A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 2
Eſther CHAP. II.
THIS Chapter relateth the Means and Manner how Eſther came to be Advanced Queen in Vaſthi's Room; In which Hiſtory are Antecedents, Concomitants, and Conſequents.
Firſt, Remarks upon the Antecedents are 1. The Counſel given to the King for a new Conjugal Object and Embracement; the cauſe of which Conſultation was the King's Diſquietneſs for what he had done in Vaſthi's Divorce, &c. ver. 1. [After theſe things] that is, After the Wine was evaporated and his Anger by Sleep and Time aſſwaged, he remembred Vaſthi with ſome Remorſe, but without any true Repentance: He recollectd what a Beautiful and Deſireable Lady he had Rejected, (ſaith Bonartius) and how much Delight and Complacency he had taken in her, ſaith Menochius; and that for ſo ſmall a Provocation (to which ſhe might eaſily be led by the Modeſty of her Sex, and by the Laws and Cuſtoms of Perſia) ſo ſeverely and unproportionably to Puniſh her, (ſaith Druſius) yea, and this done by an Ʋnrepealable Law. This was both his Shame and his Grief.
Remark the Second; The Seven Counſellors obſerving the King's Perplexity, offer him a Charming Diverſion, ver. 2. fearing, leſt he might fall as foul upon them for perſuading him to Reject Vaſthi, as his Predeceſſor Darius had done upon thoſe Sycophants who wheedl'd him to make a Decree againſt Daniel, Dan. 6.24. therefore their own Intereſt did deeply oblige them to quiet the King's Mind (ſaith Bonartius) to prevent an After-reckoning: Hereupon thoſe Paraſites propound a New Queen to him, which would cauſe him to forget his Old one, ſaith Menochius, becauſe Succeſſore novo Vincitur omnis Amor. Saith Grotius, Clavus clavum trudit; one Nail drives out another. Thoſe Claw-Backs knew the King to be a Senſualiſt, ſo, to drive away his Melancholy, they will again drown him in pleaſure; thus thoſe Flatterers became Brokers to the King's Luſt, as ſome ſuppoſe Hiram the Adullamite was to Judah, Gen. 38.12, 20. N. B. Oh what need have Kings of Faithful Counſellors! the Primitive Church pray'd for it, under their chief Rulers, &c.
Remark the Third; Commiſſionated Officers are appointed to find all the (1) Fair (2) Young (3) Virgins in the 127 Provinces, (whereas choice enough might have been found in Shuſhan without ſeeking farther) theſe being brought to the Royal Palace and duly prepared, then let the King take his choice, &c. ver. 3, 4.
Mark 1. This was Coſtly Counſel, which could not be accompliſh'd without vaſt Charges to the King's Coffers, both in expending ſo much of his Exchequer upon at leaſt 127 Officers and their Attendants to find out the moſt Deſirable Damoſels in all the 127 Provinces, and to bring them Home in a Decent Equipage to Shuſhan; and then follow'd the moſt prodigious Expences in preparing theſe Damoſels, &c. ver. 12.
Mark 2. 'Twas Laborious as well as Coſtly Counſel, ſeeing many of theſe Provinces were very far Remote from Shuſhan, eſpecially thoſe of India and Ethiopia, Eſth. 1.1. tho' 'tis probable they ſought not ſo much among thoſe Black and Tawny Countries, yet the Counſel runs expreſly [in all the Provinces, &c. ver. 3.]
Mark 3. 'Twas Tedious Counſel alſo, taking up a long time before it could be effected: All the Provinces of his Kingdom were the Circuit theſe Commiſſioners were commanded to ſearch, which muſt needs take up very much time both in finding out four hundred Virgins (as ſaith Joſephus) and in bringing them home to the Royal Palace, and then every Virgin was twelve Months in Purifying and Perfuming after this, ver. 12. whereas Lovers hours are full of Eternity: This was ſurely tedious to the King.
Remark the Fourth; Hereupon Dr. Lightfoot and other Learned Authors do affirm, that Ahaſuerus was above three whole Years without a Queen, after he had Depoſed Vaſthis for the Royal Feaſt wherein his former Queen had Affronted him, was in the third Year of his Reign, Ehſt. 1.3. and it was not until the ſeventh Year of his Reign that he Marry'd Eſther and made her his Queen inſtead of Vaſthi, Eſth. 2.16, 17. Notwithſtanding all theſe Incumbrances, &c. yet this Counſel of thoſe Court-Paraſites comes to the King with Complacency, ver. 4. becauſe it added much more Fuel to the Fire of his Luſt, being deſirous only to ſpend his days in all wanton Dalliance, according to the cuſtom of all Perſian Kings; a Second Sardanapalus, &c.
N. B. 1. This wanton Pagan Prince doth ſeek for a Queen only within the Provinces of his own Kingdom among his own Subjects; he ſends not his Embaſſadors to foreign Kingdoms to fetch a Lady from thence, as is the Practice of Kings in later Ages, which while thoſe Princes do, when thereby they ſeek for Greatneſs, then many times they miſs of Goodneſs: The Politicks of King's Courts now ſay, We muſt labour to be Strong abroad, and to have a Stake in ſtore however the Tide turn, &c. but woful Experience hath confuted this carnal confidence, demonſtrating to the contrary, that this Project of ſtrengthening themſelves hereby abroad, hath moſtly weaken'd themſelves at Home: While foreign Matches are made for promoting Concord, they oft prove occaſions both of Foreign and Domeſtick Diſcord: This our Nation can wofully witneſs the miſchief of it, &c.
N. B. 2. What Peſtilent Counſel thoſe ſeven Sycophants gave the King here, that ſo many Honourable Parents ſhould be bereft by force and Royal Authority, and be deſpoiled of their deareſt Daughters, and their chiefeſt and choiceſt Goods, and the very Staves of their Old Age: Yet theſe muſt be torn from them whether they would conſent or no, (either Parents or Daughters) if this could not be done, they muſt be taken, ver. 3. Hebr. by Violence, if there be not a mutual voluntary Conſent, which could ſcarcely be done by any pious Perſons, eſpecially conſidering, tho' the Crown of a Queen was propoſed unto them, and no doubt but many of theſe Maidens might be Ambitious enough after it, yet could they not come to this Royal Honour without the loſs of their Virgin-Honeſty: Yea and only one of them (if fourſcore, as Joſephus affirms) could catch that Crown, yet ſo many Maids are made Miſerable, kept as in a perpetual Priſon by Hegai their Jayler, and if not eſteem'd good enough for Queens, they muſt ſtill ſerve for Concubines to the King: All this could not be done without the great Grief and general Diſguſt of the King's beſt Subjects.
The Second Part is the Concomitants of Eſther's Advancement.
Remark the Firſt; Eſther's Deſcription, (1.) By her Kindred, ver. 5, 6. (2.) By her Name, ver. 7. (3.) By her Beauty, ver. 7. (4,) By her Condition both of Adverſity (a poor Captive Orphan) and of Proſperity; yet this Orphan found favour in the General Survey, was taken among the reſt for one of the choice Beauties of the Land, and placed in the Royal Palace of Virgins, ver. 8. and God ſo inclined Hegai (her Keeper's) Heart, that tantamont he favour'd her ſo much, as to chuſe her Queen for the King beforehand, ver. 9. And (5.) By her morigerous and obliging Carriage to Mordecai her Foſter-Father, ver. 10, 11.
Mark 1. This Mordecai had been led Captive to Babylon about Seventy Years before this with Jeconiah here, ver. 5, 6. and had been (as Dr. Lightfoot obſerveth) at Jeruſalem when the Captivity was ſent back to their own Country again, and there had help'd forward their Settlement and Proſperity ſo long as the Building of the Temple might be allow'd to go forward, but when it was obſtructed after the Foundation only was laid, he return'd to Perſia (with divers others, as before) and there doth to his People (the Jews) all the good he could in the Perſian Court, when he could no longer benefit them in their own City Jeruſalem: The ſame ſaith A Lapide upon Ezra 2.2. where this Man is named, and there is no need of ſuppoſing another Mordecai, according to the ſentiments of ſome.
Mark 2. This Beautiful Virgin hath here two Names, ver. 7. (1.) Hadaſſah, which ſignifies a Myrtle; ſo call'd (ſaith Sanctius) for her Beauty, or becauſe that Tree loves low Ground, Zech. 1.8. an Emblem of the Church's lowly mindedneſs: This was her Hebrew Name before her Marriage. But (2.) Eſther was her Perſian Name, given her by the King, (ſaith Bonartius) a poor Orphan, yet not left [foreign] Comfortleſs, Joh. 14.18. for God moved her great Uncle Mordecai to Adopt her, and to care and cater for her as for his own Daughter, ſaith Grotius.
Mark 3. Serrarius excellently moveth a Doubt here, How could ſo Pious a Man as Mordecai Perſuade, or ſo Pious a Maid as Eſther Conſent either to go into the Houſe of the Women, ver. 8. or much leſs into the Bed of the King before Marriage, ver. 16. ſeeing the leaſt Sin ought not to be done; no, tho' thereby the Lives of all the Jews might be ſaved, [Do not the leaſt Evil, no not for procuring the greateſt Good] Rom. 3.8. Anſwer 1st. The State of thoſe Times and Places muſt be conſidered, (ſaith Serrarius) for then it was allowed to the Iſraelites to have many Wives, much more to thoſe Barbarians: 2ly. Thoſe Virgins were made Wives (ſaith Menochius) by their coming to the King, according to the cuſtom of that Country: But 3ly. The Hebrew word [Vatillachac…] ſignifies [a taking by force] ſay Junius, Piſcator, and Druſius, as the Devil took our Lord and carry'd him into the Holy City, Matth. 4.5. So, ſuch was the Tyrannical Power of the Perſian Kings, that they could take what Perſons they pleaſed for their own pleaſure, and forced their Subjects to ſerve them; and if Esther was taken by force, then neither ſhe nor her Uncle Sinned; but probably there was a ſad parting, and many Prayers put up by them both, both for Divine Direction and for Divine Protection alſo. Lastly, Some ſuppoſe that Esther and her Guardian did concurr in all theſe Tranſactions, as guided by an extraordinary Inſtinct, without which Warrant they cannot but be ſomewhat Blame-worthy.
Mark 4. The marvelous Providence of God towards Eſther, When her Father and Mother forſook her, the Lord took her up, Pſalm 27.10. 1. Mordecai had nouriſh'd and nurtur'd her in the true Religion, as Eph. 6.4. 2. God turned Hegai's Heart towards her (as Potiphar's and the Jaylor's to Joſeph, Gen. 39.4, 21.) ſo that this Chamberlain affords her the beſt Room in the Houſe, the beſt Accommodations of all ſort, and the beſt Attendants, even ſeven Maids of Honour, (when he might have put her off with one) to equip her and commend her as a fit Queen for the King aforehand, ver. 9. ſaith A Lapide. But 3ly. and chiefly, God turned the King's heart towards her, ver. 16. ſo that he loved her above all the other Virgins he had Deflowred, ver. 17. and he made her his Queen inſtead of Vasthi, &c. This was the Lord's own work, in whoſe hands are the Hearts of Kings, Prov. 21.1. and who here look'd upon the low Eſtate of his Handmaid, Luke 1.48. of an Orphan advancing her to be Queen; She had lien among the Pots, now glitters in Glory, Pſal. 68.13. raiſed from a Dunghil to a Throne, Pſal. 113.7, 8. N. B. Let us learn hence to truſt God with our Children, tho' we leave them as little as Esther had been left by her Parents, &c.
N. B. 1. What preparation is here for fitting a Spouſe to a Pagan Prince! Six Months Purifying, with ſo many Abſterſories to dry up the filth of the Fleſh, &c. with the Oil of Myrrhe, and other Six Months Perfuming with ſweet Odours, &c. ver. 12. Oh then, how ought the Soul to be prepared for meeting the God of Iſrael! Amos 4.12. How ought we to be cleanſed from all filthineſs of Fleſh and Spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. and our countenances cleared, Pſal. 42.5, 11. and 43.5. to come with confidence into community with God, Hebr. 4.16.
N. B. 2. Here the Maids are firſt Purify'd, before the King chuſe one for his Queen, but Chriſt (that King of Saints, Revel. 15.2.) firſt chuſeth his Spouſe and then Purifies her, Epheſ. 5.26. He purifies his choſen to himſelf a peculiar People, Tit. 2.14. He firſt chuſes his Love before Time, Epeſ. 1.4. and 3.11. and then loves his choice in Time, and reſts in his Love, Zeph. 3.17.
N. B. 3. What a deal of precious time was here ſpent without Spare? even Twelve Months time was wofully waſted in making proviſion for the Fleſh, to fulfill the Luſts thereof, contrary to God's Command, Rom. 13.14. and all this was done by the King's Command to the Women, who are apt enough of themſelves (without any Royal Precept to practiſe it) to caſt away too much coſt and time in tricking their Bodies, ſo that the Pagan Comedians have tartly taxed that Sex for ſo doing: As 1. Plautus, ſaying, [Negotii quantum in Muliere unâ eſt!] what a deal of do there is with one Woman in Dreſſing her Body, which is but the painted Sheath of her Soul? And 2. Terence, ſaying, [Nôſti mores Mulierum, dum comuntur, dum moliuntur, Annus eſt] Women and Shipping takes up a Year in Rigging: But beſt of all, 3. The Prophet Iſaiah, who, as if he had been rifling in the Ladies Wardrobe, and had taken an exact Inventory of all their over-curious Implements and Ornaments, doth deeply cenſure, and heavily threaten thoſe haughty Daughters of Sion, Iſa. 3.18, &c. telling them, their Fineneſs ſhall be turn'd into Filthineſs, and Neatneſs into Naſtineſs.
N. B. Merlin▪ makes a great Marvel at the prodigious Luxury of this Mighty Monarch, in ſatiating his inſatiable Luſt upon ſo many Maidens; and tho' one of them could only be his Queen, yet all the reſt muſt ſerve him for his Concubines; for which purpoſe they were committed to Shaaſhgar Hegai's Deputy in the Second Houſe, ver. 13, 14. after the King had carnally known them, they came no more uncalled, but left frying in their own fiery Luſts: A diſcourſe of this nature is no better (ſaith he) than raking in a Dunghil, it ſetting forth the Filthineſs of this Pagan Prince, who yet hath too many Princes (profeſſing Chriſtianity) among us that imitate him in Intemperance and Luxury, &c.
The Third Part is the Conſequents of Eſhher's Advance: After all this Eſther the Captive became Eſther the Queen.
Remark the Firſt; The marvelous Providence of God and his Care over the Church; that Eſther ſhould thus be Exalted four or five years (ſay ſome) or but three (ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) ver. 16. before Haman's Advancement in the next Chapter: Thus the Lord provided an Antidote before the Poiſon appeared, a Salve before the Sore was got, and a Plaiſter before the Wound was attempted to be given to his Church by this wicked Haman: God had ſet up Eſther to be his Church's Deliverer ſo long before the Danger aroſe: Thus had God ſent down Joſeph before into Egypt, Pſal. 105.17. and Moſes, &c. to ſave his Church.
Remark the Second; The King loved Eſther, ver. 17. This Barbarian condemns ſuch Husbands as are call'd Chriſtian, who inſtead of loving their own Loyal Wives, do luſt after Strangers, Prov. 5.19, 20. And he ſo loved her, as to make a Royal Feaſt to Solemnize her Marriage after her Coronation, and made a Releaſe from Taxes in all his Provinces, ver. 18. that by this Jubilee all his Subjects might Rejoice in this New Queen. Joſephus ſaith, they all then kept Holy-day. They were no longer troubled (ſaith Grotius) with ſeeking of any more Virgins for him; and likewiſe to expreſs his Royal Love to his Loyal Queen, he gave Gifts, Chains of Gold, &c. to her, (ſaith Junius) and King-like (yea God-like, Jam. 1.5. Pſal. 68.18. Epheſ. 4.8.) he gave Royal Donatives to the People. N. B. Query. How could Eſther Rejoice in marrying ſuch an Infidel? A Lapide and Menochius Anſwer it: 1. Jews were forbid Marrying Canaanites, not Perſians, &c. 2. Eſther and Mordecai did this by Divine Direction, knowing it to be for the Jews good. 3. Eſther was not Sui Juris, at her own Diſpoſe, but that Tyrant might take her by force againſt her Will.
Remark the Second; Eſther, tho' thus Advanced, her Honours had not yet alter'd her Manners; ſhe was ſtill as Obſequious and Obſervant of Mordecai (tho' but a Porter, and not prolling for Preferment, &c.) as ſhe had been before to him, from whom ſhe had, tho' not her Being, yet her Well-being, ver. 19, 20. Eſther had concealed her Kindred, which many Queens (ſaith Grotius) do out of Pride, as loth to relate their low Extract, but ſhe did it out of Prudence and in obedience to her Ʋncle's Command, well knowing that the Jews were generally hated for being Different in Religion, and that ſhe might be caſhier'd the Court for a Jeweſs, which then was accounted Crime enough, being of a Country Conquer'd, Captivated, and contrary in Laws to all Nations, as Haman afterwards accuſed them, Eſth. 3.8. therefore her Taciturnity was her Vertue, having no Call to give an account of her Faith. 1 Pet. 3.15. And no marvel that Eſther was (in her Silence) ſo Morigerous to Mordecai, when he was ſo ſolicitous for her Safety as to walk every day before the Gate, ver. 11. leſt ſhe ſhould be Sick, ſaith Bonartius. Thus they both did Reciprocate, and Mutual Reſpects moſt obligingly drew on one another; No love loſt here between them.
Remark the Fourth; A Dreadful Conſpiracy is made againſt the King while he was drowning himſelf in Carnal Pleaſure, and dreaded no Danger; even then was he in the greateſt Danger.
Mark 1. By whom this Conſpiracy was contrived, ver. 21. 'Twas by two of the King's Chamberlains, who in their greateſt Truſt hatched this moſt Horrible Treaſon (while they kept the King's Bed-Chamber Door) to take away the King's Life in the very flagrancy of his ſinful Luſts while he was Raviſhing and Deflowring ſo many Maidens, and now at laſt ſolacing himſelf in his new Nuptials: This they thought the fitteſt Seaſon to perpetrate their ſublime Treachery, when they ſaw the King in ſuch ſupine Security. Little do Voluptuous Princes (in the glut of their Senſual Delights) conſider what ſlippery places they are ſet in, and how Hell gapes for them, Iſa. 14.9.
Mark 2. Mordecai knew this bloody Conſpiracy, ver. 22. How he came to know it, the Scripture is ſilent; Joſephus ſaith, it was revealed to him by Barnabazus a Jew, who was Servant to one of the Conſpirators; Grotius and Druſius concurr with Joſephus herein: Some ſay, Mordecai (in the Wiſdom God had given him) could ſhrewdly gueſs at their bloody Deſign by their looks and geſtures. Speaking of it in Anger before Mordecai in the Language of Tarſus (ſaith Rabbi Solomon) ſuppoſing he underſtood it not; and their Anger was againſt Mordecai, 1. Fearing this late Marriage might Advance him above thoſe Shomerims or Porters, as Druſius ſaith: Or 2. Becauſe Vaſihi (their Friend at Court) was Rejected, ſaith Grotius: Or 3. Their Plot was to prefer Haman to the Crown, ſay Menochius and A Lapide. However, God had his Holy Hand in it; Mordecai hath Intelligence, and certifies it to the Queen, and ſhe to the King in Mordecai's Name, who now being but a mean Man, held himſelf unworthy to ſpeak to the King, &c.
Mark 3. Search was made of the Matter, &c. ver. 23. The King could not ſlight ſuch an Information from his Queen, (whom he ſo entirely loved) leſt he ſhould betray his own Life; nor would he over-haſtily believe it before Inquiſition was made into it, leſt he ſhould diſcover a cauſeleſs Fear, or precipitate a wrong Sentence: Upon enquiry the Treaſon comes to a Diſcovery, (as uſually and ſometimes ſtrangely it doth in all Ages) both the Traitors were Hang'd on a Tree: Traitors (ſaith one) in this are like Bells, which will never be well Tuned till they come to be well Hanged. And laſtly, This was Recorded as a remarkable Paſſage in a Diurnal (ſaith Grotius) which was kept by the King, or in a Book laid up before the King, for him to peruſe (ſaith Druſius) for his Delight and Direction. N.B. God will not be beholden to a wicked Man for any good he finds in them, but they ſhall have their Reward, if Ahab have but an external Humiliation, God's curſe ſhall not come in his Days, 1 Kings 21.29. So Ahaſuerus's Love to Eſther and Kindneſs to her People, God rewards here, by detecting and defeating thoſe two curſed Conſpirators, that endeavour'd to take away his Life, which was ſaved by his Loyal Queen, &c. N.B. 'Tis probable, Haman had his Hand in this curſed Conſpiracy, ſeeing he gave ſo little thanks to Mordecai for diſcovering it, but his Craft to hide it, and his Grandeur to lift him above the Law, cauſed him now to paſs unpuniſhed, as one not involved in it.