A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
Eſther CHAP. IX.
THIS Chapter relateth the ſlaughter of the Hamaniſts, who both purpos'd and endeavour'd to ſlay the Jews. In this Hiſtory are Antecedents, Concomitants and Conſequents. Remarks Firſt, upon the Antecedents; as
Firſt, The long look'd, for lucky Day of Haman's Diabolical Let came at laſt, ver. 1. namely, the thirteenth of Adar or February, upon which Day Haman's Abettors hoped to revel in the Jews Ruine; for though the King had ſet forth a ſecond Counter-Edict in May, foregoing this following February, yet many malignant Hamaniſts did doubtleſs deſpiſe this later Decree, and ſcoffingly derided it, as only extorted from the King by his Queen's importunity, and perſwading themſelves and others, that the King was of the ſame Mind, as before in Haman's Time to have all the Jews rooted out, and to rid the World of them; notwithſtanding he had (in an over Ʋxorious Humour) conſented to this ſecond Counter-Decree, meerly to give his Wife Content: Therefore they reſolve to Arm themſelves, and join all their Forces to proſecute to the utmoſt Haman's firſt Letter of Licence upon the lucky Day, and take no notice of the ſecond procured by Eſther and her Ʋncle. N.B. Thus thoſe that are ripe for Ruine, harden their own Hearts, and haſten their own Deſtruction: And that which did harden and heighten them in this daring attempt was, that the latter Letter did not at all Reverſe and repeal the former, but only gave the Jews Liberty to defend themſelves, whom they doubted not to over-power, for what was this handful of poor Captives to the whole Perſian Empire: But above all, they were deluded by the Devil, who is the Author of all ſuch Arts and Lots of Divination, for foretelling any future Arbitrary and Contingent Events, and who Cozen'd them with falſe hopes of a lucky Day, &c.
Remark the Second, The Jews prepare on their Part, Vim vi repellere, to repel force by force in Defence of their own Lives, unto which the Law of Nature prompted them, for Man naturally (ſaith Ariſtotle) is, foreign, a Life-loving Creature, and ſo indeed all Creatures from the higheſt Angel to the loweſt Worm make much of their Lives. N.B. The Jews had before made uſe of ſpiritual means, as ſolemn Faſting and Prayer, wherein they confidently committed their Righteous (though diſconſolate) Cauſe to God, who judgeth righteouſly, yet dare they not tempt God by any wilful neglect of lawful means for their own Defence, well-knowing, that though the Care of the End belong'd to God, yet the Care of the Means belong'd to them, and therefore did they moſt induſtriouſly (as for Life) provide Temporal Means (both Offenſive and Defenſive Weapons) againſt that lucky unlucky Day of the thirteenth of Adar, and this they did the more earneſtly, becauſe they had the King's Commiſſion for Arming themſelves, and gathering together, &c. without which, this would have been reckon'd a Riot and Rebellion: Hereupon Bernard highly Honours the Jews here, ſaying, though they were [Laeti in Domino, habentes gandium in re, & gaudium in ſpe, &c.] the Jews had Joy, Chap. 8.16, 17. not doubting to poſſeſs what God had promis'd; non tamen ſecuri, yet durſt they not be ſecure, but do Arm themſelves for their Security.
The Second Part is the Concomitants of the Hamaniſts fall.
Remark the Firſt, Though the Jews Enemies were (it ſeems) allowed to take up Arms againſt the Jews, when Haman's happy unhappy Day happened, to fulfil Haman's bloody Letter (whereof himſelf the Author repented, and had rued it when he came to be hang'd for it) and though thoſe infatuated Fools did Muſter up all their Forces to execute their firſt Decree, yet were they eaſily overcome by the Jews [No Man could withſtand them] ver. 2. N.B. Having a good Cauſe, a good Call, a good Courage, and a good Conſcience, but above all a good Captain the Lord of Hoſts, how could the higheſt of thoſe Hamaniſts ſtand before the Jews, thus armed with God himſelf, who made all the mighty Officers help them, ver. 3. as well as Mordecai, ver. 4.
Remark the Second, The Jews kept themſelves within the compaſs of the King's Commiſſion, not medling with any that did not moleſt them, but killing thoſe only that ſought to kill them, and in ſpecial the ten Sons of Haman, who were the Ring-leaders to all the Hamaniſts in Shuſhan, Haman's Death ſtill ſtuck in their Stomachs, and they reſolve to be reveng'd, being Mad with Malice, they venture in deſpight of the King's Favour, and Mordecai's Power for patronizing the Jews: All theſe ten Sons (of whom Haman had ſo boaſted, Chap. 5.12. wicked Men are full of Children, Pſalm 17.14.) and their five hundred Complices, (they had wheedl'd in to join with them) were all ſlain in Shuſhan, ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Remark the Third, The Rabbins curious Criticiſm upon Haman's Youngeſt Son named Vaiezatha, ver. 9. in which Name, thoſe Doctors obſerving a little Zain and a great Van are found written to compoſe the Word, from hence they do gueſs and gather, that this Vaiezatha though the Youngeſt, was the moſt malicious of all the ten Sons againſt the Jews: This was Haman's Darling, whom he Corrected not, but notoriouſly Cockered, no wonder therefore that he proved the worſt. Nos omnes licentjâ Deteriores ſumus, for as Pity ſpoils a City, ſo much more a Son, as it did Old Eli's, &c. foreign, they were all ten evil-Eggs of an evil Bird, but this who was the moſt indulged Egge became the vileſt of all thoſe Varlets, and therefore the Jews are to be juſtified, who having the King's warrant would not let one Whelp to be left of ſo bad a Litter, &c. N.B. Though the Apocryphal Addition of Eſther, Chap. 16. ver. 18. tell us, but not truly, that this youngeſt of that viperous Brood was ſpared, ver. 10.
Remark the Fourth, Upon the very Day of this firſt ſlaughter, ſome officious Perſon ran to the King with Tidings of the number that had been ſlain, poſſibly this Meſſenger was ſome Malignant, an Hamaniſt, or a Man of an evil deſign to incenſe the King againſt the Jews, ver. 11. but God ſo over-ruled and ordered it, that the King was well content with what was done, and went merrily in to the Queen, ſaith Maſius, and muſt himſelf be the Meſſenger of this News, which he knew would be very grateful to her, and (as a farther Teſtimony of his Love to her) he gives her leave to ask of him, whatever more ſhe deſired to be done in his Royal City, beſide, yea over and above whatever number the Jews have now ſlain in the hundred and twenty ſeven Provinces, ver. 12.
Remark the Fifth, The Queen begs of the King a new Commiſſion for one other Day only, wherein the Jews might have his warrant to kill their implacable Enemies the next Day alſo, ver. 13. [Bedath Haiom, Hebr.] as they had done that Day: For ſhe prudently ſuppoſed, that all thoſe curſed Conſpirators againſt the Jews could not be altogether caught upon the firſt Day in that populous City, but leſt ſome of them ſhould lye lurking in that Wood of Houſes, or the Grandeſt of them might Politickly withdraw for that Day out of the City, and might confidently return the next Morning (becauſe the King's killing Commiſſion expired with the firſt Day) to Plot Revenge, therefore ſhe procures a private and unexpected Decree, which catched them all ſecure at their homes, whereby they were all ſlain. N.B. Oh that we could learn Eſther's Diligence (ſaith Lavater) againſt our Spiritual Enemies, as ſhe did againſt her Temporal, Col. 3.5. Rom. 8.13. we ſhould mortifie them all.
Remark the Sixth, By this new Commiſſion three hundred more in Shuſhan were killed the ſecond Day, ver. 15. beſide the five hundred and Haman's ten Sons the firſt Day before, ver. 6, 10. but in the hundred and twenty ſeven Provinces were ſeventy five thouſand of the Jews Enemies then deſtroyed (without the loſs of one Man on their Part) ver. 16. in one and the firſt Day only, ſo that the total ſumm amounts to the number of ſeventy five thouſand eight hundred and ten Men, with Hamans ten Sons, for whom Eſther thought it not enough, that they were kill'd among the reſt, but ſhe begs that they might be hang'd alſo upon their Father Haman's Gallows; not for farther torment (whereof there Dead Carcaſes were not capable, ſaith Maſius) but in Terrorem, for a Caution to Poſterity, &c. The King commanded it to be done at the Queen's requeſt, ver. 13, 14. for he was unwilling (ſaith Joſephus) to croſs Eſther in any thing. N.B. This was done for their greater Infamy and Ignominy, and for a Terrour to all Men, that they abuſe not the King's Authority, nor perſwade him to execute ſuch cruelties againſt his Innocent Subjects.
Remark the Seventh, If any ask [Was not this Cruelty in the Jews to kill ſo many thouſand of the King's Subjects?] Bonartius Anſwers this ſlaughter was Juſtice: For 1. 'Twas lawful for them to kill rather than be killed, the great Law of ſelf Preſervation is univerſally approved of in their own neceſſary Defence. 2. They were armed with Royal Authority, to deſtroy thoſe that diſturbed them, Chap. 8.11. 3. Mordecai might charge them with Treaſonable Actions in the eight Months ſpace, betwixt the Publication of the latter Edict, and its Execution: So they were executed as Traitors to the King. 4. Nor was it any diſhonour to the Jews to be the Almighty's Slaughtermen, ſeeing the Holy Angels are Executioners of God's juſt Judgments upon ſuch as are Traitors to him, as in the Caſe of Sodom, of Sennacherib's Army, and oft in the Revelations, &c. 5. Nor was this Act any more than the Law of Retaliation, they only deſtroy'd thoſe, who both purpos'd and endeavour'd to deſtroy them. And 6. As to Haman and his ten Sons, they were juſtly ſlain, by Vertue of that Divine Doom Denounced againſt Amalek, Exod. 17.12. Deut. 25.17, &c.
Remark the Eighth, However, thoſe Godly Jews neglected not to mingle Acts of Mercy with their Acts of Juſtice, in not laying their Hands upon the ſpoil: This is ſaid of them three times, ver. 10, 15, and 16. Though the King's Commiſſion did impower them to it, wherein their Liberty was very large, not only to kill Men but alſo Women and Children, and to take the ſpoil of them for a Prey, Chap. 8 11. but it was the pious purpoſe of the Jews to keep within the compaſs of the King's Commiſſion. Non ſemper omnia qua licent ſunt facienda, ſaith Lavater. N.B. Such as ſtret…h their Liberty ſo far as they may, do oft (as 'tis ſaid of Travellers over Lincoln-ſhire Waſhes) go farther than they ſhould: A Man muſt not in ſome Caſes do all that he may (by leave) do, the Jews here did juſtly obſerve that Rule of the Philoſopher, [Poſſe & nolle eſt nobile] though they might have ſlain the Women and Children, yet they nobly declined to do ſo (as may be charitably hoped) furbiſhing the Sword of Juſtice with the Oyl of Mercy, and medling only with thoſe that moleſted them in their heat of Execution. But their refraining from taking the ſpoils of the ſlain, is oft repeated here to their great Commendation.
Remark the Ninth, The Reaſons of their ſo refraining are rendred by Druſius, Erpennius, Menochius, A Lapide, Grotius, &c. As 1. Leſt they ſhould ſeem to be acted by a covetous Deſire of enriching themſelves by other Mens Goods, like Thieves and Robbers, rather than by a Zeal of Juſtice in their own neceſſary Defence, ſo reſolve to Act like God's Executioners. 2. They were deſirous not to damnifie but to gratifie the King, that the ſpoils of his Subjects might all come into his Coffers, and that his Treaſury might be augmented by his Courteſie to the Jews. 3. They might ſpare the ſpoils, for the maintenance of thoſe Women and Children, whom they had in Mercy ſpared, yet in Juſtice had ſlain their Husbands and Fathers. 4. To ſhew a difference 'twixt thoſe that fear God, and thoſe that fear him not: Therefore they would not deal with their Enemy ſo ill, as it was apparent that their Enemies deſigned to deal with them had they faln into their hands, they intended to deſtroy them root and branch, Chap. 3.9. and Haman is one of thoſe cruel Enemies, who ſaid [Come and let us deſtroy them from being a Nation, that the Name of Iſrael be no more remembred] Pſalm 83.4. 5. That they might be like their Father Abraham in their Military Actings, who ſolemnly vowed not to meddle with the ſpoils, &c. Gen. 14.22. 6. That they might be like God himſelf, who in the midſt of his Wrath remembers Mercy, Hab. 3.2. 7. Mordecai had admoniſh'd them, how ill Saul had ſped with his ſpoils of Amalek, ſo Aohan with his Wedge of Gold and Babyloniſh Garment, &c. His Wedge of Gold ſerved only to cleave his Body and Soul aſunder, and his Babyloniſh Garment proved his winding Sheet: For theſe Reaſons the Godly Jews would not deſile their Fingers with the Spoils of their curſed Foes. N.B. Leſt they ſhould be juſtly taxed for that for did Sin of Covetouſneſs, which is call'd Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and ſo unbecoming the Saints, as it may not ſo much as be named amongſt them, Eph. 5.3. and ſome do obſerve, no Godly Man in Scripture is taxed for Covetouſneſs, &c.
The Third Part of this Chapter, is the Conſequents of all this.
Remark the Firſt, The Godly Jews had ſolemnly ſought God's Favour by Faſting and Prayer in their Time of moſt eminent Danger. Chap. 4.16, 17. now having received a gracious return in that ſweet Providence of God [Turning all things to the Contrary, ver. 1.] God ſending from Heaven to ſave them, Pſalm 57.3. and altering the Scene all on the ſudden with help at a Pinch in a glorious Deliverance: Now the Feaſt of Purim is inſtituted, wherein moſt ſolemnly they might Praiſe God their Deliverer, ver. 17, 18, 19. for his turning their Sighing into Singing, their Sadneſs into Gladneſs, their Mourning into Muſick, their Tears into Triumph, and for his bringing them from the Jaws of Death to the Joys of Life, &c.
Remark the Second, The Time when they kept this Thanksgiving Day: Namely, the very next Day after their Deliverance. N.B. They would not defer it ſo much as one Day longer, but did ſtrike while the Iron was hot, and while the Senſe of God's matchleſs Mercy lay with both weight and warmth upon their Hearts: They durſt not diſobey God's Command [Slack not to pay thy Vow, &c.] Deut. 23.21. Now, now David pays his, Pſalm 116.18. for God may conſtrue Delaying for Denying, Hag. 1.2.4. yet this muſt be obſerved, that the Jews in the Country (who lived in unwalled Towns, but had God to be a Wall of Defence to them, ver. 19) kept their Feaſt upon the fourteenth Day at the ſame time, while the Jews in Shuſhan were deſtroying the remainder of their Enemies, that could not be caught upon the thirteenth Day, therefore were they in the City conſtrained to keep their thankſgiving upon the fifteenth Day, for till then they had not rest, &c.
Remark the Third, The Manner and Matter of their keeping their thankſgiving Days by the appointment of Mordecai.
Mark 1. Mordecai the good Magiſtrate writes the Letter of Injunction, to injoin all the Jews in a ſtrict Obſervation of both the fourteenth and fifteenth Days yearly for themſelves and Posterity, ver. 20, to 29. The Apocrypha calls it Mordecai's Holy Feast, 2 Mac. 15.36. and Druſius ſaith, the fourteenth Day was call'd [Festum ſortium minus] the leſſer Festivity of Lots, and the fifteenth Day [Festum ſortium majus] the greater Festivity of Lots, &c.
Mark 2. As Mordecai was the Author; ſo the Manner of managing theſe Feſtivals was with ſolemn Sacrifices of thankſgiving to the Lord for this marvelous Salvation; and though they were far from the Temple, where their Sacrifices ſhould have been offered according to God's Law, ſo could not do what they ought, yet well knowing they ought to do what they could, in paying their Vows of Praiſes to the moſt High, even the Calves of their Lips, Hoſ. 14.2. this was accepted, Pſalm 50.13, 14. Mark 14.8. for a reaſonable Service, Rom. 12.1. and they feasted alſo, exhilarating and chearing up their Spirits (which had long laid low) with a liberal uſe of Creature-Comforts, ſending Portions to the Rich out of Courteſie, and to the Poor out of Charity.
Mark 3. The Matter of their Devotion upon thoſe two days was in General; they conſecrated this Time, as an Holy Reſt unto the Lord, wherein to teſtifie their thankfulneſs to him for his ſo lately and miraculouſly reſtoring to them their Lives, Liberties, and Eſtates, more particularly in reading this History of Haman, and repeating among themſelves this ſignal Deliverance in all the ſtupendous ſteps of it; ſuch as were, Haman's Lot casting, Esther's ſupplicating, Ahaſuerus's reading the Chronicles, Mordecai's advance thereby, &c. Oſiander's Opinion is, that the Jews ſpent the fourteenth Day in Fasting and Mourning, as a memorial of that deſperate danger they had been in, and the fifteenth Day in Feasting and Gladneſs for delivering them from ſo great a Death, Pſalm 30.11. 2 Cor. 1.10.
Remark the Fourth, A ſecond Letter is ſent (ſuppoſed at the return of the ſame time the next Year) ſigned by Queen Esther, as well as by Prince Mordecai to confirm thoſe Days of Purim (a Name notable to inmind the Jews of their noble Deliverance) and to perpetuate the Memory of that Mercy unto all Poſterity, worthy to be engraven upon Pillars of Marble, and Regiſtred for all following Generations, that the People which ſhould after be created might Praiſe the Lord, Pſalm 102.18. This Letter came [with Words of Peace and Truth] ver. 30. promiſing Peace without fear of the Perſians, and Truth in retaining their Religion, if they continued Conſtant in an Annual keeping of thoſe Holy Days. N.B. How ought we, who have lived in an Age of wonders, pay the Ranſom of our Lives as they did, Exod. 21.30. and 30.12. and as they here do to all Ages, our Deliverances from Dangers in late Perſecutions have been ſignal and ſingular.
Eſther CHAP. X.
IN this Chapter is ſuccinctly ſet down the State of the Jews after this Deliverance, in two Reſpects.
Remark the Firſt, The Immunity of the Jews after it, the King impoſeth an extraordinary Tribute upon all his hundred and twenty ſeven Provinces, both in the main Continent, and in the Iſlands alſo, ver. 1. which poſſibly was no more than the reimpoſing of that ſame Tribute, whereof there was granted a Releaſe at Esther's Marriage, Chap. 2.18. and now again for Queen Esther's ſake, and by Mordecai's means, all the diſperſed Jews and thoſe in Judea it ſelf were exempted from this great renewed Taxation; for 'tis ſaid, that Mordecai by all poſſible means ſought the Proſperity of his People, and ſpake Peace not only to them, but alſo for them to the King, ver. 3. promoting their Peace to the utmoſt of his Power: Beſides, the Jews Exemption from this Tax (that laid ſo heavy upon all other People) was to ſhew, how God puniſh'd the People in all Parts of the hundred and twenty ſeven Provinces, for their late greedy gaping, after the Lives and Estates of God's People.
Remark the Second, The Tranquillity of the Jews, as well as their Immunity from Taxes; this was procured, 1. By the Clemency of the King toward them, through the Interceſſion of the Queen to him for them: This King is deſcribed to be a mighty Monarch, ver. 2. and the more Mighty he became in inlarging his Dominions ſo much above his Predeceſſors (who had but a hundred and twenty Provinces, Dan. 6.1, &c.) becauſe God gave him other ſeven (ſaith Lyra) as a recompence of his Kindneſs and Courteſie to the Jews, and of his Justice done to their Enemies. N. B. No Man ſerves God for nought, Mal. 1.10. He is a moſt liberal Pay master: 2. The Jews Tranquillity was procured by the marvelouſly grown Grandeur of Mordecai the Jew, ver. 2, 3. who of a poor Captive was advanced to the ſecond Seat next to the King (ſaith Joſephus) higher than ever Haman was, and continued longer with more Conſtancy, even likely all his Life for the Comfort of God's Church: He was a kind of King in Jeſurun, as Moſes, Deut. 33.5. and as great among the Jews as if he had been their proper King, promoting their Proſperity, and making them as Happy as their Hearts could wiſh; 'tis a wonder he took not off the Prohibition of Building the Temple, which was the cauſe (ſaith Aben Ezra, on Ezra 2.2.) of his returning from Judea to Shuſhan, and living about the King's Court, being not known to be a Jew till Haman's grandeur, &c. N.B. Mordecai was one of thoſe few that lived and died in Glory, gotten by his Piety and Prudence; Great men are not always wiſe, ſaith Elihu, Job 32.9. but Mordecai was a great Wiſe-man. He was good as well as great, and ſo improved his Power for the Proſperity both of the preſent People and of Poſterity, ſo as Envy it ſelf could complain of nothing, but of his greatneſs, &c.