Esther 9 Explained summary meaning ai commentary

Esther 9 meaning explained in AI Summary

Chapter 9 details the joyous aftermath of the Jews' deliverance from Haman's evil plot.

1. The Tables Turn: On the day Haman planned for their annihilation (Adar 13th), the Jews, empowered by the king's decree, defend themselves against their enemies throughout the Persian Empire.

2. No Plunder, Just Justice: Despite their victory, the Jews, following Mordecai's instructions, refrain from taking any plunder from their defeated enemies. This emphasizes that their fight was for survival, not personal gain.

3. Two Days of Vengeance: The slaughter continues for a second day (Adar 14th) in Susa, with the king granting Esther's request to hang Haman's ten sons.

4. Establishing Purim: To commemorate their miraculous victory, Mordecai and Esther establish the festival of Purim ("lots," referring to Haman's lottery to choose the day of the massacre). This joyous celebration includes:

* Feasting and Joy: Sharing meals and gifts with friends and family.

* Giving to the Poor: Remembering the less fortunate.

* Retelling the Story: Ensuring future generations remember their deliverance.

5. A Legacy of Courage and Faith: The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of remembering and celebrating Purim, solidifying the story of Esther, Mordecai, and the Jewish people's courage and faith in the face of annihilation.

Key Themes:

Divine Retribution: Haman's plot backfires, demonstrating that evil will ultimately be punished.
Courage and Resilience: The Jewish people bravely defend themselves, showcasing their strength and resilience.
Celebration and Remembrance: Purim becomes a testament to God's deliverance and a reminder to celebrate life and stand against oppression.

Chapter 9 offers a powerful conclusion to the book of Esther, highlighting the triumph of good over evil and the importance of remembering and celebrating God's faithfulness.

Esther 9 bible study ai commentary

The overarching theme of Esther 9 is divine reversal and covenant faithfulness. A day decreed for the annihilation of the Jews is dramatically transformed into a day of victory, self-defense, and deliverance. This chapter details the execution of justice upon God's enemies and establishes the festival of Purim, a permanent memorial of God’s hidden providence, turning profound sorrow into overwhelming joy and ensuring this miraculous salvation is never forgotten.

Esther 9 context

The events occur within the vast Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes I, 486-465 BC). The Persian legal system, where a royal edict could not be revoked, forms the crucial backdrop. The story's central conflict is rooted in ancient history: the enduring enmity between the Israelites and the Amalekites. Haman is an "Agagite," a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag, whom King Saul was commanded to destroy but spared (1 Samuel 15). Mordecai is from the tribe of Benjamin, the same as Saul. This chapter thus presents the long-delayed fulfillment of divine judgment against Amalek, the archetypal enemy of God's people.

Esther 9:1-4

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to lay hands on those who sought their harm. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the peoples. And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

In-depth-analysis

The Reversal (nahaphok): The key Hebrew word is nahaphok, meaning "it was turned" or "reversed." This is the theological climax of the book. The day designed for Jewish destruction becomes the day of their deliverance. It highlights a central biblical theme: what man intends for evil, God uses for good.
Fear (pachad): The "fear" of the Jews and of Mordecai that falls upon the people is not just political reverence but a supernaturally induced awe, recognizing a higher power at work on their behalf. This is a common motif when God acts for His people.
Self-Defense: The text is specific: the Jews gathered to attack "those who sought their harm." This was a sanctioned act of self-defense, not an unprovoked offensive war. They were countering a government-sponsored genocide.
Mordecai's Ascent: Mordecai’s growing power is parallel to Joseph's and Daniel's in foreign courts. His rise provides the political and structural support for the Jews' victory, demonstrating how God works through human agency and political structures.

Bible references

Genesis 50:20: '...you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...' (The theme of divine reversal).
Exodus 15:16: 'Terror and dread fall upon them...' (Fear of God's people falling on their enemies).
Psalm 75:6-7: '...For not from the east or from the west... but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.' (God's sovereignty in raising and lowering leaders).

Cross references

2 Chr 17:10 (Fear of the Lord on kingdoms); Deu 2:25 (Dread and fear of Israel); Jos 2:9 (Terror of you has fallen on us); Psa 18:43 (Made me head of the nations).

Esther 9:5-10

The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did what they pleased to those who hated them. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

In-depth-analysis

The Sons of Haman: Listing all ten names serves several purposes: it provides an official, historical record; it emphasizes the complete and utter downfall of Haman’s house; and it parallels other lists of defeated enemies in the Old Testament.
"No Plunder": The repeated statement that the Jews "did not lay their hands on the plunder" (v. 10, 15, 16) is critically important. It serves as a direct polemic against King Saul's failure in 1 Samuel 15, where he greedily took plunder from the Amalekites against God’s clear command. This act demonstrates that the Jews' motives were not material gain but survival and the execution of justice. It was a holy war, not a raid for profit.

Bible references

1 Samuel 15:8-9: 'He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive... But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep...' (The historical failure that this event rectifies).
Exodus 17:16: 'The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.' (The fulfillment of God's long-standing decree against Amalek).
Deuteronomy 25:19: '...you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.' (The command being carried out through these events).

Cross references

Gen 14:22-23 (Abram refuses plunder); 1 Sa 30:26 (David shares plunder, contrast); Jdg 5:30 (Enemies expect plunder).

Polemics

Scholarly views on the violence often highlight that this is ancient Near Eastern rhetoric of total victory. However, the text's own boundary is that it was directed only against "enemies" and "those who sought their harm." The refusal to take spoil reframes the violence as juridical rather than rapacious, aligning it with a divine mandate against a specific, declared enemy of God (Amalek).

Esther 9:11-15

The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your further request? It will be done." "If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows." So the king commanded that this be done... The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

In-depth-analysis

Esther’s Second Request: Esther asks for two things: another day to fight in Susa and for Haman’s already-dead sons to be hanged/impaled.
1. A Second Day: This suggests the threat in the capital city was so concentrated and dangerous that one day was insufficient to eliminate the hardcore faction that supported Haman.
2. Hanging the Sons: This was not a second execution. In Persian and biblical culture, hanging or impaling a body post-mortem was a public display of ultimate shame, humiliation, and warning. It publicly ratified their status as cursed enemies of the state and of God.
Symbolic Justice: Hanging the sons on the very gallows their father built for Mordecai serves as the final, poetic exclamation point on the story's theme of reversal.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 21:22-23: '...if you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree... for a hanged man is cursed by God.' (The public declaration of being under a divine curse).
Galatians 3:13: 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree."' (NT theological echo of the significance of hanging).

Cross references

Jos 8:29 (King of Ai hanged); Jos 10:26 (Five kings hanged); 2 Sa 4:12 ( murderers of Ish-bosheth killed and displayed); 2 Sa 21:6-9 (Saul's sons hanged to atone for sin).

Esther 9:16-19

Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

In-depth-analysis

Two Days of Celebration: This passage explains the origin of the two different dates for Purim. Those in the provinces fought on the 13th and celebrated on the 14th. Those in the capital of Susa fought on the 13th and 14th, celebrating on the 15th. This tradition continues today (Purim on the 14th, Shushan Purim on the 15th for walled cities).
Rest and Joy: The emphasis shifts from conflict to celebration. Victory is not complete until there is rest, feasting, and joy—hallmarks of God's deliverance and salvation throughout the Bible.
Relief from Enemies: The Hebrew for "get relief" implies achieving a settled state of peace and security, moving from anxiety and threat to safety.

Bible references

Leviticus 23:40-41: 'And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days... It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations...' (The pattern of God-ordained feasts celebrating His acts).
Nehemiah 8:10: '...Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord.' (The practice of feasting and sharing with others as part of a holy celebration).

Cross references

Deu 16:11,14 (Rejoice in your festival); Psa 30:11 (Turned my mourning into dancing); Psa 126:2 (Mouths filled with laughter).

Esther 9:20-28

Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor... and that these days of Purim should be observed... their memory should not perish from their descendants.

In-depth-analysis

Institution of Purim: Mordecai, a civil leader, establishes a religious festival. This is unique, as most feasts were instituted by God through Moses. It reflects the new reality of life in the diaspora, where civic Jewish leadership takes on roles previously held by prophets.
Purim from Pur (Lot): The name of the feast memorializes Haman’s casting of the pur (the lot) to determine the day of destruction. Naming the celebration after the instrument of the plot eternally mocks the enemy's scheme and highlights God’s sovereignty over chance.
Elements of Celebration: The feast is defined by:
1. Feasting and Joy: Communal celebration.
2. Sending Portions: Reinforcing community bonds.
3. Gifts to the Poor: Ensuring even the neediest can rejoice, a key element of biblical justice and celebration.
Memory (zekher): The command that the "memory" of these days should not perish connects Purim to other biblical acts of remembrance, most notably Passover, ensuring God’s saving acts are transmitted through generations.

Bible references

Exodus 12:14: 'This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord...' (The pattern for memorial feasts like Passover).
Luke 22:19: 'And he took bread... and said, "This is my body... do this in remembrance of me."' (The Christian call to remember Christ's deliverance through communion).
Proverbs 16:33: 'The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.' (The theological principle behind naming the feast "Purim").

Cross references

Deu 16:14 (Include the poor in feasting); Neh 8:12 (Celebrated with great joy); Isa 61:3 (Provide for those who grieve); Zec 8:19 (Fasts will become joyful feasts).

Esther 9:29-32

So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews... in words of peace and truth, to establish these days of Purim... as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them... Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

In-depth-analysis

Esther’s Full Authority: Esther co-authors the decree, solidifying her role as not just a queen consort but a genuine leader and deliverer of her people. The text emphasizes her authority is "full," validating her actions and the permanence of the feast.
Words of Peace and Truth (shalom ve'emet): These words frame the entire event. The victory was not about bloodlust but about establishing true, lasting peace based on the reality (emet, truth) of God's covenant faithfulness. It sanctifies the memory of the conflict, lifting it into a celebration of settled security.
Written in the Records: The final act of recording the decree ensures Purim is not just a custom but an official, legally established part of Jewish life, given the same weight as the royal edicts mentioned throughout the book.

Bible references

Zechariah 8:19: '...therefore love truth and peace.' (shalom ve'emet). (Connects the restoration of Jewish life with the values of truth and peace).
2 Kings 20:19: '...And he said, "Will there not be peace and truth in my days?"' (The desire for shalom ve'emet as the hallmark of a good era).

Cross references

1 Ti 2:2 (Life that is quiet and peaceable); Isa 39:8 (Same phrase as 2 Kgs 20:19); Dan 4:37 (God's ways are truth and justice).

Esther Chapter 9 analysis

Completion of the Amalekite Judgment: This chapter functions as a historical and theological bookend to the conflict that began in Exodus 17 and was failed by King Saul in 1 Samuel 15. Mordecai and Esther, of Saul's tribe of Benjamin, succeed where Saul failed. By refusing plunder, they demonstrate righteousness, and by destroying Haman's (the Agagite) family, they execute the long-delayed cherem (ban of destruction) against God's archetypal enemy.
The Unseen Hand of God: Though God is not named, His actions are everywhere. The great reversal (nahaphok), the "fear" falling on the Persians, the precise timing of events, and the deliverance itself are all presented as the work of Divine Providence. The book teaches that God is sovereignly in control even when He seems hidden or absent.
A Theology of the Diaspora: Esther provides a model for how Jews are to live in a foreign, often hostile land. It affirms resistance to annihilation, working within existing political systems (Esther in the palace), and establishing community practices (Purim) that preserve identity and memory of God's faithfulness far from the Temple and the land of Israel. The authority to establish a feast comes not from a priest but from civic leaders, a significant development in post-exilic Judaism.
From Mourning to Joy: The dramatic emotional shift from Chapter 3's decree of doom ("mourning and weeping and wailing") to Chapter 9's "feasting and joy" encapsulates the Gospel pattern of sorrow preceding joy, death preceding resurrection. It is a tangible, historical example of Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Esther 9 summary

On the day Haman's decree appointed for their destruction, the Jews, supported by a new royal edict, defended themselves throughout the Persian empire. They defeated their enemies, including Haman's ten sons in Susa, but pointedly refused to take any plunder. The events culminate in the formal establishment of the feast of Purim by Mordecai and Queen Esther, creating a permanent, joyous memorial of how God reversed their fate, turning a day of sorrow into one of deliverance and celebration.

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Esther chapter 9 kjv

¹ Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
² The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
³ And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
⁴ For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
⁵ Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
⁶ And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
⁷ And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,
⁸ And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
⁹ And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,
¹⁰ The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
¹¹ On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
¹² And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
¹³ Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
¹⁴ And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
¹⁵ For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
¹⁶ But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
¹⁷ On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁸ But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁹ Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
²¹ To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
²² As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
²³ And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
²⁴ Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
²⁵ But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
²⁶ Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
²⁷ The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
²⁸ And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
²⁹ Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
³⁰ And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
³¹ To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
³² And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

Esther chapter 9 nkjv

¹ Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
² The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.
³ And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
⁴ For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent.
⁵ Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.
⁶ And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
⁷ Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha?
¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews?they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
¹¹ On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king.
¹² And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done."
¹³ Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows."
¹⁴ So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
¹⁵ And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
¹⁶ The remainder of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
¹⁷ This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁸ But the Jews who were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁹ Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another.
²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus,
²¹ to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar,
²² as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.
²³ So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them,
²⁴ because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them;
²⁵ but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
²⁶ So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them,
²⁷ the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time,
²⁸ that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.
²⁹ Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.
³⁰ And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
³¹ to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting.
³² So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.

Esther chapter 9 niv

¹ On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.
² The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
³ And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.
⁴ Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
⁵ The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.
⁶ In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
⁷ They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,
¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the 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, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted."
¹³ "If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and let Haman's ten sons be impaled on poles."
¹⁴ So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman.
¹⁵ The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
¹⁶ Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.
¹⁷ This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
¹⁸ The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
¹⁹ That is why rural Jews?those living in villages?observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
²⁰ Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,
²¹ to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar
²² as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
²³ So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them.
²⁴ For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction.
²⁵ But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.
²⁶ (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them,
²⁷ the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.
²⁸ These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews?nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.
²⁹ So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
³⁰ And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes' kingdom?words of goodwill and assurance?
³¹ to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.
³² Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

Esther chapter 9 esv

¹ Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.
² The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples.
³ All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
⁴ For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.
⁵ The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them.
⁶ In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men,
⁷ and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha
⁸ and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha
⁹ and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha,
¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.
¹¹ That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king.
¹² And the king said to Queen Esther, "In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled."
¹³ And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows."
¹⁴ So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.
¹⁵ The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
¹⁶ Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
¹⁷ This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁸ But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁹ Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
²⁰ And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,
²¹ obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year,
²² as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
²³ So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.
²⁴ For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them.
²⁵ But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
²⁶ Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them,
²⁷ the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year,
²⁸ that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
²⁹ Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim.
³⁰ Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth,
³¹ that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting.
³² The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Esther chapter 9 nlt

¹ So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies.
² The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to attack anyone who tried to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them.
³ And all the nobles of the provinces, the highest officers, the governors, and the royal officials helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai.
⁴ For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful.
⁵ So the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their enemies with the sword. They killed and annihilated their enemies and did as they pleased with those who hated them.
⁶ In the fortress of Susa itself, the Jews killed 500 men.
⁷ They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha ?
¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder.
¹¹ That very day, when the king was informed of the number of people killed in the fortress of Susa,
¹² he called for Queen Esther. He said, "The Jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Susa alone, as well as Haman's ten sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you; tell me and I will do it."
¹³ Esther responded, "If it please the king, give the Jews in Susa permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today, and let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be impaled on a pole."
¹⁴ So the king agreed, and the decree was announced in Susa. And they impaled the bodies of Haman's ten sons.
¹⁵ Then the Jews at Susa gathered together on March 8 and killed 300 more men, and again they took no plunder.
¹⁶ Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder.
¹⁷ This was done throughout the provinces on March 7, and on March 8 they rested, celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness.
¹⁸ (The Jews at Susa killed their enemies on March 7 and again on March 8, then rested on March 9, making that their day of feasting and gladness.)
¹⁹ So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday on the appointed day in late winter, when they rejoice and send gifts of food to each other.
²⁰ Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes,
²¹ calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days.
²² He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.
²³ So the Jews accepted Mordecai's proposal and adopted this annual custom.
²⁴ Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim).
²⁵ But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole.
²⁶ That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots. So because of Mordecai's letter and because of what they had experienced,
²⁷ the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year.
²⁸ These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.
²⁹ Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen's full authority behind Mordecai's letter to establish the Festival of Purim.
³⁰ Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes.
³¹ These letters established the Festival of Purim ? an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.)
³² So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records.