Esther 9:1-19--The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

Esther 9:1-19
English Standard Version

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.

11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
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16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.

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We're going to skip ahead now nine months as from when Mordecai wrote his edict to the Jewish people to defend themselves to the twelfth month when the date had been set and written in Haman's edict for the destruction of the Jews.  This is not just a battle of man against man and nation against nation, but there is a spiritual battle going on here between the people of God and the enemies of God.  Even after the king appointed Mordecai in Haman's place and gave Haman's house to Queen Esther, there were still people in the empire who thought they had a chance to fight against the LORD and His people and win, but it was that very day in which the LORD reversed things for the Jews, and they gained mastery over all those who hated them.  The Jews gathered together in their cities to defend themselves with whatever weapons they had available, and the governors and satraps and other royal officials all helped to defend and protect them as well because they loved the Jews for the sake of Esther and Mordecai.

In the citadel alone, 500 people were killed the first day who had come against the Jews in the city.  This was also the day that Mordecai cleaned up Haman's house and killed all ten of Haman's sons so that he had no living heir.  Even though the number of men killed in Susa that day was so great, Esther and Mordecai knew that there were many more men just waiting for the next day when the Jews did not have permission to defend themselves in order to attack.  For this reason, they asked the king permission to defend themselves one additional day in the city of Susa, and he granted their request, and this is why Purim is a two-day feast.  Another 300 men were killed in Susa on the second day that the king gave the Jews permission to defend themselves in Susa.

Mordecai would then write instructions to all the Jews everywhere that these days would be days that would be celebrated in perpetuity to remember how the LORD took the day that was meant for their destruction and turned it into the day of their salvation (we're going to see this again at the Second Coming of Christ when all the nations of the world will gather together to try to kill the Jews and in that very moment, Jesus will show up to kill all of the enemies of God and take His seat on the throne of David in Jerusalem).  Perhaps now you have a better understanding of the Feast of Purim and why the Jews exchange gifts and read this book and why the Pur is such an important part of the feast--because the LORD controlled the events of the "random" throw of the die to set the date for when He planned to save His people.  I continue to pray today for a similar salvation for the LORD's people once again as they are surrounded by enemies that want to attack and kill them, but I also pray not just for their physical salvation but for their spiritual salvation and that they would recognize the salivation that only Jesus (His name means "The LORD Saves" or "The LORD is My/Our Salvation" can provide through His substitutionary atonement and through His office as our Great High Priest.

​The story isn't quite over yet as we'll come back next time and talk a little bit more about the feast of Purim and then there will be one more passage at the end of the book about Mordecai before we wrap things up.