Esther 9 9

Esther 9:9 kjv

And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,

Esther 9:9 nkjv

Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha?

Esther 9:9 niv

Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,

Esther 9:9 esv

and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha,

Esther 9:9 nlt

Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha ?

Esther 9 verses

Esther 9 9 Meaning

Esther 9:9 lists the names of Haman’s ten sons who were killed by the Jews in Susa on the 13th day of Adar: Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha. This verse serves as a crucial testament to the complete and decisive victory of the Jews over their chief adversary and his direct lineage, ensuring the eradication of the primary threat against them and signaling a profound reversal of fortune decreed by God.

Esther 9 9 Context

Esther 9:9 appears in the aftermath of the turning of the tables in the Persian Empire, where King Ahasuerus’s second decree, initiated by Mordecai, empowered the Jews to defend themselves against those who sought to destroy them. Chapter 9 details the Jewish self-defense, specifying that on the 13th day of Adar, their enemies were defeated. The Jews in Susa killed 500 men, and among them, Haman's ten sons. This specific mention emphasizes that the primary instigator's lineage, the very seed that continued the enmity of Amalek (Haman being an Agagite), was utterly wiped out. This ensured no remnant of Haman's family could rise again to persecute the Jews, providing both immediate victory and future security. The historical context highlights the severity of Haman's genocidal plot and the significance of his sons' deaths as the ultimate blow to his anti-Jewish campaign, reaffirming divine protection and justice, albeit without explicit divine references in the narrative.

Esther 9 9 Word analysis

• Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha:

  • Word-level: These are ten specific proper nouns, the names of Haman's sons. While some scholars propose Persian etymologies for these names that could mean "given by the horse," "lazy," "cooked," "fruitful," "weak," "great in spirit," or "given of the sun," their individual meanings are less central than the collective significance. The precision of naming each son indicates a complete, verifiable accounting.
  • Significance: The meticulous listing of all ten sons confirms the completeness of Haman’s downfall and the thoroughness of the Jewish victory over their most prominent adversary. In ancient cultures, the destruction of an enemy's male lineage was a definitive statement of triumph and prevention of future vendettas or claimants. This particularity contrasts with other accounts of battle where casualty numbers are generalized. It functions as a judicial record, validating the reversal of fortune and the comprehensive execution of justice against the architect of the attempted genocide and his heirs. The naming ensures no ambiguity about the extent of the victory over the Amalekite seed.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha": This specific enumeration of ten names is highly symbolic. In biblical numerology, the number ten often represents completeness or fulfillment. The detailed list demonstrates that the threat from Haman's direct descendants was completely nullified. This action aligns with ancient Near Eastern customs where eliminating an enemy's seed was a crucial aspect of triumph. More profoundly, given Haman's identity as an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag (1 Sam 15:8), the obliteration of his ten sons echoes the divine decree to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven" (Exod 17:14; Deut 25:19). This listing, therefore, signals the thorough and decisive fulfillment of a long-standing divine judgment against the sworn enemies of Israel, underscoring the sovereignty of God's plan even when His name is not overtly mentioned in the text.

Esther 9 9 Bonus section

The act of explicitly listing the names of Haman's ten sons mirrors the legalistic precision of Persian imperial decrees, lending historical veracity and a sense of official documentation to the narrative. In a book where God's name is conspicuously absent, these meticulously recorded details, like the number of men killed or the specific names of the royal decrees, subtly point to a divinely superintended history. The parallel with Saul's incomplete extermination of the Amalekites (1 Sam 15), where Agag's life was spared and eventually led to Haman (an Agagite), highlights the necessity and completeness of the execution here. It demonstrates that the ultimate spiritual battle against the "seed of the serpent" (Gen 3:15) continues through history, and here, a significant victory against that opposing seed is recorded in minute detail. The list underscores that divine justice is both complete and exact.

Esther 9 9 Commentary

Esther 9:9, despite being a simple list of proper names, carries profound theological and historical weight. It marks the ultimate destruction of Haman's lineage, the chief antagonist who embodied the age-old enmity against God's people, reminiscent of Amalek. The explicit naming of all ten sons emphasizes the thoroughness of the victory, ensuring that no heir could rise to continue the persecution. This precision reinforces the divinely orchestrated reversal: what Haman intended for Mordecai and the Jews ultimately befell him and his house, a testament to God's retributive justice. The verse underscores God's providential care for His people, even in an era of exile and seemingly "hidden" divine activity. It solidifies the foundation for the Feast of Purim as a commemoration of complete deliverance, rooted in a victory that eliminated the very seed of the adversary. This full accounting served as a historical and judicial record of the definitive end of the direct threat.