Esther 9 21

Esther 9:21 kjv

To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

Esther 9:21 nkjv

to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar,

Esther 9:21 niv

to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar

Esther 9:21 esv

obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year,

Esther 9:21 nlt

calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days.

Esther 9 verses

Esther 9 21 Meaning

Esther 9:21 signifies Mordecai's official decree to all Jewish communities across the Persian Empire, both near and far, instructing them to perpetually observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the twelfth month, Adar, annually. This injunction formally established the Feast of Purim as a lasting memorial of their deliverance from destruction and the triumph over their adversaries. It commanded a sustained act of remembrance and celebration for all generations of Israel.

Esther 9 21 Context

Esther 9:21 stands as a pivotal verse, establishing the ongoing observance of Purim, following a momentous turn of events for the Jewish people. The immediate preceding context (Est 9:1-19) details the successful defense of the Jews against their enemies throughout the vast Persian Empire, as allowed by King Ahasuerus's second decree, secured by Esther and Mordecai. This decree countered Haman's earlier genocidal edict. After the Jews had celebrated their deliverance on the fourteenth day of Adar in the unwalled towns, and on the fifteenth in the capital city of Susa (due to continued conflict), Mordecai recognized the profound significance of these events. This verse, along with 9:20 and 9:22, encapsulates Mordecai's action to formalize this celebration.

Historically, this period places the Jews within the Persian Diaspora (5th century BCE). Far from their homeland and Temple, the observance of local feasts and maintaining distinct cultural/religious practices became crucial for preserving their identity. The book of Esther, itself, addresses this theme of diaspora existence, God's providential care for His people even when His Name is not explicitly mentioned, and the power of communal action. Mordecai's initiative ensures that this divine intervention and deliverance would not be forgotten but commemorated annually across all Jewish communities, near and far, fostering a sense of unity and shared heritage in exile.

Esther 9 21 Word analysis

• וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayishlach): "And he sent." The Hebrew word emphasizes the active initiative and dispatch by Mordecai. This action signifies his new role as a prominent authority figure within the empire, effectively functioning as a high-ranking official implementing policies relevant to his people.
• סְפָרִים (s'farim): "Letters," "scrolls." These were official, written communications, indicating a formal and binding directive. This was a standard method for governmental decrees and important announcements in the Persian Empire, lending legal weight to Mordecai's instruction.
• אֶל (el): "To." Indicates the direction and recipients of the letters.
• כָל־הַיְּהוּדִים (kol-hay'hudim): "All the Jews." This phrase emphasizes the universality of the decree within the Jewish population, regardless of their location within the vast empire. It highlights the communal unity and shared experience of deliverance.
• בְּכָל מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (b'khol m'dinot hammelekh Achashverosh): "In all the provinces of King Ahasuerus." This stresses the empire-wide scope, ensuring that the observance of Purim would become a global (from their perspective) Jewish practice. It reiterates the official channels being utilized.
• הַקְּרוֹבִים וְהָרְחוֹקִים (hakkrovim v'har'ḥokim): "The near and the far." This dual description ensures no Jewish community is excluded. It underscores the reach of Mordecai's influence and the desire for uniform observance across geographical distances, fostering a sense of connectedness amongst the diaspora.
• לְקַיֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם (l'kayem alehem): "To establish upon them," or "to confirm for them." The verb l'kayem implies confirming, making permanent, or carrying out faithfully. It signifies the formal, binding, and lasting nature of this command for the Jews.
• לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בְּחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וְאֵת חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ בְּכָל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה (lihyot osim et yom arba'ah asar b'chodessh Adar v'et chamishah asar bo b'khol-shanah v'shanah): "To be observing the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the fifteenth day in it, every single year." This is the core instruction, detailing the specific days for the annual observance. The repetition of "every single year" (בְּכָל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה) further stresses the perpetual nature and cyclical recurrence of the festival.

• "And he sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus": This phrase highlights Mordecai's initiative and authority, using the king's postal system to reach every segment of the dispersed Jewish community. It signifies a unifying act for a people scattered across a vast empire, ensuring their common identity through shared religious observance. The inclusion of "near and far" points to the extensive and comprehensive reach intended for this decree.
• "to establish upon them, that they should be observing the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar annually": This section articulates the specific purpose and duration of the command. The "establishment" (לְקַיֵּם) indicates a permanent and binding ordinance, not a one-time event. The two specific days, 14th and 15th of Adar, align with the historical events of deliverance, differentiating between communities in unwalled towns (who celebrated on the 14th after the fighting) and those in Susa (who continued fighting and celebrated on the 15th). The explicit "every single year" emphasizes the intergenerational continuity of the celebration.

Esther 9 21 Bonus section

The establishment of Purim through Mordecai's decree highlights several key aspects not always explicit in the main narrative analysis. First, it underscores the importance of human agency in response to divine deliverance. While God orchestrates the salvation, Mordecai and Esther take tangible steps to ensure its lasting remembrance, thus linking faith with action. Second, the widespread dissemination of the decree using "letters" across "all the provinces" signifies a significant act of community-building and unification among scattered Jews, reinforcing a collective identity and purpose amidst potential assimilation pressures. This formalizes a spiritual truth into a communal practice. Third, the unique nature of Purim being instituted by a secular-style decree within a foreign empire, yet embraced as a religious holiday by the people, subtly demonstrates God's sovereignty over earthly powers and human institutions. It shows His working even through the apparatus of non-believing governments to secure His people's heritage and practice. This verse effectively bridges the narrative of deliverance with its practical, communal, and theological implications for future generations.

Esther 9 21 Commentary

Esther 9:21 is crucial because it formalizes the establishment of Purim as a perpetual annual feast for the Jewish people. Having experienced a miraculous reversal of their fate – from decreed annihilation to triumphant self-defense – Mordecai, as a wise and inspired leader, recognized the importance of institutionalizing this memory. He did not leave the remembrance to chance or personal initiative but took official steps, leveraging his new position and the imperial postal system, to ensure a unified and consistent observance across the entire diaspora. This act ensured that the memory of God's providential deliverance, even without His explicit mention, would be enshrined in the communal calendar.

The verse emphasizes the practical outworking of gratitude and the consolidation of Jewish identity in exile. It showcases a communal responsibility to remember divine acts and to transmit this historical and spiritual legacy across generations. This mirrors other biblical feasts which serve as memorial markers of God's redemptive work (e.g., Passover for the Exodus). Purim, thus, became a vital thread in the fabric of Jewish life, fostering unity, shared experience, and enduring hope in their scattered state. The meticulous specification of the dates underscores the deliberate nature of this foundational decree.