THE BOOK OF ESTHER
Lesson 5: Chapters 8-10
God Saves His People, the Feast of Purim, and the Epilogue
God of Mercy and Justice,
In the Book of Esther, the Jews defended themselves
against their enemies but did not stoop to the viciousness their enemies had
planned for them. Help us, Lord, in fighting the forces of injustice and evil,
not to stoop to adopting our enemies' tactics. Give us the will to resist
their unjust methods to become models of righteousness and to give testimony to
the higher law to which we, as Christians, adhere. Instill in us in those
times, Lord, to be like Esther in going to You for guidance and courage. She
fasted, prayed, and petitioned You for her people's salvation, and in her
humility, placed her life and the lives of her people entirely in Your hands as
did our Savior when He prayed "Your will be done" in His life. Send Your Holy
Spirit to guide us in our lesson; we pray in the name of God the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+ + +
Esther, a woman
made perfect by her faith, [...] humbled herself and fasted when she prayed that
the Lord who sees all things, the God of all ages, would deliver the people for
whom she risked her life.
St. Clement of Rome, Ad Corinthios, 55.6
It is evident
that Esther signifies the gentle church. [...] The church is pleasing to God in
the hiding place of his heart because of the chastity of her faith and before
the eyes of God it finds a greater mercy.
Rabanus Maurus, Explanation
of the Book of Esther, 3
The Church
reproves every form of persecution against whomsoever it may be directed.
Remembering, then, her common heritage with the Jews and moved not by any
political consideration, but solely by the religious motivation of Christian
charity, she deplores all hatreds, persecutions, displays of antisemitism leveled
at any time or from any source against the Jews.
Vatican II, Nostra
Aetate, 4).
If you are wondering why the king believed Haman's charges of treason against the Jews, it must have been because of the revolts he had been suppressing across the Persian Empire since he succeeded his father as king. The Egyptians led the first revolt in 486 BC, and soon afterward he received a letter from the Samaritan governor that the Jews were planning to rebel (mentioned in Ezra 4:6). Scripture does not record that Ahasuerus answered the letter, but the accusations must have been on his mind when he agreed to Haman's plan to illuminate the Jews living in Persia.
The Jewish Feast of Purim, celebrating the deliverance of the Jews living in Persia and detailed in the Book of Esther, is named after the lots (purim) that Haman cast to determine the day of destruction. On Purim, the Book of Esther is read in the Synagogue, and every time the congregation hears the name "Haman," they drown out the sound of his name with ratchet-type noisemakers called graggers (or groggers) or by anything loud and annoying: alarm clocks, toy xylophones, balloons popped with pins, dolls that cry, toy police sirens, whistles, etc. In the celebration, Haman's evil name is symbolically blotted out, and his life becomes an example of the fate that awaits those who oppose God and attempt to destroy His covenant people. Setting oneself against God and persecuting His people is a futile effort; it did not work for Haman, it did not work for Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes, it did not work for Adolph Hitler, and it will not work for the Antichrist, humanity's final arch enemy.
Significant dates:
479 BC: King Ahasuerus marries Esther and makes her the
Queen of Persia.
474 BC: Haman issues the Edict of Annihilation against
the Jews to take place on the 13th of Adar in 473 BC (other verses
have the 14th of Adar).1
473 BC: Esther and Mordecai issue the Edict of
Vindication of the Jews, and the Feast of Purim becomes a national Jewish
celebration on the 14th and 15th of Adar.
The topics in this lesson:
Chapter 8:LXX 12a-v (16:1-24) and 13-17
In 8:8-12, the king told Esther and Mordecai to write out a new edict allowing the Jews throughout his empire the right to assemble in self-defense and with his permission to destroy any armed force of any people that might attack them and to plunger the possessions of their attackers.
Esther 8:LXX 12a-i (16:1-9) ~ The Introduction to the Decree
of Rehabilitation
12a The text of
the letter was as follows: 12b "The
great King, Ahasuerus, to the satraps of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces
which stretch from India to Ethiopia, to the provincial governors and to all
our loyal subjects, greeting: 12c Many
people, repeatedly honored by the extreme bounty of their benefactors, only
grow the more arrogant. It is not enough for them to seek our subjects'
injury, but unable as they are to support the weight of their own surfeit [excess]
they turn to scheming against their benefactors themselves. 12d Not content with banishing gratitude from
the human heart, but elated by the plaudits [approval, acclamations] of people
unacquainted with goodness, notwithstanding that all is forever under the eye
of God, they expect to escape his justice, so hostile to the wicked. 12e Thus, it has often happened to those placed
in authority that, having entrusted friends with the conduct of affairs and
allowed themselves to be influenced by them, they find themselves sharing with
these the guilt of innocent blood and involved in irremediable misfortunes, 12f the right intentions of rulers having been
misled by false arguments of the evilly disposed. 12g This may be seen without recourse to the
history of earlier times to which we have referred; you have only to look at
what is before you, at the crimes perpetrated by a plague of unworthy
officials. 12h For the future, we
shall exert our efforts to assure the tranquility and peace of the realm for
all, 12i by adopting two policies
and by always judging matters that are brought to our notice in the most
equitable spirit."
With the king's permission, Mordecai and Esther composed
a letter warning the Jews in all the Persian provinces and the provincial
leaders and citizens that it is not the king's desire that the Jewish citizens
of Persia should suffer attacks, and they have his permission to defend
themselves.
Question: Who does the letter blame for the
sending out of the previous edict.
Answer: The letter places the blame for the first
royal decree on a trusted advisor who became power hungry and misled the king.
Esther 8:LXX 12:k-o (16:10-14) ~ Denunciation of Haman
12k "Thus, Haman
son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian, without a drop of Persian blood and far
removed from our goodness, enjoyed our hospitality 12l and was treated by us with the benevolence
which we show to every nation, even to the extent of being proclaimed our
"father" and being accorded universally the prostration of respect as second in
dignity to the royal throne. 12m But
he, unable to keep within his own high rank, schemed to deprive us of our realm
and of our life. 12n Furthermore,
by tortuous wiles and arguments, he would have had us destroy Mordecai, our
savior and constant benefactor, with Esther the blameless partner of our
majesty, and their whole nation besides. 12o He thought by these means to leave us
without support and so to transfer the Persian empire to the Macedonians.
As is the case throughout the NJB, in the lettered verses
of the LXX, there is no verse "J." The letter "J" is the German "Y."
The letter now names the false advisor but does not call him Haman the Agagite or Amalekite but Haman the Macedonian traitor in 8:12k and o. The Book of Esther identifies Haman as an Agagite in six times in LXX1:1r; 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24. Most commentators suggest "Macedonian" is a scribal error and it should read "Mede," since the Medes were the other part of the Medo-Persian Empire, but there may be a good reason Mordecai and Esther may have for identifying Haman as a Macedonian.
Question: For what reason might Mordecai and
Esther refer to Haman not as an Agagite but instead as a Macedonian? Who were
the Macedonians and why would they feel identifying Haman this way would
resonate more with the citizens of the Persian Empire?
Answer: It is probably a strategy on the part of
Mordecai and Esther. Jews in Persia would recognize the term "Agagite," but it
would mean nothing to the Persians. The warlike Macedonians were Greeks from
the northeastern part of Greece. Every province in the empire lost sons who
died in the devasting Greco-Persian war and identifying the false minister with
the Greeks would solidify the people's opposition to the non-Persian Haman who
sought to overturn the sacrifices of their sons by turning their empire over to
the hated Greeks.
Esther accused Haman of being a traitor who wanted to
usurp the Persian throne, and the king believed Haman's ambitions reflected her
claim, especially in the honors he recommended without realizing Mordecai was
going to be the recipient and not him. And LXX 1:r records he was determined
to injure Mordecai in revenge for the affair of the king's eunuchs when
Mordecai revealed the assassination plot against the king, suggesting Haman was
part of or the author of the thwarted plot.
Question: As an Agagite, Haman would hate Mordecai
because he was a Benjaminite Jew whose ancestor, King Saul, destroyed his
Amalekite people and brought about the execution of his ancestor King Agag, but
how does that tie in with the desire to annihilate all the Jews in Persia or
does it? Is there an example in history of the use of racial hatred as a
unifying force?
Answer: Perhaps the planned day to massacre the
Jews was only a diversion, and the end goal was to assassinate King Ahasuerus
during the bloody chaos in Susa and to blame his death on the Jewish
population. After which, Haman would step forward, assume the crown, and
restore order. Hitler orchestrated a national hatred of the Jews, blamed them
for all Germany's problems, and united the Germans in a frenzy of racial
hatred.
12o He thought by
these means to leave us without support and so to transfer the Persian empire
to the Macedonians.
For a second time, the letter identifies Haman as a Macedonian
traitor and mortal enemy of all good Persians.
Esther 8:LXX 12:p-v (16:15-24) ~ The Jews' Right of Self-Defense
12p "But we find
that the Jews, marked out for annihilation by this arch-scoundrel, are not
criminals: they are in fact governed by the most just of laws. 12q They are children of the Most High, the
great and living God to whom we and our ancestors owe the continuing prosperity
of our realm. 12r You will therefore
do well not to act on the letters send by Haman son of Hammedatha, since their
author has been hanged at the gates of Susa with his whole household: a fitting
punishment, which God, Master of the Universe, has speedily inflicted on him. 12s Put up copies of this letter everywhere,
allow the Jews to observe their own customs without fear, and come to their
help against anyone who attacks them on the day originally chosen for their maltreatment,
that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is Adar. 12t For the all-powerful God has made this day a
day of joy and not of ruin for the chosen people. 12u You, for your part, among your solemn
festivals celebrate this as a special day with every kind of feasting, so that
now and in the future, for you and for Persians of good will, it may
commemorate your rescue, and for your enemies may stand as a reminder of their
ruin. 12v Every
city and, more generally, every country, which does not follow these
instructions, will be mercilessly devastated with fire and sword, and make not
only inaccessible to human beings but hateful to wild animals and even birds
forever.
Mordecai and Esther's edict of vindication defend the
Jews against the charges made against them by Haman in the first document. Haman
was false, and so were his accusations against the Jews.
Question: They are not criminals, in fact, they
hold a special place among the peoples of the Persian Empire for what three
reasons?
Answer: 1. They are loyal citizens who obey
Persian laws. 2. The Jews are the chosen people of the great and living God. 3.
It is to their God that the Persians owe their continuing prosperity.
In the past, Scripture records Babylonian and Persian kings had acknowledged the God of the Jews as a mighty, living God in monotheistic tones rather than an inanimate wooden or metal idol (see Dan 4:34-37; Ezra 1:2; 6:10; Is 45:1-7). However, keep in mind this is a letter not written by the king but by two Jews.
12v Every city
and, more generally, every country, which does not follow these instructions,
will be mercilessly devastated with fire and sword, and make not only
inaccessible to human beings but hateful to wild animals and even birds
forever.
The real purpose of the letter is finally stated, briefly
but to the point, ending with a threat of devastation for those who fail to
follow it instructions by not coming to the aid of the Jews on the day of
extermination. Haman has does his worst; Esther and Mordecai have done their
best, and now the king has tried to undo a wrong and bring justice, but
everything is now in the hands of God.
Esther 8:13-17 (16:1-24) ~ The Sending Out of the New
Edict for the Salvation of the Jews
13 Copies of this
edict, to be promulgated as law in each province, were published to the various
peoples, so that the Jews could be ready on the day stated to avenge themselves
on their enemies. 14 The
courtiers, mounted on the king's horses, set out in great haste and urgency at
the king's command. The edict was also published in the citadel of Susa. 15 Mordecai left the
royal presence in a princely gown of violet and white, with a great golden
crown and a cloak of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted for joy.
16 For the Jews there was light
and gladness, joy and honor. 17 In
every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and decree
arrived, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and
holiday-making. Of the country's population, many became Jews since now the
Jews were feared.
Decrees issued by the Persian king were irrevocable. No one, not even the king who issued the order could rescind it once it had been sent out to the provinces. Therefore, the king could not agree to Esther's request that he cancel the decree sent out by Haman that fixed the date for the massacre of the Jews. Instead, he instructed Mordecai and Esther to send a new edict authorizing the Jews in all the provinces to protect themselves against any persons who attacked them (8:11). The new decree was sent out in haste to every province in the empire.
15 Mordecai left
the royal presence in a princely gown of violet and white, with a great golden
crown and a cloak of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted for joy.
16 For the Jews there was light and
gladness, joy and honor.
Mordecai has replaced Haman as the king's first minister
symbolized in three ways:
These are all symbols of authority to which Haman aspired and which now belong to his enemy, Mordecai the Jew. The Jews in Susa rejoice that one of their brothers has achieved such honors which will mean they will be subject to his protection.
Question: What was one unforeseen result of the
sending out of the new edict in verse 17 that exonorated and praised the Jews?
Answer: Many members of the Persian population
converted and became Jews.
Chapter 9: The Victory of the Jews and the Institution of the Feast of Purim
Esther 9:1-4 ~ The Jews Unite in Readiness to Defend
Themselves
1 The king's
command and decree came into force on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
Adar, and the day on which the enemies of the Jews had hoped to crush them
produced the very opposite effect: the Jews it was who crushed their enemies. 2 In their towns throughout the provinces of
King Ahasuerus, the Jews assembled to strike at those who had planned to injure
them. No one resisted them, since the various peoples were now all afraid of
them. 3 Provincial
officers-of-state, satraps, governors and royal officials, all supported the
Jews for fear of Mordecai. 4 And
indeed, Mordecai was a power in the palace and his fame was spreading through
all the provinces: Mordecai was steadily growing more powerful.
In Mordecai's dream, two great dragons came forward, each ready for the fray, and set up a great roar. At the sound of them every nation made ready to wage war against the nation of the just (LXX 1:e-f; 11:6-7). But then, Light came as the sun rose and the humble were raised up and devoured the mighty (LXX 1:k; 11:11). The Jews had no choice but to put their trust in God (the Light) just as Psalm 37 advises: Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your vindication as the light, and your right as the noonday (Ps 37:5-6). The light was shining for the Jews as God intervenes on His people's behalf, fulfilling Esther's third petition.
Mordecai saw that the humble were raised up and devoured the mighty. The new edict arrived just in time, and what was intended to be a massacre of the Jews became the day of vindication and victory foretold in his dream as Haman's power waned and Mordecai's grew.
Esther 9:5-15 ~ God Fulfills Esther's Third Petition
by Giving the Jews Victory Over Their Enemies
5 So the Jews
struck down all their enemies with the sword, with resulting slaughter and
destruction, and worked their will on their opponents. 6 In the citadel of Susa alone, the Jews put to
death and slaughtered five hundred men, 7 notably Parshandtha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashtha, Arisai, Aridai, and Jesatha, 10 the
ten sons of Haman son of Hammendatha, the persecutor of the Jews. But they
took no plunder. 11 The number of
those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, "In the
citadel of Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men and also the ten sons of Haman.
What must they have done in the other provinces of the realm? Tell me your
request; I grant it to you. Tell me what else you would like; it is yours for
the asking." 13 If
such is the king's pleasure," Esther replied, "let the Jews of Susa be allowed
to enforce today's decree tomorrow as well. And as for the ten sons of Haman,
let their bodies be hanged [impaled] on the gallows [wood]." 14 Whereupon, the king having given the order,
the edict was promulgated in Susa and the ten sons of Haman were hanged
[impaled]. 15 Thus, the
Jews of Susa reassembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed
three hundred men in the city. But they took no plunder.
In Susa, where Haman's influence was strongest, and he had many supporters, the bloodshed lasted two days (verses 13-15). The fighting, which was probably intended to be a political coup with the assassination of the king blamed on the Jews, was led by Haman's ten sons, all of whom perished in the fighting. At the king's order, their bodies were displayed by impalement on tall wooden poles.
13 If such is the
king's pleasure," Esther replied, "let the Jews of Susa be allowed to enforce
today's decree tomorrow as well. And as for the ten sons of Haman, let their
bodies be hanged [impaled] on the gallows [wood]." 14 Whereupon, the king having given the order,
the edict was promulgated in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged
[impaled].
The sons of Haman were already dead, killed in the
fighting, but the king had their bodies impaled as a public sign, warning
everyone of the fate of enemies of the king.
Question: Why did Esther request the extending of
the fighting in Susa for a second day?
Answer: Haman had many supporters in Susa, and
not all of them were defeated. Esther probably reasoned if her people were to
be safe in the future, and the king's crown secure, all those involved in what
was intended to be a treasonous coup needed to be hunted down and killed.
Esther 9:16-LXX 19a ~ The Jew's Victory in the
Provinces
16 The other Jews
who lived in the king's provinces also assembled to defend their lives and rid
themselves of their enemies. They slaughtered seventy-five thousand of their
opponents. But they took no plunder. 17 This
was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day they
rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But for the Jews of Susa, who had assembled
on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, the fifteenth was the day they rested,
making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 This is why Jewish country people, those who live in undefended
villages, keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of gladness,
feasting and holiday-making, and the exchanging of presents with one another, LXX 19a whereas for those who live in cities the
day of rejoicing and exchanging presents with their neighbors is the fifteenth
day of Adar.
Mordecai foresaw the events that took place between the thirteenth and fifteenth of Adar at the end of his dream when "the humble were raised up and devoured the mighty" (LXX 1:1k). The account makes it clear that the Jews acted in self-defense and did not enrich themselves by plundering the property of the wicked.
Question: The edict allowing the Jews to fight
back against their enemies permitted them to plunger their attacker's possessions
(8:11). However, the Book of Esther repeats that the Jews took no plunder
three times in 9:10, 15, and 16. Why is this significant? See Lev 27:28-29;
Josh 6:17-19; 1 Sam 15:7-23.
Answer: The background is the holy war victories
in the Conquest of Canaan and the triumph of the Israelites and King Saul over
King Agag and the Amalekites in which God commanded the covenant people not to
keep the plunder of their enemies over whom God has intervened to give them
victory.
The Jews in Persia saw their victory as a holy war and the direct result of God's intervention, therefore, they took no plunder. The wicked must not be the source of the covenant people's prosperity. Their righteous action was also a testimony of their character to the Persians.
Haman had planned that by plundering the possessions of the Jews, he could gain the cooperation of the non-Jewish population and at the same time acquire an enormous degree of wealth for himself. God's people are careful not to plunder the enemy God placed in their hands, an action that clearly defines the differences between the righteous covenant people and the pagan Gentiles who sought to destroy them. Once again, Scripture demonstrates that the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord God.
Concerning God's intervention to save Esther and her people, St. Clement of Rome wrote: "He is their rock, fortress, and refuge in times of trouble' (Ps 37:39-40). For Esther's faith in God, she is praised. In order to save the twelve tribes of Israel who were doomed to death, Esther, a woman made perfect by her faith, [...] humbled herself and fasted when she prayed that the Lord who sees all things, the God of all ages, would deliver the people for whom she risked her life" (Ad Corinthios, 55.6).
Verses 18-LXX19a explain the tradition of observing the festival of Purim on two different days. The people celebrated Purim on the fourteenth day of Adar in most towns, but the Jews of Susa celebrated on the fifteenth of Adar. Today, Jews in the Diaspora keep the Feast of Purim on the fourteenth except in Jerusalem where the celebration is on the fifteenth. In today's Purim celebrations in the Jewish Synagogues, the congregation listens to the entire Book of Esther, referred to as Megillat Esther, or the Scroll of Esther, that recounts the events that led to the holiday. The dramatic story is read aloud at the synagogue service on the night of Purim and again at the service the following morning. As they listen to the story of Esther and Mordecai, the congregation blows noisemakers to simulate sound of the battle. They cheer when they hear Mordecai's name and hiss when they hear the Haman's. On this holy day, the Jewish people remember the defeat of Haman's evil plan made possible by God's divine intervention on behalf of His people when a day of doom was turned "from sorrow to gladness and mourning into a holiday" (Esth 9:22) and commemorate it by sending gifts to one another and to the poor.
Esther 9:20-32 ~ The Official Institution of the Feast
of Purim
20
Mordecai committed these events to writing. Then he sent letters to all
the Jews living in the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 enjoining them to celebrate the fourteenth
and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rid
themselves of their enemies, and the month in which their sorrow had been
turned into gladness, and mourning into a holiday. He therefore told
them to keep these as days of festivity and gladness when they were to exchange
presents and make gifts to the poor. 23 Once
having begun, the Jews continued observing these practices, Mordecai having
written them on account 24 of how
Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the persecutor of all the Jews, had
plotted their destruction and had cast the pur, that is, the lot, for their
overthrow and ruin; 25 but how,
when he went back to the king to ask him to order the hanging of Mordecai, the
wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews recoiled on his own head,
and both he and his sons were hanged on the gallows; 26 and that, hence, these days were called
Purim, from the word pur. And so, because of what was written in this letter,
and because of what they had seen for themselves and of what had happened to
them, 27 the Jews willingly bound
themselves, their descendants and all who should join them, celebrate these two
days without fail, in the manner prescribed and at the time appointed, year
after year. 28 Thus, commemorated
and celebrated from generations to generation, in every family, in every
province, in every city, these days of Purim will never be abrogated among the
Jews, nor will their memory perish from their race.
Verse 20 records: Mordecai
committed these events to writing. Then he sent letters to all the Jews living
in the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, enjoining them to
celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year, as
the days on which the Jews had rid themselves of their enemies, and the month
in which their sorrow had been turned into gladness, and mourning into a
holiday.
Verses 20 and 23 may suggest two accounts of the events:
one in a private record and the second in letters sent to the Jews living in
Persia. This letter may have been what is the Hebrew account of the Book of
Esther that does not mention the God of Israel except in the hidden acrostic
phrases because pagans might have access to the document. The practice of withholding
God's name in pagan lands was the reason the Greek Septuagint translation that
came out of Egypt replaced the Divine Name with the Greek word Kyrios which
means "Lord," "master," or "teacher," and it is a practice observed in most
modern translations (except the New Jerusalem Bible) despite the fact that the
Divine Name, YHWH, is the most frequently used name for God in the Bible,
appearing about 6,800 times. See the document "The Many Names of God."
The Feast of Purim and the Feast of Chanukah (Hanukkah), established three hundred years later, were not God-ordained feasts but were instead festivals honoring God's protection and salvation by His covenant people. The seven remembrance feasts connected to the Exodus liberation remained the only God-ordained feasts celebrated annually together with the weekly feast of the Sabbath, the monthly Feast of the New Moon, and the periodic feasts of the Sabbath and the Jubilee Years (See the chart Seven Sacred Feasts of the Old Covenant).
Esther 10:1-3 ~ Mordecai's High Honors
1 King Ahasuerus
put not only the mainland under tribute but the Mediterranean islands as well.
2 All his feats of power and valor,
and the account of the high honor to which he raised Mordecai: all this is
recorded in the Book of the annals of the King of Media and Persia. 3 And Mordecai the Jew was next in rank to King
Ahasuerus. He was a man held in respect among the Jews, esteemed by thousands
of his brothers, a man who sought the good of his people and cared for the
welfare of his entire race.
The Greek text ascribes verses 1-2 to the king.
1 King Ahasuerus put not only the mainland under tribute but the Mediterranean islands as well.
The king probably raised the tax rates for his entire empire to pay for the depletion of his royal treasure from the costs incurred from the
Greco-Persian War and to fund his building projects that became the focus for the remainder of his reign.
2 All his feats
of power and valor, and the account of the high honor to which he raised
Mordecai: all this is recorded in the Book of the annals of the King of Media
and Persia.
Evidence of Mordecai's existence was discovered in a
cuneiform text dating to the last years of Darius I or the early years of his
son Ahasuerus I/Xerxes I. The tablet mentions a government official named Marduka
who sat at the king's gate (see Est 2:19; 5:13; 6:10) and who was later
rewarded with broad administrative authority (see Esth 8:2 and 10:2). The name
is similar to Mordecai's name in the Greek text of the Septuagint which is
Mardochaeus.
Esther 10:LXX 3a-k ~ Mordecai Interrupts His Dream
3a
And Mordecai said, "All this is God's doing. 3b I remember the dream I had about these
matters, nothing of which has failed to come true: 3c the little spring that became a river, the
light that shone, the sun, the flood of water. Esther is the river, she whom
the king married and made queen. 3d The
two dragons are Haman and myself. 3e The
nations are those that banded together to blot out the name of Jew. 3f The single nation, mine, is Israel, those who
cried out to God and were saved. Yes, the Lord has saved his people, the Lord
has delivered us from all these evils. God has worked such signs and great
wonders as have never occurred among the nations. 3g Two destinies he appointed one for his own
people, one for the nations at large. 3h And
these two destinies were worked out at the hour and time and day laid down by
God, involving all the nations. 3i In this way, God has remembered his people
and vindicated his heritage; 3k and
for them these days, the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month of Adar, are to
be days of assembly, of joy and of gladness before God, through all generations
and forever among his people Israel.
The Book of Esther began with Mordecai's account of a
dream. When he first described his dream, he confessed he had no idea what it
all meant (LXX 1:1l), but now, in the last chapter, he finally understands:
The Book of Esther began with Mordecai's account of his
dream, and now he ends his account recalling it and his understanding of what
it meant. When he first described his dream, he confessed he had no idea what
it all meant (LXX 1:1l), but now he finally understands:
1. Everything that happened is God's doing.
2. The little spring that became a great river is Esther
through whom God made His light appear and the sun of His abundant grace flow like
a flood of water.
3. The two dragons are Haman and Mordecai.
4. The nations are the different Gentile peoples in the
Persian Empire who banded together to exterminate the Jews.
5. The single nation is God's nation, the children of
Israel who cried out to God and "were saved."
3a And Mordecai
said, "All this is God's doing.
Literally, "these things were from God," meaning not the
words of the dream but to all the events narrated in the Book of Esther.
The mention of the light and sun recall 8:16: For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor in a symbol of well-being (Ps 97:11; 139:12; Job 22:28; 30:26) and prosperity (Ps 27:1; 36:9), but they are also manifestations of God. The noise mentioned in the first description of the dream referred to the roar of the battle on the two days the Jews fought their enemies.
We never receive an explanation as to why Mordecai and Haman are represented as dragons. It seems an appropriate symbol for Haman but not for Mordecai. Is it because, despite his claims to the contrary in his prayer, Mordecai, in his irrational contempt for Haman the Agagite, was just as responsible for the unfolding events as Haman in his hatred for Mordecai and his ambition to overthrow the king?
3e The nations
are those that banded together to blot out the name of Jew.
The nations (ta ethne) represent the entire world
pitted against the covenant people; it is a condition of ethnic enmity that
continues today and must be inspired by Satan against the people who gave birth
to God the Son and His mother. For a similarly broad definition of the enemies
of Israel see Zechariah 14:2 and Joel 3:2-3. "The name of Jew" refers to the
efforts to blot out Israel's existence and even the memory of her "name" that
was divinely inspired (Gen 32:28/27-29/28; 35:9-10).
3f The single
nation, mine, is Israel, those who cried out to God and were saved. Yes, the
Lord has saved his people, the Lord has delivered us from all these evils.
The "crying out" was not just in fear but in faith to
which God responded.
God has worked such signs and great wonders as have
never occurred among the nations.
Perhaps a better translation is "never occurred among these
nations," referring to the pagan states that comprised the Persian Empire.
Other nations witnessed the marvelous works of God for His covenant people like
the Egyptians and the different peoples that inhabited Canaan, but the nations
of Mesopotamia had not seen the works of God, intervening in human history, to
save His covenant people as they had in these events.
3g Two destinies
he appointed one for his own people, one for the nations at large. 3h And these two destinies were worked out at
the hour and time and day laid down by God, involving all the nations.
The destiny of His "own people" is to lead the other
nations to believe in the One True God and to show them His path to salvation.
The destiny of the Gentile nations is in accepting or rejecting what God offers
through His covenant people. It is as Jesus told the Samaritan woman when He
said, salvation is from the Jews (Jn 4:22b). The final hour and time
and day will come in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross
and the decision all peoples of all nations will have to make to either accept
or reject God's gift of eternal salvation through God the Son.
In this way, God has remembered his people and
vindicated his heritage
The word "vindicated" can also be translated "justified
his inheritance" (see Dt 25:1 and Sir 13:22). You may recall that in their
prayers both Mordecai and Esther spoke about Israel as God's heritage or
inheritance (4:LXX 17f, 17g, 17h, 17m, and 17o). God has justified Israel as
His heritage, to be His chosen people and with a continuing role to fulfill in
the unfolding of salvation history.
One of the Greek accounts gives a brief thanksgiving prayer after this line: "And all the people shouted and uttered loud cries: Blessed be you, O Lord, who remember the covenants made with our ancestors! Amen."
3k and for them
these days, the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month of Adar, are to be days
of assembly, of joy and of gladness before God, through all generations and
forever among his people Israel.
Verse 3k is not a divine decree but a proclamation by
Mordecai. In 2 Maccabees 15:36, the commemorative festival of Purim is called
"the Day of Mordecai."
Esther 10:LXX 3l (Vulgate 11:1) ~ Colophon of the Greek Text
In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and
Cleopatra, Dositheus, who affirmed [ephe] that he was
a priest and Levite, and Ptolemy his son brought the foregoing letter [ten prokeimenon
epistolen] concerning Purim. They vouched [ephe] for its authenticity, the translation having been made by Lysimachus son of
Ptolemy, a member of the Jerusalem community. [...] = Greek words in the
text (Carey A. More, Anchor Bible Commentary: Esther, page 250).
The correct literary term for these last verses is a colophon, an inscription at the end of a book or manuscript giving the title or subject or verification of the work. According to this appendix to the Greek text, the Jewish community in Egypt received a Hebrew account of the Book of Esther from a Jewish priest that was translated into Greek by a resident of Jerusalem. It is unclear whether the Hebrew version came from Jews in Judah or from Jews living in Persia. There were other such colophons from antiquity in books in ancient libraries like the library in Alexander, Egypt.
It is not easy to identify which Greek Pharaoh named Ptolemy is intended since there were several married to women named Cleopatra. These include Ptolemy the XII ca. 77 BC and the XIV ca. 48 BC, but the best candidate is Ptolemy III, Soter II ca. 114 BC. A date of 114 BC is compatible with the literary style and theological emphasis of the Greek text of the Book of Esther (The Ptolemies of Egypt, London: Arrowsmith, 1938). All the Ptolemy pharaohs of Egypt were Greeks and not Egyptians and were named from their ancestor, Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt after Alexander's death.2
Dositheus identifies himself as a priest from the tribe of Levi. All chief priests were Levites descended from Aaron, Moses brother, but not all Levites were chief priests; the other Levites served as lesser ministers (Ex 6:16-20; 28:1; Num 3:1-13; 8:5-6, 20-22. The Greek name Dositheus was a common Hellenistic name that also appears in 2 Maccabees 12:19, 24-25, and 35 as well as in the non-canonical III Maccabees 1:3. That the son of Dositheus is named Ptolemy may suggest he had an Egyptian mother. It is uncertain if Lysimachus son of Ptolemy, a member of the Jerusalem community was the grandson of Dositheus or another Ptolemy; however, as another Hellenistic Greek with Egyptian ties, he was probably qualified to make the translation.
The colophon verses are of crucial importance because:
The most significant word in the passage is the Greek word ephe that means "to certify" as in he (Dositheus) attested to the document in a formal way as to who he was and the origins of the text. He could also mean "to claim" as he is affirming something in an emphatic, authoritative way (Carey A. More, page 250-251). He was probably aware of the other Hebrew version of Esther and the difference between it and the additional over hundred verses in the version he discovered. His reference to the epistolen, a term inclusive of all forms of written documents, suggests his document is not simply the letter Mordecai and Esther wrote in 9:29 but the entirely complete version of their story which he "certifies/affirmers" as authentic and perhaps came from the record of events kept by Mordecai.
Why the two versions of the Book of Esther? The Hebrew version in the Jewish Old Testament and Protestant Bibles that do not contain any outright reference to God was probably written in the form of a scroll and sent out by Mordecai as a letter to all the outlying districts of the Persian Empire. In that letter, the name of God was probably omitted to avoid having the letter desecrated by pagans or otherwise improperly handled. The complete version with the additional over one hundred verses that names God about fifty times was also probably also written in Hebrew by Mordecai for his official, private account, and it is what was discovered in Persia (perhaps by Dositheus), delivered to the Jews in Jerusalem, and translated into Greek for the Septuagint translation. The Greek translation suggests an original Hebrew version but, unfortunately, the Hebrew version no longer exists.
The Persian Empire was at its height when Ahasuerus/Xerxes came to power, but the disastrous Greco-Persian War spelled the beginning of the decline of the Archimedean dynasty. King Ahasuerus/Xerxes I spent the rest of his reign in building projects and harem intrigues. We do not know what became of the beautiful, humble, pious, and courageous Esther. In August 465 BC, Artabanus, the commander of the royal bodyguard, assassinated Ahasuerus/Xerxes I and his eldest son, Crown Prince Darius. The assassin's plan to assume the Persian throne was thwarted by Ahasuerus/Xerxes' younger son Artaxerxes who succeeded his father as King of Persia. Artaxerxes I is the Persian King in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
1. What do you think is the vicious root of
anti-Semitism? When did it begin and when will it end?
2. The most disturbing aspect is that of professing
Christians who have anti-Semitic prejudices. How can any Christian hold negative
feelings against the very people who gave us the Virgin Mary, her Divine Son, our
Savior, and all the Jewish men and women who founded the Christian faith
including St. Peter, the Jew who was our first Pope?
3. See the list of the first Christian bishops of Jerusalem.How many were Jewish and how many suffered martyrdom for the faith?
Endnotes:
1. Esther 3:13; 8:11; 8:LXX12s; 9:1 and 17 have the 13th
of Adar for the day of the attack. However, the date is the 14th of
Adar in 3:LXX 3f and 9:15. The 14th and 15th of Adar are
the dates for the celebration of Purim in 9:21 and 10:LXX 3k. It is possible
that the differences in the dates refer to the 13th of Adar being
the date of assembly for those planning to attack the Jews with the fourteenth
being the day of the attack.
2. Ptolemy (366-283 BC) was a Macedonian general who served Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and became the first Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt after Alexander's death. He was the founder of a family of fifteen Pharaohs all of whom were named Ptolemy. The Ptolemy Pharaohs reigned over Egypt for more than three hundred years.
3. In addition to the shorter Hebrew text of the Book of Esther, there were also other Greek translations either from Hebrew or Aramaic texts. All the other Greek translations have the same colophon including the Ethiopic, Coptic, and Latin Vulgate. Only two Greek manuscripts do not.
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2019 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references for this lesson (* indicates
Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
God's love for Israel (CCC 218-19)
Israel, God's chosen people (CCC 60, 762)
The Church prefigured and prepared for in the people of
Israel (CCC 759-62, 1093)
The Church's continuing relationship with the Jewish
people (CCC 839)