1° The name, subject, and division of the book. — As with books of Ruth And Judith's name is that of the heroine herself. The Jews say: Megillat 'Esther, the scroll of Esther (see the 3rd of this Introduction, p. 434), or simply 'Esther (sometimes also, MeGillat, pure and simple, the quintessential roller).
A great drama unfolds in Persia, particularly in the city of Susa, during the reign of Ahasuerus. The mysterious designs of Providence bestow the title of queen upon the pious Jewish woman Esther, raised by her close relative, Mordecai. Mordecai incurs the hatred of Haman, the prime minister, who, seeking revenge, obtains from the king a death decree against all Israelites residing in the Persian Empire. But Esther is powerful enough to have this terrible decree revoked: Haman, his sons, and all the enemies of the Jews are put to death; Mordecai becomes prime minister, and the people of God, miraculously saved, celebrate their thanksgiving.
Three main parts: 1° the Jews in extreme peril, 1, 1-5, 14; 2° the Jews saved by Esther and Mordecai, 6, 1-10, 3; 3° deuterocanonical appendices, which complete the first two parts, 10, 4-16, 24.
2° The date of the events, the author, the date of composition. To pinpoint the exact date of the events recounted in the Book of Esther, it suffices to know who this Persian king, Ahasuerus, was, during whose reign everything took place. For a long time, the best exegetes disagreed on this important point; but, “one of the first results of reading the Persian inscriptions was the identification of Ahasuerus with Xerxes…; this conquest of scholarship is now beyond any doubt” (Appert, 11:2, p. 7). Throughout the book, the Septuagint uses the name Artaxerxes, which we will find, in our Latin version, in the deuterocanonical appendices (cf. 11:2 ff.); but it is identical to that of Xerxes. Ahasuerus is therefore “Xerxes I.”er, son of Darius Ier, son of Hystaspes. The Hebrew form 'Ahašvéroš corresponds to the Persian form Kchayarcha, preceded by the prosthetic aleph. What is said of the extent of the Persian empire (1:1 and 10:1), of courtly customs, and of Ahasuerus's capricious mood perfectly applies to Xerxes. Greek and Latin authors, citing other traits of his character, present him in the same light as the Hebrew writer: sensual, vindictive, cruel, extravagant. The Lydian Pythius gives him large sums for the war against Greece, treats his army very well, and only asks him to keep the eldest of his five sons, who served in his troops: Xerxes immediately has the young man cut into pieces and his soldiers march through the midst of his bloody remains (Herodotus, 7, 37-39; Seneca, of Ira, (Herodotus, 7, 17). Because a storm swept away the pontoon bridge built across the Hellespont for the passage of his battalions, this same king condemned the builder to death and ordered the sea to be whipped and loaded with chains (Herodotus, 7, 31). At the Battle of Thermopylae, he placed the Median soldiers in the front rank, if we are to believe Diodorus Siculus, in order to have them all killed. After his defeat in Greece, he forgot his disasters by indulging in all sorts of debauchery (Herodotus, 9, 108 ff.). Such was Xerxes, such was Ahasuerus (Manuel Biblique, vol. 2, no. 552, 1°). Now Xerxes Ier reigned from 485 to 464 BC; moreover, as the book of Esther opens in the third year of Ahasuerus and ends in the thirteenth (cf. 1, 3; 3, 7; 10, 1 et seq.), the date of the events is thus limited to the years 482-472 BC.
Regarding the author, there are various hypotheses, but no established tradition. Saint Augustine Others attribute the composition of the book to Ezra; the Talmud, to the "men of the Great Synagogue"; Clement of Alexandria and various authors after him, to Mordecai himself. While not certain, this last conjecture is the most plausible of the three; at least, it presents nothing impossible (passages 10, 20, and 32, as they appear in the Vulgate, seem to attribute the composition of the entire book to Mordecai; but, according to the Hebrew, they may well refer only to the prime minister's letter to the governors of the provinces, and the annals of the Persian and Median kings). If some features at the end appear somewhat more recent, particularly 9:22–10:1, there is nothing to preclude them from having been added by another hand.
The place and time of composition are easier to establish with certainty. The author cites documents that he could only have consulted in the Persian archives (cf. 9:32; 10:2; 13:1-7; 16:1-24); it is likely that he wrote in Susa itself. A considerable number of details can hardly have come from anyone but an eyewitness (cf. 1:6; 8:10, 14-15, etc.); in any case, the freshness and precision of the narrative suggest a contemporary of Esther. The style indicates roughly the same period as that of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
3° Purpose and character of the Book of Esther. — The aim is not merely, as some contemporary authors claim, to recount the origin of the festival of Purim or of Lots, instituted in remembrance of the deliverance of the Jews (cf. 9:20-32; 16:22-24). It is, in essence, the same as in Judith's book (See page 380), and consists in giving further striking proof of the care with which God watched over his people, to avert all danger from them, and to preserve them for the promised Messiah. See 10:12-13; 11:9ff.; 13:15ff.; 14:5ff.
Jews have always attached "particular importance to this booklet, the only complete work, along with the Pentateuch, which is read in the temple; the only one which, along with the Pentateuch, has retained its ancient scroll form" (Lazarus Wogue, History of the Bible and biblical exegesis up to the present day; Paris, 1881, pp. 70-71). Thus, the Talmud contains this assertion: »The Prophets and the Writings may be destroyed; but the Pentateuch will not perish; likewise, the Book of Esther is imperishable (Tractate Megilloth, 1, 7). He exudes an ardent and courageous patriotism.
The style is clear and simple, picturesque and lively; dramatic scenes appear on almost every page; the portraits of the four principal characters (Esther, Mordecai, Ahasuerus, Haman) are strikingly lifelike. Words of Persian origin are relatively frequent, as are more recent Hebrew expressions and Aramaic words: this can be explained by the place and time of composition.
4° The historical character and canonicity of the book. — In our time, people have taken pleasure in attacking the veracity of certain details, which they have pretended to regard as implausible. These details, relating especially to King Ahasuerus, are easily explained by what history reveals to us about the customs and nature of this despotic prince (see point 2, page 434, and the commentary, passim.Moreover, many features of the book are in perfect accordance with Persian customs, as known to us from classical authors (notably Herodotus, who will be frequently cited in the exegetical notes). The Feast of Lots, celebrated since time immemorial in Israel since the reign of Xerxes 1er (cf. 2 Mach. 15, 37; Josephus, Ant., 11, 6, 13), attests to the belief of the theocratic nation in the truth of the facts on which this solemnity was founded.
From the standpoint of canonicity, the Book of Esther must be divided into two parts: the first two-thirds, 1:1–10:3, are the only parts found in the Hebrew Bible; the remainder, 10:4–16:24, is absent. The first part is therefore protocanonical, as it is called; the second, deuterocanonical (see volume 1, pp. 12 and 13, and the Man. Bibl., t. 1, n. 35), that is to say, equal to the other from the point of view of inspiration, but received later in the sacred canon. This second part consists of seven distinct fragments, which are interspersed with the narrative in the Septuagint translation, but which Saint Jerome grouped together in the Vulgate, and placed at the end of the book: 1° prologue, which contains the dream of Mordecai (Vulg., 11, 2-12, 6; in the Septuagint, before 1, 1); 2° the edict of Ahasuerus against the Jews (Vulg., 13, 1-7; Septuagint, following 3, 13); 3° the urgent message of Mordecai to Esther inviting her to appear before Ahasuerus (Vulg., 15, 1-3; Septuagint, after 4, 8); 4° the prayers of Mordecai and Esther (Vulg., 13, 8-14, 19; Septuagint, after 4, 17); 5° the description of Esther's visit to the king (Vulg., 15, 4-19; Septuagint, following 5, 1-2); 6° the decree of Ahasuerus in favor of the Jews (Vulg., 16, 1-24; Septuagint, after 8, 13); 7° epilogue, which gives the interpretation of Mordecai's dream (Vulg., 10, 4-11, 1; Septuagint, after 10, 3).
It is certain that these fragments were originally part of the book's text. Several ancient ones exist. midrašim Jewish commentaries contain them; the historian Josephus was familiar with them (cf. Ant., 11, 6, 1 ff.); the Chaldean paraphrase contains them, as does the Septuagint; the Alexandrian translators, in the last lines of the book (Vulg., 11, 1 (see the commentary)), clearly state that they received them from Jerusalem about two centuries before the Christian era: what more evidence is needed for a solid demonstration? Intrinsic evidence also corroborates the extrinsic argument and attests that, without these passages, the book of Esther would be mutilated, incomplete. It has long been noted that the protocanonical portion does not once contain the name of God, nor does it mention the Lord's special choice of the Jews to be his holy nation, nor their earlier history, while these details, which so aptly characterize all inspired writings, abound in the deuterocanonical fragments. If the latter are restored to their proper place, this bizarre and anomalous fact disappears; they admirably complement the book and give it its true theocratic character. They must therefore have been an integral part of it originally; but it is probable, as Aben-Ezra supposed, that the small volume of Esther was immediately translated into Persian to be appended to the annals of the empire. Now, obviously, this official, purely historical redaction omitted everything that would have been contrary to the religion of most of the empire's subjects: being the most widespread, it took precedence over the other in the Hebrew Bible. It should also be noted that, most often, the style of the deuterocanonical pieces clearly indicates a Hebrew original; if the two edicts (cf. 13, 1-7; 16, 1-24) have a rather pronounced Greek character, this is due either to the broader genre adopted by the translator, or better still to the fact that he reproduced them as they were published in the Greek-speaking Persian provinces.
In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther does not occupy the same place as in the Septuagint and the Vulgate; it is placed, along with the other four megillot, among the hagiographers, between Job and Daniel (see volume 1, p. 13).
5° Works to consult : the comments of Serarius, Calmet, Cornelius a Lapide; J. Oppert, Historical and philological commentary on the Book of Esther, based on the reading of Persian inscriptions, Paris, 1864; Gillet, Tobias, Judith, and Ezra, Paris, 1879.
Esther 1
Read 11.2-12.6: the Prologue.
1 This was in the time of Ahasuerus, that Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia., 2 at the time when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the capital. 3 In the third year of his reign, he held a feast for all his princes and ministers. The commanders of the Persian and Mede armies, the nobles, and the governors of the provinces were gathered in his presence., 4 It was then that he displayed before them the rich splendor of his kingdom and the dazzling magnificence of his grandeur, for a great many days, for one hundred and eighty days. 5 When those days were over, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people who were in Susa, the capital, from the greatest to the least, in the courtyard of the royal garden. 6 White, green and blue hangings were attached by cords of byssus and purple to silver rings and marble columns; beds of gold and silver were placed on a pavement of porphyry, white marble, mother-of-pearl and black marble. 7 Drinks were served in gold vessels of various shapes, and royal wine was offered in abundance, thanks to the king's generosity. 8 According to the decree, everyone drank without anyone forcing them, because the king had ordered all the officers of his household to comply with the wishes of each of the guests. 9 Queen Vashti also held a feast for women, in the royal house of King Ahasuerus. 10 On the seventh day, as the wine had put joy in the heart of the king, he ordered Maüman, Bazatha, Harbona, Bagatha, Abgatha, Zethar and Charchas, the seven eunuchs who served before king Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti into his presence, crowned with the royal diadem, to show her beauty to the people and the nobles, for she was beautiful in appearance. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to obey the king's command, which she had received through the eunuchs, and the king was very angry and his anger flared up. 13 Then the king addressed himself to the wise men who had knowledge of the times, for this was how the king's affairs were handled, before all those who were experts in law and justice. 14 and the closest to him were Charsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tharsis, Mares, Marsana and Mamuchan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the face of the king and who occupied the first rank in the kingdom. 15 «What law,» he said, “should be applied to Queen Vashti, for not having carried out the order of King Ahasuerus, which he gave her through the eunuchs?” 16 Mamuchan answered before the king and the princes: «Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes and all the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's actions will become known to all women and will cause them to despise their husbands, they will say: King Ahasuerus ordered that Queen Vashti be brought before him, but she did not go. 18 And from this day forward, the princesses of Persia and Media, who will have learned of the queen's action, will mention it to all the king's princes, and much contempt and anger will result. 19 If the king approves, let a royal decree be issued by him and written into the laws of the Persians and Medes, so that it may not be broken, stating that Queen Vashti shall no longer appear before King Ahasuerus and that the king shall give her dignity as queen to another who is better than she. 20 And when the king's edict becomes known throughout his vast kingdom, all women will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least. 21 The advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king acted according to Mamuchan's words. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province according to its script and to each people according to its language; they conveyed that every husband should be the master in his house and that he should speak the language of his people.
Esther 2
1 After these things, when King Ahasuerus' anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and the decision that had been made concerning her. 2 Then the king's servants, who were serving near him, said, "Let young women, virgins and beautiful in appearance, be sought for the king, 3 that the king establish officers in all the provinces of his kingdom charged with gathering all the young girls, virgins and beautiful in appearance, in Susa, the capital, in the women's house, under the supervision of Aegeus, the king's eunuch and guardian of the women, who will provide for their grooming, 4 and let the young girl who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.» The king approved this advice and did so. 5 In Susa, the capital, there lived a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shemei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, 6 who had been taken from Jerusalem among the captives deported with Jeconiah, king of Judah, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. 7 He was raising Edissa, who is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful in form and of a graceful face; after the death of her father and mother, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. 8 When the king's order and edict were published and many young girls were gathered in Susa, the capital, under the supervision of Aegeus, Esther was also taken and brought into the king's house, under the supervision of Aegeus, guardian of the women. 9 The young girl pleased him and won his favor; he hastened to provide her with the things necessary for her toilette and subsistence, to give her seven young girls chosen from the king's house, and he moved her with them into the best apartment in the women's house. 10 Esther did not reveal her people or her birth, because Mordecai had forbidden her to speak of it. 11 Every day Mordecai walked around in front of the courtyard of the women's house to find out how Esther was doing and how she was being treated. 12 And when the time came for each young woman to go to King Ahasuerus, after she had spent twelve months fulfilling what was prescribed for women, this was the period of their purification: for six months they purified themselves with the oil of myrrh, and for six months with spices and perfumes used among the women, 13 and when the young girl went to the king, she was allowed to take with her whatever she wanted, to go from the women's house to the king's house. 14 She would go there in the evening and the next morning she would go to the second women's house, under the supervision of Susagaz, the king's eunuch and guardian of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless the king desired her and she was summoned by name. 15 When her turn came to go to the king, Esther, daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle who had adopted her as his daughter, asked for nothing more than what Aegeus, the king's eunuch and guardian of the women, directed, but Esther pleased the eyes of all who saw her. 16 Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all women And she gained more favor and grace from him than all the other young women. He placed the royal diadem on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 The king gave a great feast for all his princes and servants, the feast of Esther, he granted rest to the provinces and made largesse with royal munificence. 19 The second time the young women were gathered together, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 Esther had not revealed her birth or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, and Esther followed Mordecai's orders, as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Baghathan and Teres, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were guards of the palace, became angry and wanted to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 Mordecai learned of the plot and informed Queen Esther, who then told the king on Mordecai's behalf. 23 The fact having been examined and found to be true, the two eunuchs were hanged from a tree and this was written in the book of Chronicles in the presence of the king.
Esther 3
1 After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of Amadatha, from the land of Agag, and placed his throne above all the princes who were with him. 2 All the king's servants who stood at his gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 The king's servants, who were standing at his gate, said to Mordecai, "Why are you disobeying the king's order?"« 4 Since they repeated this to him every day and he did not listen to them, they informed Haman, to see if Mordecai would persist in his resolve, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 Haman saw that Mordecai did not bend the knee or bow down to him, and Haman was filled with fury. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for he had been informed of what people Mordecai belonged to, and Haman wanted to destroy Mordecai's people, all the Jews who were found throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast the PUR, that is, the lot, before Haman, for each day and for each month, until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, «There is a certain people scattered throughout all the provinces of your kingdom, living apart from the other peoples, having laws different from those of all the other peoples, and not observing the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s interest to let them rest. 9 If the king approves, let an order be issued to have them put to death, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of the officials, to be taken to the king's treasury.» 10 The king took his ring off his finger and gave it to Haman, son of Amadatha, from the land of Agag, an enemy of the Jews., 11 And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, and this people as well, so that you may do with them as you see fit."« 12 The king's secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written, according to all of Haman's orders, to the king's satraps, the governors of each province, and the leaders of each people, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces, ordering that all the Jews, young and old, little children and women, be destroyed, slaughtered and killed in one day, the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and that their property be plundered. [See 13.1-7: the text of the edict.] 14 A copy of the edict, which was to be published as law in every province, was sent openly to all people, so that they would be ready for that day. 15 The messengers departed in haste, according to the king's orders. The edict was also published in Susa, the capital, and while the king and Haman sat drinking, agitation reigned in the city of Susa.
Esther 4
1 Mordecai, having learned of all that was happening, tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and covered his head with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, uttering a loud and bitter groan. 2 And he went right up to the king's gate, for no one wearing sackcloth had the right to enter the king's gate. 3 In every province, wherever the king's order and his edict arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews; they fasted, wept, and lamented, and sackcloth and ashes served as a bed for many of them. 4 Esther's maids and her eunuchs came to tell her the news, and the queen was very frightened. She sent clothes to Mordecai to put on, so that he would take off his sackcloth, but he refused them. 5 Then Esther summoned Athah, one of the eunuchs whom the king had placed with her, and instructed him to go and ask Mordecai what was going on and why he was grieving. 6 Athah went to Mordecai, who was standing in the city square, in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him and the amount of money that Haman had promised to weigh out for the king's treasury in return for the massacre of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the edict published in Susa for their extermination, so that he could show it to Esther, teach her everything and command her to go to the king to beg him and ask for mercy for her people. [See 15.1-3: Mordecai's exhortation to Esther.] 9 Athah came and reported Mordecai's words to Esther. 10 Esther instructed Athah to go and tell Mordecai: 11 «All the king’s servants and the people of his provinces know that if anyone, man or woman, enters the king’s inner court without having been summoned, the only law that applies to them is the penalty of death, unless the king extends his golden scepter and gives them life. And I have not been summoned to go to the king for thirty days.» 12 When Esther's words had been reported to Mordecai, 13 He sent her the reply: "Do not imagine in your mind that you alone will escape from among all the Jews, because you are in the king's house. 14 For if you remain silent now, help and deliverance for the Jews will arise from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?» 15 Esther sent a reply to Mordecai: 16 «Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me, neither eating nor drinking for three days, night nor day. I too will fast likewise, with my maids, and then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law; and if I die, I die.» 17 Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had commanded him. [See 13.8-18 & 14.1-19: the prayer of Mordecai and Esther.]
Esther 5
1 On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's house, in front of the king's apartment. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal apartment, opposite the entrance to the palace. [See 15.4-19: another account of Esther's visit to Ahasuerus.] 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she found favor in his eyes, and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter that he held in his hand. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, «What is it, Queen Esther, and what is your request? Even if it were half the kingdom, it would be given to you.» 4 Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the feast I have prepared for him."« 5 The king said, "Summon Haman at once, to do as Esther has said." The king went with Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared. 6 At the wine feast, the king said to Esther, «What is your petition? It shall be granted to you. What is your request? Even if it were half the kingdom, it shall be yours.» 7 Esther answered and said, «Here is my request and my desire: 8 If I have found favor in the king's eyes, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and fulfill my desire, let the king and Haman come to the feast I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will give the king the answer he asks for.» 9 Haman went out that day, happy and glad-hearted. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate, who neither rose nor moved before him, he was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10 Haman restrained himself, however, and went home. Then, having sent for his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman told them of the magnificence of his riches, the great number of his sons, and the high rank that the king had conferred upon him, raising him above his princes and servants. 12 «"I am even the only one," he added, "that Queen Esther admitted with the king to the feast she prepared, and I am invited again for tomorrow at her house with the king.". 13 But all this is not enough for me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.» 14 Zares, his wife, and all his friends said to him, «Let a gallows be prepared fifty cubits high, and in the morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it, and you may go joyfully to the feast with the king.» This advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows prepared.
Esther 6
1 That night, the king, unable to sleep, had the book of annals brought to him. the ChroniclesIt was read aloud before the king. 2 And the account was found of the revelation that Mordecai had made concerning Baghathan and Terez, the two eunuchs of the king, guards of the palace, who had wanted to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 The king said, "What mark of honor and what dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?" "He has received none," replied the king's servants who were in office near him. 4 And the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king's house to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. 5 The king's servants answered him, "It is Haman who is standing in the courtyard." And the king said, "Let him come in."« 6 When Haman entered, the king said to him, "What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"« 7 And Haman said to the king, «For the man whom the king wishes to honor, 8 We must take a royal garment that the king has worn and a horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head is placed a royal crown., 9 "To give this garment and this horse to one of the king's chief officials, then to dress the man whom the king wishes to honor, to parade him on horseback through the city square and to shout before him: 'This is how it is done to the man whom the king wishes to honor.'"» 10 The king said to Haman, «Take the garment and the horse without delay, as you have said, and do the same for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate; do not neglect anything you have indicated.» 11 Haman took the garment and the horse, dressed Mordecai, and paraded him on horseback through the city square, shouting before him, "This is how one does to the man whom the king wishes to honor."« 12 Mordecai returned to the king's gate and Haman hurried home, distraught and with his head covered. 13 Haman told his wife Zerez and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His wise men and his wife Zerez said to him, «If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish race, you will not be able to do anything against him, but you will certainly fall before him.» 14 While they were still speaking to him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hastily took Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.
Esther 7
1 The king and Haman went to Esther's feast. 2 On the second day, the king again said to Esther, when they were at the wine feast: «What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. What is your desire? Even if it were half the kingdom, it shall be yours.» 3 Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if the king is pleased, grant me life: this is my petition, grant it to my people: this is my desire. 4 For we, my people and I, have been sold to be destroyed, slaughtered, and annihilated. If we were sold to become slaves, I would remain silent, but now the oppressor cannot compensate the king for the harm done to us.» 5 King Ahasuerus then spoke to Queen Esther, saying, «Who is this man, and where is he, whose heart compels him to do this?» 6 Esther replied, "The oppressor, the enemy, is Haman, that wicked man." Haman was seized with terror in the presence of the king and queen. 7 The king, in his anger, got up and left the wine feast to go to the palace garden, and Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he saw clearly that, on the king's side, his downfall was assured. 8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the wine banquet hall, he saw Haman prostrating himself on the bed on which Esther was lying, and the king said, "What, would he violate the queen in my own house, in the palace?" No sooner had this word left the king's mouth than Haman's face was veiled. 9 Harbona, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, «Look, the gallows Haman prepared for Mordecai, who spoke up for the king’s benefit, is now erected in Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.» The king said, «Hang Haman on it.» 10 And they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king's anger subsided.
Esther 8
1 That same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, and Mordecai presented himself before the king, for Esther had made known what he was to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai, and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Then Esther spoke again in the presence of the king, throwing herself at his feet, she begged him with tears to avert the effects of the wickedness of Haman, of the land of Agag, and of the plans he had formed against the Jews. 4 The king handed the golden scepter to Esther, who rose and stood before the king. 5 «"If the king is pleased," she said, "and if I have found favor in his sight, if the matter seems suitable to the king and if I am pleasing in his eyes, let a letter be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, son of Amadatha, of the land of Agag, and written by him with the aim of destroying the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.". 6 For how could I witness the misfortune that would befall my people, and how could I witness the extermination of my race?» 7 King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, «See, I have given to Esther the house of Haman, and he was hanged on the gallows for having stretched out his hand against the Jews. 8 You, write in favor of the Jews as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring, for a letter written in the king's name and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.» 9 The king's secretaries were then summoned on the twenty-third day of the third month, which is the month of Sivan, and a letter was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the heads of the provinces, of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces situated from India to Ethiopia, to each province according to its script, to each people according to its language, and to the Jews according to their script and according to their language. 10 The letter was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal ring. It was sent by couriers on horseback, mounted on state horses from the king's stables. 11 By these letters, the king permitted the Jews, in whatever city they might be, to assemble and defend their lives, to destroy, kill, and cause to perish, along with their small children and wives, the troops of every people and province that attacked them, and to surrender their property to plunder., 12 and this in one day, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. [See 16.1-24, the text of the edict:] 13 A copy of the edict, which was to be published as law in every province, was sent openly to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. 14 Immediately, the messengers, mounted on state steeds, departed in great haste, according to the king's order. The edict was also published in Susa, the capital. 15 Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal blue and white clothing, a large gold crown, and a mantle of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa expressed its joy with shouts of gladness. 16 For the Jews there was only happiness and joy, jubilation and glory. 17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king's order and his edict arrived, there were [provisions] for the Jews. joy and rejoicing, feasting, and celebrations. And many people from among the nations of the land became Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.
Esther 9
1 In the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king's order and edict were to be executed, the day on which the enemies of the Jews had hoped to dominate them, the opposite happened and the Jews dominated their enemies. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike those who sought their destruction, and no one could resist them, for the fear they inspired had spread among all the peoples. 3 All the provincial leaders, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s officials supported the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai weighed heavily upon them. 4 For Mordecai was powerful in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for this man, Mordecai, continued to grow in stature. 5 So the Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword; it was a massacre and a destruction; they treated those who were hostile to them as they pleased. 6 In Susa, the capital, the Jews killed and caused the deaths of five hundred men, 7 and they slew Pharsandatha, Delphon, Esphatha, 8 Phoratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Phermestha, Arisai, Aridai and Jezatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Amadatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 11 That same day, the number of those who had been killed in Susa, the capital, reached the king's knowledge. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, «The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in Susa, the capital; what will they not have done in the rest of the king’s provinces? What is your petition? It shall be granted to you. What is your desire? It shall be fulfilled.» 13 Esther replied, "If it pleases the king, let the Jews in Susa be allowed to act again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows."« 14 The king ordered this to be done, and the edict was published in Susa. The ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 And the Jews who were in Susa, having gathered again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, killed three hundred men in Susa. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 16The other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered together to defend their lives and obtain peace from their enemies; they killed seventy-five thousand of those who were hostile to them. But they did not engage in plunder. 17 These things happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. The Jews rested on the fourteenth and made it a day of feasting and joy. 18 The Jews who were in Susa, having gathered together on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, rested on the fifteenth and made it a day of feasting and joy. 19 That is why the Jews of the countryside, who live in cities without walls, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of joy, feasting and celebration, when they send portions to one another. 20 Mordecai wrote these things down and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both those who were near and those who were far away, 21 to enjoin them to celebrate each year the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as being the days when they had obtained to be left in rest by their enemies and the month when their sadness had been changed into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration, these days should therefore be made into days of feasting and joy, where portions are sent to one another and gifts are distributed to the poor. 23 The Jews adopted as a practice what they had already begun to do and what Mordecai wrote to them. 24 For Haman, son of Amadatha, of the land of Agag, an enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he had cast the PUR, that is, the lot, in order to exterminate and destroy them. 25 But when Esther appeared before the king, he ordered by letter that the wicked plan which Haman had formed against the Jews should fall back on his own head, and he was hanged on the gallows with his sons. 26 That is why those days were called Purim, from the name Pur. Thus, according to the entire contents of this letter, according to what they themselves had seen and what had happened to them, 27 The Jews established and adopted for themselves, for their descendants, and for all those who would attach themselves to them, the irrevocable custom of celebrating these two days every year, according to the prescribed rite and at the fixed time. 28 These days were to be remembered and celebrated, from generation to generation, in every family, in every province and in every city, and these days of Purim were never to be abolished among the Jews, nor was the memory of them to fade in their posterity. 29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, and the Jew Mordecai wrote a second time, in the most urgent manner, to confirm this letter concerning the Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus: words of peace and faithfulness, 31 and the recommendation to keep these days of Purim at the appointed time, as the Jew Mordecai and Queen Esther had established them for themselves and for their descendants, with the fasts and their lamentations. 32 Thus Esther's order established these observances of the Purim, and this was written in the book.
Esther 10
1 King Ahasuerus established a tribute on the mainland and the islands of the sea. 2 All the facts concerning his power and exploits and the details of the greatness to which the king raised Mordecai, is this not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was the prime minister of King Ahasuerus, also regarded among the Jews, loved by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking for the happiness of all his race. [Here ends the Hebrew text. The rest comes from the Jewish Bible written in Greek: the Septuagint. 10.4-13: Mordecai acknowledges the fulfillment of the dream with which God had favored him:] 4 Then Mordecai said, «It is God who has done all these things. 5 I do indeed remember the dream I had on this subject; not a single aspect of the vision remained unfulfilled: 6 The little spring that became a river, and the light that appeared, and the sun, and the mass of water. The river is Esther, whom the king took as his wife and made queen. 7 The two dragons are me and Aman. 8 The nations are those who had gathered together to destroy the name of the Jews, 9 And my people, that is Israel, cried out to God and were saved. Thus the Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils; God performed miracles and great wonders, such as have not occurred among the nations. 10 To this end, he prepared two lots: one for God's people and one for all nations. 11 And these two lots came at the hour, at the time and on the day of judgment, marked before God for all nations. 12 And God remembered his people and he did justice to his inheritance. 13 And these days of the month of Adar, the fourteenth and the fifteenth of this month, shall be celebrated by them in assembly, with joy and gladness before God, throughout the generations, forever, in Israel, his people.»
Esther 11
[Postscript to the Jewish version written in Greek:] 1 In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who claimed to be a priest and of the race of Levi, and Ptolemy, his son, brought this letter from the Phrurai, which they said was authentic and had been translated by Lysimachus, son of Ptolemy, residing in Jerusalem. [Prologue: 11.2-12.6] 2 In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shemei, son of Cish, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream. 3 He was a Jew who lived in the city of Susa, an illustrious man attached to the king's court. 4 He was among the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had transported from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah. 5 This is what his dream was: Suddenly there were voices, a great noise and thunder, the earth shook and was shaken. 6 Then suddenly two large dragons advanced, both ready to fight. 7 They raised a great cry, and at their voice all the nations prepared for battle, to fight against the people of the righteous. 8 Then suddenly, there was a day of darkness and gloom, and there was anguish, distress, tribulation, and great terror on the earth. 9 The entire people of the righteous, fearing all evils for themselves, were in turmoil and preparing to perish. 10 They cried out to God, and at their cries there was something like a small spring, from which came out a great river, a mass of water. 11 The light and the sun shone, those who were in humiliation were lifted up, and they devoured those who were in honor. 12 Having woken up after seeing this dream and what God had resolved to do, Mordecai kept it engraved in his mind and, until nightfall, he made every effort to understand it.
Esther 12
1 Then Mordecai remained at court with Baghathan and Thares, the king’s two eunuchs, who guarded the palace gate. 2 Having known their thoughts and penetrated their designs, he discovered that they had intended to lay hands on King Ahasuerus and he informed the king. 3 He had the two eunuchs interrogated and, upon their confession, sent them to their execution. 4 The king had it written in the Chronicles what had happened and Mordecai also recorded the memory of it in writing. 5 And the king ordered that he should hold an office in the palace and gave him gifts for his denunciation. 6 But Haman, son of Amadatha the Agagite, was highly regarded by the king, and he sought to destroy Mordecai and his people because of the king's two eunuchs.
Esther 13
[Edict of Ahasuerus to exterminate the Jews:] 1 Here is a copy of this letter: «Ahasuerus, the great king, to the satraps and governors of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia, who are subject to his orders, commands the following: 2 «Although I command a very large number of nations and have subdued the whole world, I wish, not to abuse my power for pride, but, through a government that is always merciful and gentle, to continually ensure my subjects a life free from trouble and, by providing my kingdom with calm and security to its furthest borders, to cause it to flourish again peace dear to all mortals. 3 Having therefore asked my advisors how my intentions could be fulfilled, one of them, named Aman, who excels among us in wisdom, who is known for his unwavering devotion and constant loyalty, and who holds the second position in the kingdom, 4 has made me aware that there is a malevolent people, mixed with all the tribes that are on the earth, in opposition to all peoples in the name of their laws, continually despising the commandments of kings, so as to prevent the perfect harmony of the empire that we rule. 5 Having learned, therefore, that this single people, in perpetual contradiction with all humankind, separating itself from them by the strange nature of its laws and ill-disposed to our interests, commits the ultimate excesses and thus hinders the prosperity of the kingdom, 6 We have ordered that those named in the letters of Haman, who is in charge of affairs and honored as our second father, be all, with their wives and children, utterly exterminated by the sword of their enemies, without any mercy or clemency, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, of this year., 7 so that these men, once and now still hostile, descending on the same day, by violent death, into hell, may restore to our affairs perfect prosperity and peace in times to come.». [Prayers of Esther and Mordecai:] 8 And Mordecai prayed to the Lord, remembering all his works. 9 He said: «Lord, Lord, Almighty King, all things are subject to your power and there is no one who can stand in your way, if you have resolved to save Israel. 10 It is you who made heaven and earth and all the wonders that are under heaven. 11 You are the Lord of all things and no one can resist you, you are the Lord. 12 You know all things and you know that it was neither out of insolence, nor pride, nor any desire for glory that I acted in not prostrating myself before the proud Haman, 13 for gladly, for the salvation of Israel, I would be ready to kiss the very traces of his footsteps. 14 But I did it so as not to put the honor of a man above the honor due to my God, and I will never prostrate myself before anyone other than you, my Lord, and it is not out of pride that I will act in this way. 15 Now therefore, Lord my God and my King, God of Abraham, have mercy on your people, because our enemies are looking to destroy us and want to destroy your ancient heritage. 16 Do not despise your inheritance, which you redeemed for yourselves from the land of Egypt. Hear my prayer. 17 Be favorable to your inheritance and turn our mourning into joy, so that, preserving our lives, we may praise your name, Lord, and not silence those who praise you.» 18 All Israel also cried out to the Lord with all their might, for death was before their eyes.
Esther 14
1 Queen Esther, too, feeling herself placed in extreme danger of death, turned to the Lord. 2 Leaving behind her splendid garments, she donned clothes of anguish and mourning; in place of her precious perfumes, she covered her head with ash and dust, severely afflicted her body, and, tearing out her hair, she filled all the places where she was accustomed to indulge herself. joy. 3 And she addressed this prayer to the Lord, the God of Israel: «My Lord, who alone are our King, assist me in my desolation, I who have no other help but you.” 4 because the danger that threatens me, I already touch with my own hands. 5 I learned from my early years, within my father's tribe, that you, Lord, chose Israel above all nations and our fathers above all their ancestors, for your eternal inheritance, and that you fulfilled all your promises to them. 6 And now we have sinned in your presence, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies., 7 because we paid homage to their gods. You are just, Lord. 8 And now, it is no longer enough for them to impose bitter servitude upon us, but they have placed their hands in the hands of their idols, 9 to swear to abolish the decrees of your mouth, to destroy your inheritance, to silence those who praise you, and to extinguish the glory of your temple and altar, 10 so that the mouths of the nations may be opened, to praise the power of idols and to celebrate forever a king of flesh. 11 Lord, do not give your scepter to those who are nothing, so that they may not laugh at our ruin, but turn their plan back on them and make an example of him who first unleashed his fury against us. 12 Remember us, Lord, make yourself known in this time of our affliction and give me courage, King of the Gods and Ruler of all power. 13 Put wise words on my lips in the presence of the lion and turn his heart to hate our enemy, so that he and all who have the same sentiments may perish. 14 But deliver us by your hand and assist me, for I am alone and have only you, Lord. You know all things, 15 And you know that I hate the splendor of the wicked, that I abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of every stranger. 16 You know the constraint I am under, you know that I abhor the insignia of my elevation, which is placed on my head on the days when I must be seen, I abhor it like a soiled cloth and I do not wear it on the days that I can spend in retreat. 17 Your servant has never eaten at Haman's table, nor paid much attention to the king's feasts, nor drunk the wine of the libations. 18 Never, from the day I was brought here until now, has your servant tasted joy, if not in you, Lord God, God of Abraham. 19 O God, who are supreme in power, hear the prayer of those who have no other hope, deliver us from the hands of the wicked and deliver me from my anguish.»
Esther 15
1 He sent word to Esther to go to the king, in order to make a plea for her people and her country. 2 «Remember,” he told her, “the days of your humiliation and how you were nourished by my hand, for Haman, the first after the king, spoke against us for our destruction.”. 3 But you, call upon the Lord and speak to the king for us; save us from death.» [Esther at the king's court:] 4 On the third day, having finished her prayer, Esther took off her penitential clothes and put on the ornaments of her dignity. 5 In all the splendor of her finery, after invoking God, the arbiter and savior of all, she took with her the two customary attendants. 6 She leaned on one of them, which could barely support her delicate body., 7 The other followed, lifting his mistress's long dress. 8 She, all flushed with the powerful radiance of her beauty, had a joyful face and a kind air, but fear gripped her heart. 9 Having passed through all the gates, she presented herself before the king. Ahasuerus was seated on his royal throne, clothed in all the insignia of his majesty, all shining with gold and precious stones, his appearance was terrible. 10 When he had raised his head, radiant with glory, and cast a gleaming look of anger, the queen swooned, changing color and leaning on the shoulder of the servant who walked in front of her. 11 Then God changed the king's anger to gentleness; worried, he sprang from his throne and supported Esther in his arms until she had regained her senses, calming her fear with friendly words: 12 «What’s the matter, Esther?” he would say to her. “I am your brother, have faith.”, 13 You will not die, for our ordinance is for the common people of our nation. 14 "Come closer." 15 And raising the golden scepter, he placed it on her neck and kissed her, saying, "Speak to me."» 16 She replied, "I saw you, Lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled with awe of your majesty, 17 For you are admirable, Lord, and your face is full of kindness.» 18 As she spoke, she slumped again, ready to faint. 19 The king was dismayed and all his servants were trying to revive the queen.
Esther 16
1 The following is a copy of that letter: "Ahasuerus, the great king, to the satraps and the chiefs of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia and to those who have our interests at heart, greetings. 2 «Many, after having been showered with distinctions by the great kindness of their benefactors, princes, become arrogant. 3 Not only do they undertake to oppress our subjects, but, unable to bear the weight of honors, they plot against their benefactors. 4 Not enough for them to banish recognition from among men, puffed up by the sumptuous splendor of an unusual fortune, they go so far as to persuade themselves that they can escape the vengeful justice of God, who always sees all things. 5 Time and time again, the cunning language of men whom the friendship of princes had charged with administering affairs, led those at the head of empires into irreparable evils, making them complicit in the shedding of innocent blood., 6 the fallacious lies of malice thus deceiving the benevolent simplicity of the rulers. 7 And it is not only in ancient stories, as we have just mentioned, that you will be able to see unholy acts due to the pestilential influence of those who unworthily exercise power; you will be able to see them even better by examining what is happening around you. 8 We must therefore provide for the future, in order to ensure, for the benefit of all men, peace and peace of the kingdom, 9 making the necessary changes and carefully judging the things that come our way, in order to deal with them with constant fairness. 10 «You know, in fact, how Haman, son of Amadatha, a Macedonian, truly a stranger of the Persian race and far removed from our mercy, having been taken in by our hospitality, 11 he experienced the effects of the benevolence we show to all peoples, to the point of being called our father and seeing everyone prostrate themselves before him, as possessing the dignity closest to the royal throne. 12 But unable to bear such a great fortune with dignity, he plotted to deprive us of royalty and life. 13 By all sorts of tricks and lies, he tried to destroy both Mordecai, who saved us and always served us usefully, and Esther, the blameless companion of our kingdom, along with their entire people. 14 In this way he hoped to surprise us in our isolation and deliver the Persian empire to the Macedonians. 15 But these Jews, condemned to death by the most wicked of men, we have recognized that they are guilty of no wrongdoing, but that they obey very just laws, 16 and that they are the children of the most high, most great and eternally living God, who, for us as for our ancestors, preserves this kingdom in its most flourishing state. 17 «Therefore, you would do well to disregard the letters sent by Haman, son of Amadatha, 18 given that the perpetrator of these crimes was hanged on the wood, with all his house, in front of the gates of Susa, God, Sovereign Master of all things, having inflicted upon him without delay the punishment he deserved. 19 By publicly displaying a copy of this letter everywhere, you will allow the Jews to follow their laws freely., 20 and give them assistance, so that they may repel the attack of those who, during the days of oppression, rose up against them, and this, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar, in one day. 21 For God, the Master of all things, has changed, for the chosen race, this day of misfortune into a day of rejoicing. 22 Therefore, you too should celebrate this great day with all kinds of rejoicing, as one of your solemn festivals, so that it may be, now and in the future, 23 For us and for all those who are fond of the Persians, a pledge of salvation and on the contrary a reminder of ruin for those who plot against us. 24 «Any city, and indeed any region, that fails to comply with these regulations will be furiously devastated by fire and sword, so that it will forever be not only inaccessible to humans, but also abhorrent to wild beasts and birds. Copies of this decree should be displayed throughout the empire, and thus all Jews should be ready to fight their enemies on the aforementioned day.«
Notes on the Book of Esther
1.1 Ahasuerus. Xerxes Ier. See the’Introduction.
1.2 Suse, capital of Susiana, on the Eulaeus, one of the residences of the kings of Persia.
1.4 The king wanted that for one hundred and eighty days, his palace was opened to all the lords of his vast empire who came to congratulate him on his accession to the throne and that during this time they were magnificently treated as they arrived.
1.5 Note that the text does not state that all the inhabitants of Susa were gathered in the garden vestibule at the same time. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the people were divided into seven different groups, each with its own day, to avoid confusion, and that the guests from each group were then divided into several meals throughout the same day.
1.6 A pavement of emerald and Parian marble mosaic. From Paros is a word added by the Vulgate.
1.8 Let each person take what they wanted. On this occasion, Ahasuerus was willing to deviate from the Persian custom according to which the guests had to drink as much as the king of the feast ordered.
1.9 Vasthi. See the’Introduction.
1.12 Vasthi refused ; based on the law which did not allow women of dignity to appear at feasts.
1.14 Who saw, etc.; who had the honor of seeing the king, or who were always near him. Compare to 1 Ezra, 7, 14.
1.15 What sentence, etc., is the direct object of: He, which is found in verse 13.
1.19 From you ; literally and through Hebraism of your face.
1.20 All the provinces of your empire ; literally and by hypallage, your entire empire of provinces.
2.5 See Esther, 11, 2. ― Mordecai, At the time our story begins, he was already very old, according to several exegetes, who understand verses 5 and 6 to mean that he had been brought from Jerusalem in the time of Jeconiah, that is, in 599; he would thus have been over 120 years old. But it is more natural to relate verse 6, which had been transferred, to Cis, his great-grandfather. His name Mordecai, which is Babylonian and not Palestinian, seems to indicate that he was born in Babylonia.
2.6 See 2 Kings, 24, 15; Judith, 11, 4.
2.7 Esther. On the name Esther, see the’Introduction.
2.9 His portions ; that is to say, everything concerning his food, his table, or, according to other exegetes, everything that was appropriate to give him according to his rank.
2.16 The tenth month began at the new moon in September.
2.17 And made her reign. It is objected that, according to Herodotus, after the death of the magician Smerdis, it was solemnly decreed that the king could only take a wife from the house of the seven claimants to the throne. It is further objected that it is highly unlikely that Ahasuerus intended to choose a Jewish woman as his queen. But first, is it truly certain that the obligation to marry only a woman belonging to the house of the seven claimants did not apply solely to Smerdis' successor? It is no more certain that, even if the agreement had been general and without restriction, the princes who came after him would have considered it binding upon them and consented to it. Finally, it is known that the rulers of Asia, entirely immersed in pleasure, consulted only their passions and that, consequently, they could only be indifferent to their family and religion. This consideration further explains how Ahasuerus was able to marry a Jewish woman, especially since Esther herself sought to hide her origins, as prescribed by Mordecai, her uncle (see verse 20).
3.1 Aman. Some time after Esther's elevation to the throne and Mordecai's service to the king, Ahasuerus chose as his prime minister a Mede named Haman, from the province of Agag. "It was long believed that Haman, son of Hamadatha, whose name has acquired such infamous notoriety, was an Amalekite, for one of the kings of Amalek was named Agag. And since even in antiquity the names Esau and Amalek were used as designations for the pagans of Europe, the Septuagint translates the Hebrew..." Agagi by Macheden, the Macedonian. Nevertheless, the name of Haman, as well as that of his father, betrays a Medo-Persian origin. We now know, from the inscriptions of Khorsabad, that the land of Agag actually comprised part of Media. Now, here is yet another circumstance which demonstrates, down to its smallest details, the historical value of the Book of Esther.” (OPPERT.) — It is clear from this that the objection made against Esther, 16.10, and the fact that Haman is described as a Macedonian in this passage, is without value. This passage does not contradict, as has been claimed, Esther, 3, vv. 1, 10; 8, 3; 9, vv. 6, 24. The word "Macedonian" in chapter 16 arises from the fact that the Greek translators, according to whom the version of this chapter 16 was made, wrongly rendered it, here as in Esther, 9, 23 (24), the word Agagite by Macedonian.
3.2 Only Mordecai did not bend the knee, This was probably because he considered this prostration an act of idolatry. The Spartans refused to pay Xerxes a similar tribute.
3.7 The month of Nissan began at the new moon in March, and the month of’Adar, at the new moon in February. ― Phur ; a Persian word that was adopted by the Hebrews. Compare to Esther, 9, 24. ― Twelve lots were drawn, for the twelve months of the year.
3.9 I will weigh ; that's to say I will give the weight, I will pay. ― Ten thousand talents. If they were talents If it were the Hebrew silver, it would be worth approximately 44,145,000 francs (in 1900, 1 franc in 1900 would be worth approximately €2.37 in 2022); but if it were Babylonian talents, the ten thousand would yield at most 21,000,000 francs (in 1900). In any case, Haman hoped to collect the promised sum from the confiscation of the Jews put to death.
3.10 The ring. He thus gave her absolute power.
3.13 The thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Eleven months therefore had to elapse between the date of the decree and its execution. This delay was considered improbable, but the explanation is provided by the text itself. The Persians consulted the oracle in serious matters; in this instance, the oracle having indicated the twelfth month, called Adar, it was necessary to wait until that date. — Haman had the order delivered by letters throughout the kingdom. These messengers had been instituted by Cyrus.
4.4 The young girls ; the girls attached to the service.
4.11 The vestibule, etc.; that is to say, the vestibule which immediately preceded the chamber where the king was.
4.13 Rather than all other Jews ; that is, to the exclusion of all other Jews, if all the Jews perish.
4.16 Three days and three nights. This must be understood as a portion of two nights and a whole day; since Esther ate with the king even before the third day had passed (see Esther, 5, 1). Compare to Matthew 12, 40. ― To death and peril ; Hebraism, for at the risk of death.
5.4 The vestibule, etc. See Esther, 4, 11.
5.14 A cross. The Hebrew text reads the cross, with the definite article, because the word cross is virtually contained within the generic term gallows which precedes.
6.8 Let the king ascend ; literally, which is from the king's saddle.
7.1 Drink, means here, as often elsewhere, to have a meal, to feast.
7.8 We covered, etc. As it was a fairly general custom in antiquity to cover the heads of those who were being led or destined for torture, many exegetes believe that Haman's face, thus covered, was a sign of the punishment that was reserved for him, but others claim that Haman's face was veiled because, having offended and angered the king, he had made himself unworthy to see him.
8.3 Agagite, from the land of Agag. See, Esther, note 3.1.
8.9 The third month, Siban Or Sivan, began at the new moon in May. ― To a province and to a province, Hebraism, for to each province.
8.11 To defend, etc.; literally and through Hebraism, to stand up for their souls.
8.12 From the twelfth month, Adar. See Esther, 3, 7.
9.6 Agagite. See Esther, 8, 3.
9.13 Esther could have had sufficient grounds for making this request: she could indeed believe that seventy-five thousand people had to be sacrificed for the preservation of three or four million Jews scattered throughout the empire, and that this measure was necessary for the safety of her people, who had been on the verge of total extinction, and who could still be exposed to it.
9.16 They defended their lives. See Esther, 8, 11. ― Seventy-five thousand dead. This number is not unbelievable, spread across the vast expanse of the Persian Empire. Mithridates, King of Pontus, had 80,000 Romans massacred in a single day within his kingdom. The Jews have been reproached for having allowed themselves to be led astray by cruelty and vengeance on this occasion; Esther, in particular, has been blamed for having asked her husband for permission to continue the massacre at Susa for another day. Esther, 9, 13. But it is forgotten that Mordecai's coreligionists, in the capital as elsewhere, were only defending themselves: the queen requests permission to do the next day what was done the same day, see Esther, 9, 13; that is to say, to defend their lives, see Esther, 8, 11; his prayer assumes that the inhabitants of Susa wanted to renew their attacks the next day against those they hated, not only probably because of their nationality, but also because of their religion.
9.24; 9.26 Phur. See Esther, 3, 7. ― Phurim ; Hebrew plural of Phur. ― In the roll, etc. The letters and the books which are often expressed in Hebrew by the same word, were written on sheets of papyrus, parchment, etc. They were also rolled around a stick (hence the word roll Or volume), and when they were rolled up in this way, they were secured with a small cord; which made it easy to affix a seal to them.
9.26 These days were called Phurim, that is, the Feast of the Phurim. The Feast of the Phurim is still celebrated in synagogues. The 13th of Adar, the eve of the festival, is a day of fasting. On the evening of this day, the festival begins, and the entire Book of Esther is read. The reader recites the passage very quickly. Esther, 9, 7-9, in which are found the names of Haman and his sons, and, as far as possible, without pausing for breath, to signify that they were all hanged at once. During this time the onlookers make noise. This reading is repeated in the same way on the morning of the 14th of Adar. The evening is spent in great rejoicing. — The Hebrew manuscripts reproduce verses 7 to 9 of chapter 9 in the form of three perpendicular columns, as if to represent the ten sons of Haman, hanged from three parallel ropes, numbering 3, 3, and 4.
9.27 This writing ; Mordecai's letter. And who ask, etc.; that is to say, that these days of celebration must be renewed every year, without ever missing, at the fixed time, which is the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month of Adar.
9.30 In the ordinary language of Scripture, the words peace And truth one signifies all kinds of prosperity, and the other, loyalty to fulfill its promises.
9.31 The screams to the Lord; that is, prayers offered aloud. The Feast of Lots is still celebrated today among the Jews with the greatest solemnity.
10.3 Peace. See, on this word, Esther, 9, 30.
11.1 This beginning That is, from verse 2 of this chapter 11 to chapter 12, verse 6. — This verse forms the title of the Book of Esther in the Greek version, where it is placed at the beginning. The Ptolemy mentioned here is Ptolemy VI Philometor, who reigned from 181 to 146 BC. It was during this prince's reign that the Greek translation of the Book of Esther was brought to Egypt, but the book itself had long existed in Hebrew.
11.2 Artaxerxes very great. The name Artaxerxes, which appears here and in all the Appendices, comes from the Septuagint; it certainly corresponds here, as in the preceding chapters, to Xerxes. The Greek version mistakenly translated Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes throughout this book, and since this part of our Latin translation is based on the Septuagint, it bears the name Artaxerxes instead of Ahasuerus, which we read in the preceding chapters translated directly by Saint Jerome from the Hebrew original.
11.4 See 2 Kings, 24, 15; Esther, 2, 6.
12.1 See Esther, 2, 21; 6, 2.
12.3 That they had been put… under questioning ; or simply that we would have done, that we would have conducted their trial.
12.5 By giving him gifts. It is stated above (see Esther, (6:3) that Mordecai received no reward. The king undoubtedly ordered that Mordecai's service be properly rewarded; but it is very likely that Haman, who held a grudge against Mordecai because he had exposed the conspiracy of the two eunuchs, ensured that the king's goodwill was indeed fulfilled. Others say that the gifts given to Mordecai were so meager that historians did not deem it necessary to mention them in the king's annals.
13.7 And going, etc. These words are found in the Vulgate, see Esther, 4, 17.
13.16 Your portion ; the Hebrew people whom you have chosen to be specifically your people.
13.17 To your lot, etc. Same figure as in the preceding verse. ― Your share ; literally your rope. As we have already noted, ropes were used for the division and sharing of land.
14.4 It is in my hands ; that is to say, imminent.
14.5 See Deuteronomy 4:20, 34; 32:9.
14.11 Your scepter, your power, or your people. The people of Israel, in fact, are sometimes referred to by this name. ― Those who are not, that's to say which are nothing ; the wicked, or more probably the idols, which are elsewhere called vanities, vain things.
14.12 Gods ; that is to say, kings, the great men of the earth.
14.17 Wine for libations offered to false gods.
15.4 From her finery ; which was at that moment a mourning outfit. Compare to Esther, 14, 2. ― Of his glory ; of her dignity, that is to say, of her queenly attire.
15.13 This law ; the law that forbade appearing before the king without having been summoned. See Esther, 4, 11.
16.6 By virtue of a hypallage of which we have already seen several examples, the sacred writer attributes to the ears of princes what belongs to the princes themselves.
16.10 It is stated here that Haman was of Macedonian origin, which does not contradict what is said in Esther, 3:1, that he was of the race of Agag, king of the Amalekites, because the word Macedonian is a generic term, used, as seen in several places in the Maccabees, to signify a foreigner. Moreover, it is quite possible that a man of Agag's descendants settled in Macedonia, and that Haman descended from him and was born in that region. — See Esther, 3, 1.
16.14 To the Macedonians. See Esther, 3, 1.
16.24 That it becomes inaccessible, etc. Prophets often use this expression to signify total destruction, leaving no hope of recovery. As an example, etc. To be an example of the punishment reserved for those who disobey kings and despise their commandments.
