Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Esther 8

Esther Saves the Jews

Esther 8:¹ On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.

Esther 8:² So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Esther 8:³ Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.

Esther 8:⁴ And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,

Esther 8:⁵ and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Esther 8:⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”

Esther 8:⁷ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.

Esther 8:⁸ You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please (Lit. as is good in your eyes), in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”

Esther 8:⁹ So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

• Note: From India to Ethiopa is an indication of how far the Jews had been scattered by God.

Esther 8:¹⁰ And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred (Lit. sons of the swift horses) from swift steeds.

• Swift steed: The time is short to reverse the decree and they had to speed forth to cover this immense area, from India to Ethiopia.

Esther 8:¹¹ By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,

Esther 8:¹² on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

• Note Adar 13: the number 13 is a holy number for the Jews. 13 signifies the age at which a boy matures and becomes a Bar Mitzvah, i.e., a full member of the Jewish faith. According to Rabbinic commentary on the Torah, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy.

Esther 8:¹³ A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

• A copy of the letters of the order according to the Greek Septuagint:

• The great king Artaxerxes sends greetings to the rulers of provinces a hundred and twenty-seven satrapies, from India to Ethiopia, even to those who are faithful to our interests. Many who have been frequently honored by the most abundant kindness of their benefactors have conceived ambitious designs, and not only endeavour to hurt our subjects, but moreover, not being able to bear prosperity, they also endeavour to plot against their own benefactors. And they not only would utterly abolish gratitude from among men, but also, elated by the boastings of men who are strangers to all that is good, they supposed that they shall escape the sin-hating vengeance of the ever-seeing God.

• And oftentimes exhortation has made partakers of the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and has involved in irremediable calamities, many of those who had been appointed to offices of authority, who had been entrusted with the management of their friends’ affairs; while , by the false sophistry of an evil disposition, have deceived the simple candour of the ruling powers.

• And it is possible to see , not so much from more ancient traditionary accounts, as it is immediately in your power by examining what things have been wickedly perpetrated by the baseness of men unworthily holding power.

• And to take heed with regard to the future, that we may maintain the government in undisturbed peace for all men, adopting changes, and ever judging those cases which come under our notice, with truly equitable decision. For whereas Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadathes, in reality an alien from the blood of the Persians, and differing widely from our mild course of government, having been hospitable entertained by us, obtained so large a share of our universal kindness,…”

Esther 8:¹⁴ The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan (Or Susa) the citadel (palace).

Esther 8:¹⁵ So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white (violet), with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan (Or Susa) rejoiced and was glad.

Esther 8:¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.

Esther 8:¹⁷ And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.

The story of Esther parallels the story of the coming Seven-Year tribulation when Jesus returns to earth and turns the annihilation of the Jews into power and prosperity.

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