Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 9:23
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
23. undertook ] assumed the obligation.
to do as they had begun ] to continue to keep the celebration on the fourteenth day of Adar.
and as Mordecai had written unto them ] i.e. to keep the celebration on the following day as well.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 23. The Jews undertook to do as they had begun] They had already kept the fifteenth day, and some of them in the country the fourteenth also, as a day of rejoicing: Mordecai wrote to them to bind themselves and their successors, and all their proselytes, to celebrate this as an annual feast throughout all their generations; and this they undertook to do. And it has been observed among them, in all places of their dispersion, from that day to the present time, without any interruption.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Having by this means opportunity to gather themselves together upon any occasion, the chief of them assembled together, and freely and unanimously consented to Mordecais desire in this matter, and bound it upon themselves and posterity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them. They engaged to keep these two days as festivals annually, as they had at this time done; not in a religious but in a civil way, not as parts of religious worship, and as additions to and innovations of the law, but by way of commemoration of a civil benefit which they had received; and yet we find in later times that this was scrupled by some as an innovation; for we are told r that there were eighty five elders, and more than thirty of them prophets, who were distressed about this matter, fearing it was an innovation.
r T. Hieros. Megillah. fol. 70. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordochai had written to them. They had begun, as Est 9:22 tells us, by keeping both days, and Mordochai wrote to them that they should make this an annual custom. This they agreed to do in consequence of Mordochai’s letters. The reason of their so doing is given in Est 9:24 and Est 9:25, and the name of this festival is explained, Est 9:26, by a brief recapitulation of the events which gave rise to it. Then follows, Est 9:26 and Est 9:27, another wordy statement of the fact, that it was by reason of this letter, and on account of what they had seen, i.e., experienced, that the annual celebration of this feast was instituted for a perpetual memorial to all Jews at all times (Est 9:28 and Est 9:29).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
B. Perpetuated
TEXT: Est. 9:23-28
23
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
24
because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25
but when the matter came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows,
26
Wherefore they called these days of Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them,
27
the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year;
28
and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from their seed.
Todays English Version, Est. 9:23-28
So the Jews followed Mordecais instructions, and the celebration became an annual custom.
Haman son of Hammedathathe descendant of Agag and the enemy of the Jewish peoplehad cast lots (purim, they were called) to determine the day for destroying the Jews; he had planned to wipe them out. But Esther went to the king, and the king issued written orders with the result that Haman suffered the fate he had planned for the Jewshe and his sons were hanged from the gallows. That is why the holidays are called Purim, the word for lots. Because of Mordecais letter and because of all that had happened to them, the Jews made it a rule for themselves, their descendants, and anyone who might become a Jew, that at the proper time each year these two days would be regularly observed according to Mordecais instructions. It was resolved that every Jewish family of every future generation in every province and every city should remember and observe the days of Purim for all time to come.
COMMENTS
Est. 9:23-26 a Symbolism: Among the more esoteric and mystical Jews (known as the Kabbalists) and the modern hassidim, much is made of Purim as the celebration of God at work, as it were behind the scenes, unlike Passover which celebrates Gods more direct intervention. The lots of Purim are compared with the lots cast on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:8), so what men call fate or luck is, in reality, a manifestation of Jehovahs providential care.
It does appear from the text (Est. 9:26) that the reason the festival is named Pur (lots) is because Hainans lots turned out to be his undoing. On the basis of Gods redemptive deliverance documented in the past, it would be logical for any believing Jew to think that the massacre planned through the casting of lots by Haman was reversed by the providence of God as He worked behind the scenes.
Est. 9:26 b Est. 9:28 Solemnity: This feast was not commanded by the Law and was, in fact, legislated by a Jew who had chosen to remain among the Diaspora. It is interesting that the feast was accepted and perpetuated among the more rigidly conservative Jews who returned to Judea after the captivities. But apparently Joiakim, High Priest at that time (Neh. 12:10-12), must have given his approval to the feast and adopted it into the ritual of the nation, or it would not have become so universally accepted and perpetuated.
Mordecai must have taken special care to impress on all Jews through the whole world of that day the solemnity of the reason for the holiday and the imperative need for its perpetuation for all succeeding generations or it would have long since fallen into disuse. It is still observed by most Jews today. The Adloyada carnival in Tel Aviv has been a prominent feature of Purim observance in modern Israel. The words ad de-lo yada mean, Until one no longer knows the difference between Blessed be Mordecai and Cursed be Haman.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
23. Undertook to do as they had begun They heartily accepted and adopted Mordecai’s proposal, and resolved to perpetuate what they had in fact already begun, namely, resting, feasting, and rejoicing on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar. Compare Est 9:17-18. Thus it seems Mordecai’s letters (Est 9:20) contained a proposal for the Jews of the empire either to adopt or reject. They at once adopted the proposal, and “ordained” (Est 9:27) the observance of these two days; whereupon Esther and Mordecai issued a “second letter,” (Est 9:29,) which was more of the nature of an authoritative proclamation, confirming and establishing the feast of Purim.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Est 9:23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
Ver. 28. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun ] Which yet they could not do unless God gave them a heart to do it. Holy David understood this, and therefore when he found that heat and height of good affections in his people, he prayed, “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee,” 1Ch 29:18 . And when he had at another time undertook for himself, that if God would deliver him from blood guiltiness his tongue should sing aloud of God’s righteousness, he subjoins (by way of correction, as if he were sensible that he had promised more than was in his power to perform), “O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise,” Psa 51:14-15 . The Hebrew, or rather Chaldee, word here rendered undertook is of the singular number, to show that every particular Jew undertook for himself and for his posterity to all perpetuity. And indeed they keep this feast annually to this day, and exceedingly please themselves in the reading of this history, counting and calling all such princes and states as cross them Hamans, and wishing that they may be able one day to be avenged of them, as their fathers were of these Persians.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Est 9:23-28
23Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.
Est 9:24 and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them The term pur is Akkadian which means the lot or the destiny. Haman cast lots to find the best day to destroy Mordecai and his people (cf. Est 3:7).
Haman’s hatred is clearly seen in this verse:
1. The adversary (BDB 856 III, KB 1058, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) of all the Jews
2. Had schemed (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal PERFECT) against the Jews to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them
3. Had cast Pur. . .
a. to destroy (BDB 243, KB 251, Qal, INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them
b. to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them
Number 3a, is often translated confuse and is a metaphor for holy war (e.g., Exo 14:24; Exo 23:27; Deu 2:15; Jos 10:10; Jdg 4:15; 1Sa 7:10; 2Sa 22:15; Psa 18:14; Psa 144:6).
Est 9:25 The UBS, A Handbook on the Book of Esther, pp. 241-242, makes an interesting point about the FEMININE PARTICIPLE (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT), but when she came, which they assert refers to the FEMININE NOUN plot (BDB 364, cf. NIV), not to Esther (since she is not mentioned in this paragraph, really not since Est 9:13).
Est 9:26 And because of the instructions in this letter Mordecai possibly wrote the book of Esther (cf. Introduction), but this phrase refers specifically to his letter (cf. Est 9:20), which instructed the standardization of the observance of the feast/fast of Purim.
Est 9:27 all those who allied themselves This could refer to
1. the people mentioned in Est 8:17
2. the governmental official of Est 9:3
3. those who aided the Jews when they were attacked
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Est 9:23. The Jews undertook to do as they had begun That is, to keep these days as festivals everywhere. Having by this means an opportunity of gathering themselves together, on any occasion, the chief of them assembled, and freely and unanimously consented to Mordecais desire in this matter, and bound it upon themselves and posterity.