Esther 9

Esther 9 is the second-to-last of the ten chapters of the book of Esther. In Esther 8, Mordecai issued a decree in the king's name that allowed the Jews to defend themselves. This chapter describes the day that decree took effect and how the Feast of Purim was established.

Outline

• Verses 1–4: On the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month, the very day their enemies had hoped to gain power over them, the Jews instead gathered in every province and struck those who sought to harm them. Out of fear of Mordecai, the officials helped the Jews, and Mordecai's fame spread throughout the provinces.
• Verses 5–10: In the capital, Shushan, the Jews killed 500 men, along with the ten sons of Haman. They did not, however, take any plunder.
• Verses 11–15: When the king asked Esther what further request she had, she asked that the Jews in Shushan be allowed to act according to the decree for one more day and that the bodies of Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows. On the fourteenth day, 300 more men were killed in Shushan.
• Verses 16–19: The Jews in the other provinces killed 75,000 of their enemies and on the fourteenth day rested and feasted. The Jews in Shushan rested and feasted on the fifteenth day.
• Verses 20–28: Mordecai sent letters instructing the Jews to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar every year with feasting, sending portions to one another, and giving gifts to the poor. These two days were called Purim after the pur (lot) that Haman had cast, and the Jews resolved to keep them throughout their generations.
• Verses 29–32: Esther and Mordecai sent a second letter concerning Purim to the 127 provinces. By Esther's command the matter was confirmed and recorded in a book.

Key Verses

• Esther 9:1: "the Jews had rule over them that hated them" — the reversal of fortunes that drives the plot of the entire book comes to a head in this verse.
• Esther 9:22: "the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day" — this verse states the reason for observing Purim and the spirit in which it is kept.
• Esther 9:26: "Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur" — this verse explains the origin of the feast's name.

People and Places

• Esther: Queen of Persia and daughter of Abihail.
• Mordecai: Esther's cousin, who in this chapter holds a high position in the royal court.
• Ahasuerus: King of Persia.
• Haman: Son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who had sought to destroy the Jews. The names of his ten sons appear in verses 7–9.
• Shushan (Susa): The capital of Persia.

Points for Reflection

• The problem of violence: The text presents the fighting as the Jews acting under the decree to "stand for their lives" (v. 16). However, because of the number of people killed and Esther's request for an additional day, some interpreters regard it as retaliation and wrestle with how to read it ethically.
• Refraining from plunder: The statement that the Jews did not lay their hands on the spoil is repeated three times (vv. 10, 15, 16). This repetition stands out because the decree in chapter 8 had permitted the seizure of property. Noting that Haman was an "Agagite," some interpreters read this in contrast with 1 Samuel 15, where Saul spared Agag king of the Amalekites and took spoil. The text itself, however, does not directly connect the two events.
• The feast: Purim is a Jewish feast and is not part of the Protestant church calendar. Jewish tradition, on the basis of verses 18–19, is known to observe it on the fifteenth day in walled cities.
• Connection to the New Testament: Some hold that "a feast of the Jews" in John 5:1 refers to Purim, but this interpretation is not settled.