A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 8
Eſther CHAP. VIII.
THIS Chapter is a Narrative how Power was granted to the Jews to ſlay all their Enemies (that would ſlay them) by a Royal. Decree, conſiſting of Antecedents, Concomitants, and Conſequents thereof.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the Antecedents; which are 1. When Haman was now Hanged, the King gave all his confiſcated Goods and Chattels (all that Glory of his Riches, whereof he had ſo greatly glory'd, Chap. 5, 11.) unto Queen Eſther, ver. 1. to compenſate the Danger (ſaith Grotius) to which Haman had expos'd her; thus Solomon's Saying was made good, [The Wealth of the Sinner is laid up for the Juſt] Prov. 13.22. and that of Job, [Tho' he heap up Silver a… the Duſt, and prepare Raiment as the Clay, yet the Innocent ſhall put it on, and the Juſt ſhall divide the Silver] Job 27.16, 17. Haman (the Jews Enemy) had been many Years heaping and hoarding a vaſt Worldy Wealth, (ſo Rich he was, as he could eaſily ſpare Ten thouſand Talents, Chap. 3.9.) and now all is forfeited to the King, and by him given to his Juſt Jeweſs Queen Eſther. Ludit in Humanis Divina potentia Rebus. Divine Providence toſſes Humane Affairs to and fro like a Tennis-Ball.
Remark the Second; Mordecai's Advancement by Eſther's Interceſſion, ver. 1, 2. having a double Honour conferr'd upon him: For firſt, the King rais'd him from a Servant at his Gate, to be the Lord-Keeper of his Royal Seal, and Chief 'Chancellor of his whole Empire (as Pharaoh Advanced Joſeph, Gen. 41, 42, &c.) and made him the Prime Prince of his Seven Princes, Chap. 1.14. N. B. Here was a lift like that of the Lord, mention'd 1 Sam. 2.8. Pſal. 75.6.7. As it was the Lord's work to Abaſe Haughty Haman, Job 40.11, 12. ſo was it his work to Exalt Humble Mordecai from the Duſt, and to ſet him both among and above the Princes: The King acknowledg'd his errour in promoting ſo unworthy a Man as Haman before, whom having now hang'd, he beſtows the Ring (which Haman had abuſed, Chap. 3.10, &c.) unto Mordecai a more worthy Perſon, whom the King had Honour'd before for his Merit with only a Momentary Honour, Chap. 6.10. but now fixeth him hereby in his Favour and Family. Secondly, Beſide all this Honour that the King conferr'd upon him, the Queen alſo did conſtitute him the Lord High Steward of her Houſe, to manage that vaſt Eſtate which lately was Haman's, and which now the King had given to Eſther. No doubt but Haman had moſt prodigious Poſſeſſions and Revenues as prime Prince over 127 Provinces; now Mordecai manages the whole Matters: Tho' Haman's Sons lived ſome Months after this, yet were they now outed of all, and Mordecai was the Maſter of all, &c.
Remark the Third; Eſther Petitions the King to diſappoint that Deviliſh Device which Haman had deviſed againſt the Jews for their Deſtruction, ver. 3.4, 5, 6.
Mark 1. Eſther having ſped ſo well in her firſt Suit, ſhe yet again comes with a ſecond Suit. N. B. Oh that we could learn to Reinforce our Requeſts before a Prayer-hearing God, when free Acceſs to God and full Succeſs with God, have ever been found by Praying Souls; this encourages to ſhoot our Arorws yet again, as 2 Kin. 13.18. and as Abraham multiply'd his Interceſſion for Sodom, Gen. 18. then God will Anſwer four times [Yet again] Zech. 1.17.
Mark 2. Eſther fell down at the King's Feet: This was a more Humble poſture than yet ſhe had uſed: Indeed Haman had fallen down at her Feet without effect, as before, but ſhe did thus to the King to inform him her Requeſt was of weighty Importance, to ſave the Lives of innumerable Innocents; and to make the more Impreſſion upon her Husband's Heart, ſhe added Tears, thoſe effectual Orators; Lachrimae pondera Vocis habent, Tears have the weight of Words, Pſal. 6.8.
Mark 3. Eſther doth not over preſumptuouſly deſire the King to Reverſe and Repeal that Royal and Bloody Edict which Haman had ſurreptitiouſly procured from him; for this would have provoked ſuch an Imperious Prince to be asked any thing that was Impracticable, becauſe the Laws of the Medes and Perſians were all Irrevocable. But ſo ſoon as the King had ſignify'd by his Scepter, ſhe might ſtand up and ſpeak, ſhe uſeth Various, Modeſt, Humble, and Prudent Expreſſions to inſinuate into the King's Favour, and not to preſcribe him a Rule or Precept, but profeſſeth her ſelf willing to ſubſcribe to his good pleaſure; adding only, Her heart would ſink to ſee her People Maſſacred; and prudently (purging the King) ſhe puts all the blame upon Haman.
Remark the Fourth, The King's Grant to Eſther's Petition, ver. 7, 8. wherein he 1ſt. Declareth that he had perform'd ſome part of his Promiſe to Eſther in hanging Haman for laying his hand upon the Jews (he did it, becauſe he deſigned it, as Balak is ſaid to fight againſt Iſrael, Numb. 24.9.) and more he was willing to do for Eſther, ſo due Order be but obſerv'd, &c. Secondly, The King did not Reverſe Haman's Stollen Decree, tho' Eſther deſired him to do it, ver. 5. and tho' Joſephus ſaith he did it, and the reaſon was, becauſe the King could not Revoke it, as before: Yet he Allows the Queen and Mordecai to draw up a Syngramm or Writing, with full Power and Authority to Relieve themſelves according to their own beſt liking, ver. 8. as an effectual Antidote againſt Haman's moſt poiſonful Edict; and this was all he could do for them, after he had been ſo lately deceived by Haman into an Irreverſible Decree. N. B. And indeed, it was a low and loving Condeſcenſion in this King, (which can be found in few Kings) after once miſcarrying, not to truſt his own Judgment, but refer the whole management of the Jews Deliverance to their own Prudence and Fidelity. He could confide in them, and give them his whole Power, knowing them to be Pious Perſons, and himſelf now deſiring the Jews to be deliver'd. N. B. How the hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord, Prov. 21.1. to turn and tame them as he pleaſeth. Moſt Kings cry up [Sic Volo, ſic Jubeo] their Will muſt be a Law to ſtop a Subject's Mouth, eſpecially ſuch Abſolute Kings as thoſe of Perſia, ſuch cannot be brought to confeſs themſelves to have been in an errour, leſt they ſhould thereby be blamed for any ſeeming Lightneſs and Inconſtancy: But the Almighty God (who is the Heart-maker and the Heart-mender) had ſo hammer'd and hamper'd the Heart of this Abſolute Monarch for the ſake of his poor perplexed People, that he brought him into a better Temper; inſomuch that rather than he would contract the Stain and Sting of ſuch Barbarous and Brutiſh Blood-guiltineſs upon himſelf by the Murder of Millions of Innocents, he will run the riſque of being accounted Inconſtant. N. B. Cauſinus ſaith, Haman was partly an Amalekite and partly a Macedonian, and that this new Decree had inſerted in it, how Haman had deſign'd to tranſlate the Kingdom of the Perſians to the Macedonians, &c.
Now come we to the Concomitants, the Second Part of the Narrative.
Remarks upon it are Firſt, The Quality of this New Decree.
Mark 1. The King commands to write in the King's Name, and to Seal with the King's Seal this latter Letter, ver. 8. wherein not one word is contained for Diſanulling Haman's former Decree for deſtroying the Jews, Chap. 3.12, 13. but only gives the Jews full power to ſtand up in their own Defence, which was enough to ſave them, &c.
Mark 2. The King (as it were) begs their Excuſe for not Reverſing Haman's Edict, becauſe himſelf was under the laſh of that Unrepealable Law of the Medes and Perſians, and his Recalling thereof might put his whole Kingdom into a Flame; but he doth aſſure them this Plaiſter would prove broad enough for their Sore; for this latter Letter coming laſt, will in effect Repeal the former; and they need never doubt but what they wrote in his Name Signed with his Seal, would be Authentick enough, and paſs for a current Countermand, [fear it not, &c.]
Mark 3. The King's Scribes were call'd to write, ver. 9. (N. B. which is look'd on as the longeſt Verſe in all the Bible) and thoſe Scribes were as quick to come and write at Mordecai's Call and Command, as they had been before at Haman's, Chap. 3.12. nor probably cared they much (ſaith an Interpreter) what they wrote, ſo they were but ſure that it was the King's Will they would write ſo. As for their Religion it may ſeem to be the ſame with that of Gallio, a meer Irreligion, [not caring how the concerns thereof went] Acts 18.17. ſo they could but pleaſe the King; they made no matter of Diſpleaſing God, as appeareth in their readineſs to draw up Haman's bloody Decree.
Remark the Second, The Time of this New Decree's Publication: It was on the Three and twentieth Day of the Third Month, our May, call'd Hebr. Sivan, which ſignifies Covering, for then the Earth is cover'd with all kind of fair and fragrant Flowers, then all things were in their Prime and Pride, and N. B. then did the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſe with Healing in his Wings, unto all thoſe Afflicted Exiles that had been deſign'd for Deſtruction▪ Mal. 4.2. The preciſe Time is thus noted, not only to ſet forth the certainty of the Hiſtory, but alſo to ſhew God's uſual Dealings with and Diſpenſations to his Church and Children; for this Time was above two Months after Haman's bloody Letters had been publiſhed; ſo long (ſaith Oſiander) did God ſuffer the Jews to lie in a low and loſt condition in fear of Death, that their Deliverance might be the more Glorious. N. B. Other Reaſons are rendred why the Lord let the Jews lie under the terrour of this dreadful Day for above two Months: As 1ſt. That the Jews might be truly Humbled for, and throughly purged from their many and mighty Sins whereof they were guilty. 2ly. That in particular they might be convinced of their Folly, in neglecting the many offers and opportunities of returning to their own Native Country, where they might have enjoy'd not only their Lives in ſafety, but alſo their Liberties in a free and full exerciſe of the true Religion, whereas being diſperſed abroad, as they could not ſerve God, &c. ſo they were an eaſie prey to the Enemy. 3ly. In this two Months and upward, God gave an opportunity (to the moſt malicious Adverſaries of the Jews) of diſcovering themſelves to their own Deſtruction, as the Event evidenceth. All theſe are added to Oſiander's Obſervation afore-mentioned, which was indeed the principal Reaſon; for after two Months Terrour to have now ſuch an admirable and unexpected Edict for their Relief and Security, this gave the greater Illuſtration unto God's glorious Goodneſs which ſet his Wiſdom and Power on work for them, Hab. 3.2.
Remark the Third; This Liberatory Letter was diſpatch'd away by Poſts riding upon the ſwifteſt Beaſts, unto all the Princes, &c. in the 127 Provinces as a Countermand of the King, ver. 9, 10, 11.
Mark 1. Tho' this Letter needed no ſuch Haſte (ſaith Bonartius) for there was ſtill near Nine Months to come before Haman's Lucky Day happened, being the thirteenth Day of the twelfth Month Adar or February; yet Mordecai haſten'd it away in the great Wiſdom God had given him, that it might come in due time before it was too late.
Mark 2. It was directed to the Jews in the firſt place, becauſe they were in the deepeſt Dumps of Deſpair, and ſo ſtood in moſt need of Comfort. N. B. Thus the Lord comforted Peter with the firſt, and by Name, in his [Go tell my Diſciples and Peter, that I am Riſen, &c.] Mark 16.7. for he knew him to be in greateſt heavineſs.
Mark 3. Then to all Perſons in Office who before had received Haman's Killing Letter: The Equity of this Saving Edict (ſo oppoſite to the former) no Officer was allowed to Diſpute, but all commanded (at their peril) to Diſpatch; for where the Word of a King is there is Power, and none muſt ſay, what doſt thou? Eccleſ. 8.4. Dan. 5.19. Hence Mordecai prudently improves both the King's Name and Seal with his Conſent for the Church's good.
Mark 4. This Letter was written unto every Province according to their Language, every Nation had it in their ſeveral Characters ſuch as they were capable to underſtand; as it was Mordecai's care that all People in the 127 Provinces ſhould have this Unalterable Law of the Perſtans in their ſeveral Dialects, that ſo none might plead Ignorance. N. B. Even ſo, and much more than ſo, ought to be every good Magiſtrate's care (ſaith an Interpreter) that their People may have the Law of God (the Holy Scriptures, that Everlaſting Rule of all Righteouſneſs which can never be Repealed) in a known Language; tho' the Romiſh Church ſay [Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion] yet God's word ſaith ['tis the Mother of Deſtruction; My People are deſtroyed for lack of Knowledge, Hoſ. 4.6. To be ignorant of God's Law is no Mother in Iſrael, &c.
Mark 5. The Contents of the Letter, wherein Mordecai doth not only give Commiſſion from the King for all the Jews to ſtand upon their guard for ſecuring their own Lives, but alſo to Kill all thoſe who ſought to Kill them, making uſe of the ſame words in Hanian's Decree, Chap. 3.13. that all Men might know the King's Mind was Alter'd in giving Mordecai as large a Commiſſion to ſave the Jews, as ever Haman's was to deſtroy them.
The Third Part of this Chapter is the Conſequents of this Edict.
Remark the Firſt: No ſooner were there Tranſcripts of this Original Decree tranſmitted in all haſte into all parts of the 127 Provinces where they were publickly proclaimed, That upon that long-look'd-for Day (the thirteenth Day of the twelfth Month) the Jews ſhould be ready to Avenge themſelves upon their Enemies, ve. 12, 13, 14 but immediately the Jews fear of that Fatal Day was changed into a Joyful Feſtival Day beforehand, ver. 16. the Dread of that Diſmal Day in Haman's Decree being once done away by Mordecai's Edict of a contrary Countermand, the Jews became Joyful, and had their Holy Merry Meetings wherein to bleſs God for this unexpected and undeſerved Mercy: And no doubt but this Feaſt and good Day here mentioned ver. 17. was only a Preparative at this Time (when the Bad Brunt of their panick fears was once over) unto that Grand Feaſt, Chap. 9.
Remark the Second; Mordecai (having obtained his heart's deſire for an effectual Deliverance of his poor People) went out from the King in his greateſt Grandeur▪ with a great Crown of Gold upon his Head] ver. 15. (we read not that Human had any ſuch) yet may we ſuppoſe that this was not the Grand Royal Crown peculiar only to the King, but one (with ſufficient Diſtinction from it) permitted to the Prime of Perſian Princes; yet was it ſo Glittering and Glorious (together with all his other Royal Apparel and Accoutrements) as to put the City (as he marched through it) into a Joyful Jubilee: Now the People that had been before perplexed, Chap. 3.15. were rarely revived with the ſight of Triumphing Mordicai: And that not the Jews only, (ſaith Piſcator) but alſo the other Citizens who were either allyed to them by Affinity, or engaged with them in Worldly Concerns, or out of their Humanity, abhorring that ſo many Millions of Inno…ents ſhould be Butcher'd by Haman's Bloody Decree, and now rejoycing that it was countermanded; ſo that Shuſhan now ſhone (as Aben-Ezra reads it) and that Lilly (as Shuſhan Hebr. ſignifies) was now moſt lovely and lightſome.
Remark the Third; This Joy of the Jews ſo general over the whole Empire as well as in Shuſhan, cauſed a fear to fall upon the People of the Land, ver. 17. ſo that they became Proſelytes to the Jewiſh Religion, and (as ſome ſay) either for fear or Love ſubmitted to that ſevere Precept of Circumciſion: However, the great God over-ruled Matters ſo, that when they ſaw the King himſelf favour the Jews, and the Queen and Mordecai were altogether of them as well as for them, &c. this ſo overawed even the Malignant Perſians, that they may of them had no mind to meddle, &c.