PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Esther
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 31,302 words · 152 reading sections
Esther 4:7
Esther 4:7 Ver. 7. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him,.... How that, for refusing to reverence Haman, he was incensed against him, and against all the Jews for his sake; and had vowed revenge on them, and had formed a scheme for the ruin of them: and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to…
134 wordsSECTION 62Esther 4:8
Esther 4:8 Ver. 8. Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them,.... Which had now been published in the city; by which means Mordecai had had a sight of it, and had transcribed it; see Es 3:14 to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her; what Haman intended …
167 wordsSECTION 63Esther 4:9
Esther 4:9 Ver. 9. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Both the case of the Jews, and the cause of it, and what he would have her do at this critical juncture.…
37 wordsSECTION 64Esther 4:10
Esther 4:10 Ver. 10. Again Esther spake unto Hatach,.... For there was no other way of corresponding and conversing but by an eunuch; the wives of kings being altogether under their watch and care: and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; to go unto him, and what he should say to him from her, which is as follows.…
58 wordsSECTION 65Esther 4:11
Esther 4:11 Ver. 11. All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces do know,.... Not only the princes and courtiers, but all the king's subjects, the meanest of them; there is scarce a person throughout the whole empire, to whom the following law is not known; this is said, to show how notorious it was…
353 wordsSECTION 66Esther 4:12
Esther 4:12 Ver. 12. And they told to Mordecai Esther's, words. The messengers she sent to him.…
18 wordsSECTION 67Esther 4:13
Esther 4:13 Ver. 13. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther,.... Gave in charge to the messengers what they should say to Esther from him, by way of reply: think not with thyself that thou shall escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews; signifying that her being queen, and in the king's palace, would be n…
110 wordsSECTION 68Esther 4:14
Esther 4:14 Ver. 14. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time,.... And will not speak to the king in favour of the Jews, because of the danger she would be exposed to in doing it: then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; Mordecai seemed confident of it, that by s…
202 wordsSECTION 69Esther 4:15
Esther 4:15 Ver. 15. Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer. Which follows, and was sent by the messengers she sent the above to him.…
27 wordsSECTION 70Esther 4:16
Esther 4:16 Ver. 16. Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan,.... To acquaint them with what follows; but not to continue in a body together, which might cause suspicion of an ill design in them; according to the latter Targum, 12,000 chosen priests were found in it; but that must be an exaggerati…
363 wordsSECTION 71Esther 4:17
Esther 4:17 Ver. 17. So Mordecai went his way,.... About the business he was directed to; the word used having sometimes the signification of passing over or transgressing, Jarchi interprets it of Mordecai's transgressing the command, by fasting on a festival; the letter being written on the thirteenth of Nisan, Es 3:…
142 wordsSECTION 72Esther 5:1
Esther 5:1 INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 5 This chapter gives an account of Esther's going in to the king, and of his holding out the golden sceptre to her, on which she invited him and Haman to a banquet of wine that day, and to another the next day, Es 5:1, which highly delighted Haman; and he went to his house and family…
398 wordsSECTION 73Esther 5:2
Esther 5:2 Ver. 2. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight,.... Which no doubt was of God, who has the hearts of kings in his hand, and turns them as he pleases; the king had not called her for thirty days past, or more, which showed coolness of af…
178 wordsSECTION 74Esther 5:3
Esther 5:3 Ver. 3. Then said the king unto her, what wilt thou, Queen Esther?.... He supposed she had some business with him, some suit to make to him, by her coming in this manner: and what is thy request? signifying he was ready to grant it, be it what it would: it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingd…
148 wordsSECTION 75Esther 5:4
Esther 5:4 Ver. 4. And Esther answered, if it seem good unto the king,.... She humbly submits it to his pleasure, suggesting it would be exceeding grateful to her, could it be granted: let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him; for the king; and supposing it would be acceptabl…
95 wordsSECTION 76Esther 5:5
Esther 5:5 Ver. 5. Then the king said, cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said,.... That is, he ordered some of his servants to make haste and acquaint Haman with the queen's invitation, and to press him to make haste to comply with it: so the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had p…
92 wordsSECTION 77Esther 5:6
Esther 5:6 Ver. 6. And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine,.... For such it seems the banquet was she prepared; it was not properly a meal, neither dinner nor supper, but a drinking bout; or, however, it was at that part of the banquet in which wine was drank that the king accosted Esther, when he began t…
166 wordsSECTION 78Esther 5:7
Esther 5:7 Ver. 7. Then answered Esther and said, my petition and my request is. What she should for the present make; the principal one she had to ask, for wise reasons, she still deferred.…
36 wordsSECTION 79Esther 5:8
Esther 5:8 Ver. 8. If I have found favour in the sight of the king,.... Or, seeing she had; for it was a clear case she had, both by his holding out the golden sceptre to her, and by accepting her invitation to her banquet: and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request; as he had been so g…
190 wordsSECTION 80Esther 5:9
Esther 5:9 Ver. 9. Then went Haman forth that day, joyful, and with a glad heart,.... From court to his own house but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him; did not show him the least degree even of civil respect; which he refused to do, partly lest it should be interpret…
184 wordsSECTION 81Esther 5:10
Esther 5:10 Ver. 10. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself,.... From showing any outward resentment to Mordecai, from laying hands upon him or taking revenge on him, as being too much below him to avenge himself on a single person, when the whole body of the people Mordecai belonged to would shortly feel the power of h…
99 wordsSECTION 82Esther 5:11
Esther 5:11 Ver. 11. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches,.... Of the multitude of them; which he did partly in a way of ostentation, and partly, if he could, to make his mind easy under the mortification he received from Mordecai; and, it may be, chiefly to aggravate his rudeness and ill behaviour towards h…
183 wordsSECTION 83Esther 5:12
Esther 5:12 Ver. 12. Haman said, moreover,.... To all which he added, and what seemed to delight him most of all, or however was a new additional honour done him: yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; which he judged was doing him singular honour…
110 wordsSECTION 84Esther 5:13
Esther 5:13 Ver. 13. Yet all this availeth me nothing,.... Is not equal or sufficient for me; it gives me no satisfaction and contentment: so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate: not rising up to bow unto him; this single circumstance spoiled all his joy and pleasure.…
54 wordsSECTION 85Esther 5:14
Esther 5:14 Ver. 14. Then said Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, unto him,.... His wife very probably first moved it, and all his friends present approved of it and united in it: let a gallows be made, of fifty cubits, high; that the person hanged thereon might be seen at a distance, and so be a greater reproach …
260 wordsSECTION 86Esther 6:1
Esther 6:1 INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 6 Ahasuerus, not being able to sleep in the night, ordered the book of records to be brought and read to him, where a fact of Mordecai's was registered, and, upon inquiry, it appeared that nothing had been done to him for it, Es 6:1 and Haman being in the outward court, was ordered i…
294 wordsSECTION 87Esther 6:2
Esther 6:2 Ver. 2. And it was found written,.... Upon reading, and in which there was also a peculiar hand of Providence, directing to the reading of that part of them in which the affair of Mordecai was registered: and if what the latter Targum says is true, it was the more remarkable, that when Shimshai the scribe, …
195 wordsSECTION 88Esther 6:3
Esther 6:3 Ver. 3. And the king said, what honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?.... He judged it an action worthy of regard, and what ought to be rewarded, as it was the saving of his life; but had forgot whether any royal favour had been shown to the person for it: then said the king's servants th…
107 wordsSECTION 89Esther 6:4
Esther 6:4 Ver. 4. And the king said, who is in the court?.... Being in haste to confer some honour on Mordecai for what he had done: now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house; though it was early in the morning, being eager to get to the speech of the king before he was engaged in any business, t…
96 wordsSECTION 90Esther 6:5
Esther 6:5 Ver. 5. And the king's servants said unto him, behold, Haman standeth in the court,.... In the outward court; for into the inward court none might enter without being called, for which he was waiting: and the king said, let him come in; into his bedchamber; and it was of God, no doubt, that Haman should be…
82 wordsSECTION 91Esther 6:6
Esther 6:6 Ver. 6. So Haman came in,.... But was prevented speaking to the king about the business he came upon by the following speech of the king: what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? he mentions not the name of any man, that he might the more freely, and unbiasedly, and disinterested…
207 wordsSECTION 92Esther 6:7
Esther 6:7 Ver. 7. And Haman answered the king,.... At once, being very prompt to suggest the honours he hoped to have done to himself: for the man whom the king delighteth to honour; let the following things be done.…
41 wordsSECTION 93Esther 6:8
Esther 6:8 Ver. 8. Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear,.... Not a whole suit of clothes, but a single garment; the purple robe, as both the Targums, such as kings wore; that which Cyrus appeared in public in was half purple, and half white, and no other person besides might wear such an one {…
594 wordsSECTION 94Esther 6:9
Esther 6:9 Ver. 9. And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes,.... The one, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour; and the other to be led in state before him: and bring him on horseback through the street of the city; on another ho…
161 wordsSECTION 95Esther 6:10
Esther 6:10 Ver. 10. Then the king said to Haman, make haste,.... And without delay go into the royal treasury, or wardrobe, as the Targum adds: "and take the apparel"; the royal robe, the purple one, or one of the precious purple robes; and then, as the same Targum, go to the king's stable, and take thence the king's…
243 wordsSECTION 96Esther 6:11
Esther 6:11 Ver. 11. Then took Haman the apparel, and the horse,.... The one out of the wardrobe, the other out of the stable, and the crown also no doubt, though no mention is made of it, since the king made no objection to it, yea, commanded that nothing fail of what had been spoken; but this was included in the pom…
118 wordsSECTION 97Esther 6:12
Esther 6:12 Ver. 12. And Mordecai came again to the king's gate,.... To attend his post and office at court; which confirms what has been already hinted, that he was in some office in the court, which this phrase is expressive of, and not a porter at the gate; for it is not probable he should return to such a station,…
191 wordsSECTION 98Esther 6:13
Esther 6:13 Ver. 13. And Haman told Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, every thing that had befallen him,.... How he was prevented speaking to the king on this errand he went; instead of which, he had the mortification of being obliged to do the honour to Mordecai which he thought would never have been given to any…
305 wordsSECTION 99Esther 6:14
Esther 6:14 Ver. 14. And while they were yet talking with him,.... About these things, and giving their opinion of the issue of them, upon the present appearance of them: came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared; the time appointed for it being very near, or qu…
92 wordsSECTION 100Esther 7:1
Esther 7:1 INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 7 Esther, being solicited by the king to tell him her petition, asks for her life and the lives of her people, who were sold to be destroyed, Es 7:1, the king, amazed at her request, inquires who was the person that dared to do so vile a thing; and was told by her it was Haman there …
185 wordsSECTION 101Esther 7:2
Esther 7:2 Ver. 2. And the king said again to Esther on the second day, at the banquet of wine,.... This was the third time he put the following question to her, being very desirous of knowing what she had to ask of him; and it was of God that this was kept upon his mind, and he was moved to solicit her petition, or o…
113 wordsSECTION 102Esther 7:3
Esther 7:3 Ver. 3. Then Esther the queen answered and said,.... Not rolling herself at the king's knees, as Severus {f} writes; but rather, as the former Targum, lifting up her eyes to heaven, and perhaps putting up a secret ejaculation for direction and success: if I have found favour in thy sight, O king; as she ce…
176 wordsSECTION 103Esther 7:4
Esther 7:4 Ver. 4. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish,.... She makes use of these several words, to express the utter destruction of her and her people, without any exception; not only the more to impress the king's mind with it, but she has respect to the precise words of th…
427 wordsSECTION 104Esther 7:5
Esther 7:5 Ver. 5. Then the King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen,.... The words in the original text lie thus, "and the King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Esther the queen"; which doubling of the word does not signify, as Jarchi suggests, that before he spoke to her by a messenger, or middle person,…
241 wordsSECTION 105Esther 7:6
Esther 7:6 Ver. 6. And Esther said, the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman,.... Who was not only an enemy to her and her people, but an adversary to the king, by advising and persuading him to that which was to the loss of his revenues, as well as of his reputation; also, she pointed at him, and gave him his jus…
145 wordsSECTION 106Esther 7:7
Esther 7:7 Ver. 7. And the king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden,.... Not being able to bear the sight of Haman, who had done such an injury both to himself and to the queen; as also that his wrath might subside, and he become more composed and sedate, and be able coolly to d…
166 wordsSECTION 107Esther 7:8
Esther 7:8 Ver. 8. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine,.... Being a little cooler, and more composed in his mind, see See Gill on "Es 1:5" and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was; not the bed she lay on to sleep in the night, (for it cannot be thought tha…
472 wordsSECTION 108Esther 7:9
Esther 7:9 Ver. 9. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king,.... One of the seven chamberlains, see Es 1:10, his name, with Josephus {y}, is Sabouchadas. Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. …
163 wordsSECTION 109Esther 7:10
Esther 7:10 Ver. 10. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai,.... Not within his house, Es 7:9, but more probably in his courtyard, in the sight of his family and friends; or, it may be, the gallows was taken from thence, and set up without the city, where he was hanged: for so it is said…
151 wordsSECTION 110Esther 8:1
Esther 8:1 INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 8 This chapter relates the gifts Ahasuerus gave to Esther and Mordecai, Es 8:1, the suit Esther made to him to reverse the letters for the destruction of the Jews, Es 8:3, which, though it could not be formally granted, was in effect done by letters sent to the Jews, giving them powe…
251 wordsSECTION 111Esther 8:2
Esther 8:2 Ver. 2. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai,.... which, with the Persians, was a token of the strongest affection and strictest friendship {z}; the Targum calls it his signatory ring, that with which he signed laws, edicts, letters, patents, &c. and so he…
101 wordsSECTION 112Esther 8:3
Esther 8:3 Ver. 3. And Esther spake yet again before the king,.... Went into his presence, without being called for as before, with a new petition: and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears; the more to work upon his affections, and move him to grant her request; which she might be the more encouraged to…
114 wordsSECTION 113Esther 8:4
Esther 8:4 Ver. 4. Then the king held out the golden sceptre towards Esther,.... As a token that she had not incurred his displeasure by coming into his presence without leave, and that she was admitted to speak and make her request; see Es 5:3 so Esther arose and stood before the king; she rose from the ground on wh…
85 wordsSECTION 114Esther 8:5
Esther 8:5 Ver. 5. And said, if it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes,.... This heap of phrases, which signify much the same thing, are used to work upon the king's affections, and to show how submissive she was to his will:…
134 wordsSECTION 115Esther 8:6
Esther 8:6 Ver. 6. For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people?.... I cannot bear it; it will break my heart; I shall die to see all my people massacred throughout the realm; the thought of it is shocking and shuddering; to see it, intolerable: or "how can I endure to see the destruction of my …
140 wordsSECTION 116Esther 8:7
Esther 8:7 Ver. 7. Then the King Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen, and to Mordecai the Jew,.... Who was present at the same time, either at the desire of Esther, or by virtue of his office, being now one of those that saw the king's face, Es 8:1, behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman; See Gill on "Es 8:1…
180 wordsSECTION 117Esther 8:8
Esther 8:8 Ver. 8. Write ye also for the Jews as it liketh you,.... Whatever may be thought fit and proper for their safety and security: in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring; as the former letters were: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man …
172 wordsSECTION 118Esther 8:9
Esther 8:9 Ver. 9. Then were the king's scribes called at that time,.... As they were to write the former letter, Es 3:12, in the third month, that is the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; which answers to part of May, and part of June. This was two months and ten days after the writing of the form…
338 wordsSECTION 119Esther 8:10
Esther 8:10 Ver. 10. And he wrote in the King Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring,.... Which gave the letters authority, and made them irreversible, and for this Mordecai had the king's order, Es 8:8 and sent letters by post; by runners or couriers: on horseback; that rode on horses that were racers,…
337 wordsSECTION 120Esther 8:11
Esther 8:11 Ver. 11. Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together,.... In some part of the city they should choose, and remain in a body, being sufficiently armed: and to stand for their life; to defend themselves, and fight for their life, should any attack them, or attemp…
193 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.