laetitia mihi salit oculus, said he. Oh that joyful day! Oh that the calendar of my life might be filled with such festivals!

Which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy ] As God remembered poor Joseph, and turned his fetters into a chain of gold, his rags into robes, his stocks into a chariot, his prison into a palace, his brown bread and water into fine bread and wine; and as he had turned again the captivity of his people as the streams in the south, Psa 146:4 ; so here he had made a great alteration, bringing them from the jaws of death to the joys of a glorious deliverance; turning their sadness into gladness, their sighing into singing, their musing into music, their tears into triumph, luctum in laetitiam, saccum in sericum, ieiunium in epulum, manuum retortionem in applausum, &c. And this is no new thing in the Church.

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

the days: Est 3:12, Est 3:13, Exo 13:3-8, Psa 103:2, Isa 12:1, Isa 12:2, Isa 14:3

from sorrow: Psa 30:11, Mat 5:4, Joh 16:20-22

sending portions: Est 9:19, Neh 8:10-12, Luk 11:41, Act 2:44-46, Gal 2:10

Reciprocal: Jdg 3:11 – the land Est 2:18 – gave gifts Est 8:17 – a feast Job 27:23 – clap Ecc 11:2 – a portion Isa 61:3 – beauty Jer 31:13 – for Zec 8:19 – joy

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 9:22. As the days wherein the Jews rested They did not keep the days on which they fought, but those on which they rested. On the fourteenth day the country Jews rested, and on the fifteenth those in Shushan, and these days they kept. The sabbath was appointed, not on the day when God finished his work, but on the day he rested from it. The month which was turned unto them from mourning into a good day A day of cheerfulness, praise, and thanksgiving. And of sending portions one to another In token of mutual respect, and their being knit by this, and other public common dangers and deliverances, so much the closer to each other in love. And gifts to the poor Which they were wont to give also on other days of thanksgiving, of which see Neh 8:10. It is not to our kinsmen and rich neighbours only that we ought to send tokens of our love and friendship at such times, but also and especially to the poor and the maimed, Luk 14:12-13. Thus they that have received mercy, must, in token of their gratitude, show mercy; and there never wants occasion, for the poor we have always with us. Thanksgiving and almsgiving should go together, that, when we are rejoicing and blessing God, the hearts of the poor may rejoice with us, and their loins may bless us.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

9:22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of {m} sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

(m) He sets before our eyes the use of this feast which was for the remembrance of God’s deliverance, the maintenance of mutual friendship and relief of the poor.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes