ESTHER. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE, Citroversione and Alernations.) AY] 1. AHASUERUS. REIGN. EXTENT OF KINGDOM, BD. E 2.1, AHASUERUS, ON HIS THRONE, F [22121 MORDECAL Discorser or Poor (Brornan ann Tenrsn G@[3. HAMAN. Hs PLOT. F403, MORDECAT. Discovear oF Hasan’s Plo. Ch 4c3u. ESTHER, HER BVTERCESSION, BiD'i6 AHASUERUS, ON MIS BED, BP) H 1625 NORDECAL KING'S mvquTRY, J [602 HAMAN, KING'S INQUIRY, [6.101% MORDECAL KING'S COMMAND, Ci )to. ESTHER. HER Bai SQuEr, 'S TABLE, BY D'[t2. AWASUERUS. AT ESTHE [Pye ries xe quiny ax mows Llts4 ESTHER, PLEA FoR LIFE, | det C's. ESTHER HER ROYAL GIFT, tt, KING. INQUIRY AND WRATH, [Di [e-12, AHASUERUS, ON HIS THRONE, |B [MW leee ESTHER PLEA FOR HER PEOPLE. | | [41% KING, DECREE, M902, ESTHER, PLEA FOR HER PEOPIL C' 9200, ESTHER HER ROYAL AUTHORITY. (A2/ 101-4 AHASUERUS, REIGN, EXTENT OF KINGDOM,A 472-423 (Regnal) BD's P. 655) THE “BOOK OF “Now it came to pass, in the days of 1 -Absaserus, (this ie Anasuerus which| reigned, "from India even unto Ethiopia, over Fan hundred and seven and twenty proviicea:) 2 That in those days, when the king 'Ahas- uerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which ‘was in Shushan the palace, In “the third year of his reign, he made*a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the “power of “Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: 4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent ma jesty many days, even “an hundred and four score days 5 And when these days were expired, the king made'*a feast unto all the people that were present in Shusban the “palace, both unto {reat and small seven days,in the court of the Barden of the king's“ palaces OW here were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the’ beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of Ted, and Blue, and white, and black, marble, TAnd. they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (‘the vessels ‘being diverse one {fom Snother) and royal “wine in abundance, ac- cording to the state of the king. 8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to al the officers of his hoxse, that they should 9 according to every “man's pleasure, 9 Also "Vashi the gocen made a feast for the ‘women in the royal house which belonged to fing Abasterus 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the ing was merry with wine, he “commanded Mehuman, Bistha, Harbond, Bigtha, and A- Dagtha,, Zethar, "and. Caras, “the “seven Chamberlains that served in the ‘presence of "Ahaswerus the king, | Ii'To bring" Washtl ine queen before the king shew the “people and with the crown royal, to Beauly for she was fair to 12 But the queen * Vashti *refused to come at, ESTHER. TITLE, Book of Esther, One of the five Meplloth, or its place in the Hebrew Canon te0 Ap. 1. Read atthe east of Purim, Comes chromologteally thus: (1) Daniel; (2) Esther; (@) Noheraiah ; (Q) Hers. The Divive name does not. geeur, except five timer in the form of an “Aeryatie (Ap. 6). "Seo Ap. 60, and notes on Eat. Biss tate 1 ‘Now it came to pass in the days of, portant note of Rabbinical commentators on Gen Id. 1, "Ahaauore-the venerable king. An appellate, like Pharaoh, Canr, Shab, ée.” Seo'notes on p. 618 and ‘Ap. 57 and 68. this, “implying that others wereo called, from whora be distinguished. ‘This Abaruerus waa Astyage ), Arsames (Persian). Seo Ap. 7 and 56," This, eras” emphasises tho one who was specially re: owned Fig Parenter, Ap, 8 from India even wnt Bthiopia extreme boundaries of tho known world, ‘au hundred and seven and twenty provinces, Dah. 8.1 aay 120 princes ‘The number eontinnally altered to sult the requirements of government. Only in Dan. 6,1 do we And 120, Plato ange that “when Daris (Le. ‘the Maintainer '=Astyages) eame to the throne, being one of the seven, he divided the country intosevon portions” (De Lepibvaiil). These are the seven named in tv. 13,14, When Babylon afterward fell into Thands, ho divided his newly acquired Kingdom into 120 parts (Dan. 9.1." Cp.6.1), Why should he not have ‘ded these to tha aeven he airendy possessed, and thus Inve made the 127 of Hst. 1.1; 8.30? In the later days cof Darius Hystaspis) these had reduced to twenty-three, fs stated and named on the Behltan inscription, 1, 2-2, 20 (Di, p. 654). AHASUERUS, ON HIS THRONE. (Divison) © the two D') AL) 1.21, Queen Vashti. Offen Ae | 1172S Queen Vasheh, Degradation. A:| 21420. Queen Esther. Substituted, 2, 2-19 (AY, elove),, QUEEN VASHTI. OFFENCE. (alteration) [42 Feast: king’ to nobles Li[& Dingtay of Fehon «| 1 Fenata king's fo people; queens to women, 1° bi Taste Diaplag of Wash 2 im those daya: ie. the days when these events took plaae. At other times he dwelt st Eabatana, of ltewhore. Verse i mentions the raler 8% the pce | Eh the Line senor came to, ‘Shushan., Now, th Shapar, east of Persian Gull Dalacd senatle or fortrean” Gp. Neb B'tho third your: iain it; six yoara after the a — destruction of Jerusalem, Astyages now seventean or cightoon years. See Ap. 50. VIE (6). In this yonr Xerxes (who is supposed to be thie king) necording to Herod, SHE'S, and Diod. Sie. xi. 2, wus preparing his expedition against Greece ; whereas this chaptor prenapposes ‘2 senton of pence and quiet. a foast. Hig. Metonyiny (of Erect), Ap, 6, for those who exercised it; viz. the people of power. ‘Media, Tn this book this is always the order, except 104, "Thia was to allow all peoples to be fensted in turn. Not allat the eame timey or one '5 palace» house, or, Inrgo house. ‘ath = royal deoree, o special mandate, atin vv. 13, 15,18 B, “The daughter of Alyattes (king of Lyin), snaveied by Cyaxares to ‘and fourscore day fens: of that duration, ‘Noto the freq ‘Parentheses (Ap. 8) in ee 9 Vashti, Tattloo Hays, Stan Note Jaina = seven eunuebs. 12 refused. Probably because sent for by servants 10 commanded. Ap. 37. 10 difttrent words rendered “command” and “This shows the minuteness of the weit For ita own sake. No reason isgiven. power. But by "Persia. and Yn Daniel itis the reverse. @ an hundred @ beds- couches” 7 the vousela ‘wine, Heb. yayin. Ap. 27.1. g law. Heb. Bie mana, Heb. "th, “Ap (4.11. son Astgnges ater the Heb, aoa, So rendered inew mits Sm; 48) 6.4) rea” in this bok Tenowlodge, 3 not bythe ntlen fay nd before dh 055an Ate . 636) aR Li. ESTHER, 2.7. the king's “commandment by hts chamberlains: therefore waa the king very wroth, and his fnger burned in him 19 Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, "or s0 was the king's tanner toward all that knew "law and judgment: d"And the next unto him was’ Carshena, ‘Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, {nd Meinacan, the "seven princes of *Perne find Media, which sav the King's face, od ‘hich sat the fist in the kingdoms ) 16 "What shall we do unto ihe queen Vasbti according to "law, because she hath not per formed the commandment of the king Abas tterus by the chamberlain?” 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, *«Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but algo to all ihe princes and toll thet people that are in ail the provinces of the king "Answers T7 For this deed of the queen shall’ come abroad wot all women, sa fiat they, Sal despise their husbands in their eyes, when i shall be The king "Ahasiteras "com ‘anded 'Vashtl the queen to be brought In befoce him, but she cate not. 18 Likewise shall the “ladies of *Persia and Media eay this day tnto all the king's princes: Which have heard of the deed of the queen, Thue shat there arise too much contempt and wrath. IB If it please the king, let there go a royal “Fcommandment from is, nud leit be written among the “laws of the * Persians and. the Medes: that it'be onot aiteredy That "Vashi gai ap mors fore King Abawuer and et the king give her royal estate unto nvother that is beter than she. 20 And when the king's ‘decree which heshall make shall be published taroupuout, ail iis empire, "(for °it 18 great) “ALL THE WIVES SHALE ive to their hoabands Honour, both to great and salle” ‘21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according ta the word Sr Memican: 22 For he sent letters into al the king's pro- visi into every province according tothe writing thercof, and to every people afer thelr Hanguge that Gvery *equn toda beat tule it his own house, and that tf should be published according to the language of every people Q After these things, when the wrath of “Ahasuerus was appeased, he re- membered *Vashti, and what she ed’ Gone, and what was decreed against her. Then said the King's servants that minis. tered “unto him, “Lat there be fair’ young Girgins sought for the lin 3-And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces. of is kingdom, that they. may Father together all the fair young *virgine into Shushan the palace, to the house of th ‘Women, unto the °eustody of Hege the king "Chamberlain, keeper of the women; and fet ttieis tings for puriication be given fhem * ‘And let the “maiden which pleaseth the king be qucen instead of Vashi"? “And the thing Pleased the king; and he dd so, commandment. Heb. dabar word, yroceph Occurs ote Basduis;&iniz, Scongte om sie 13 for. See nota on tho parentheses, 1, 13-22 (AS, p.635), QUEEN VASHTT. DEGRA. ‘BATION. UAtternaii At [ol s9-1s, King’s injaty of wise ten, at ue, Advice, Given eat. King’s agreement with wise men, i]s, Advice Acted on. 18 ladies pri 19 not altered. Cp. Dan. ¢ 20 doareo resort. Oy hero ‘tha great: i (Ap 6) exhibiting in ‘Seo Ap. 60. Q. 1-20 (AY, p. 650). QUEEN ESTHER. SUB. | SfURUTED."(ieponted Alternation and ntroversions) 9B] 1-4 Maidens. Soot. ‘chy Divine name, BY | s-, Maidens. Gathered, oe Included, et [10,1 Mordecai, “Solieitade, BY | 12.14, Maidens, Rotation, ea ether | | fag te Btordeen. Station. 1 Aftor these things’ fein 463. Astyages was ne. In the seventh year (m t0)s one of ‘hog syant in proparations (0.1). "Sen note om 2-1, Vushtl. Sco note on 1s | a virgins, Hob. tcnitah, Seo note on Gen. 24,48, 3 custody =hana. ‘chamberlain =eunnch. 4 maiden =a young person. “Heb. na‘ay. ‘certain Jow a man (Hob. ah Ap. 14.10, « ‘Tho contrast between Judah ‘and Tertel wa ost in a stenng and Beekiel taken to Batgion (@ Kings 26.14, 13); Nehemiah and Mordecai to Shur ‘han ; nod Mordecai dwelt in the royal palace, ag did Danish and others (Dan, it. 2 Kings 20. 9-15) a Bepjamite. ‘Thus Mordecai, a Benjamite, ends Jchovab's war against Amalek” Bx. tite Cpe Set ‘with 7.103.010" A work entrusted to Saul (a Banja: mito “t'Sarn. 15. 2-38. 16 Jeconiah = Jehoiachin (2 Kings 246) carried away. Cp. 2Kingy 24. 14,18- Jer, 5224-16 189 years boiove the generally rectived. dato (ie. ‘98-465. 183), which, therefore, cannot be ‘corroct, From the carrying away of Jeooniah to the marriage of Esthor to Astyager in hie seventh year was 0 twenty-two yours 489-467). See Ap. 80. VIT (6). 7 Hadaseah = myrtie. Not living with Mordecai (stho wns in the patna, ve) bat bronghe up by hlzn, Esther =star. But Rabbi Yebudnh: derives it from guthar, to hide, beause she was hidden in herganrdiat Rouso; nnd her nationality also was concealed (e 1), Tather. Alibail now dead. Seo v.65 B20. "6 Now in Shushan the peiace there was °a certain Jew, whose name was *Mordecai, the ‘son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, °a Benjamite; 6 Who had’ been carried away from Jert- salem with the captivity which had “been carried away with “Jeconiah king of Judah, g's Whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had "carried away. ‘J And he brought up *Hadassah, that is, «Esther, his uncle's daughter: for’ she had neither “father nor mother, and the ‘maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her cy Cet a