e This may be referred either, 1. To K'ſb, Mordecai's Grand-fa- ther laſt mentioned : or. 2. To Mordecar, who was then carried a- way, cither x. In the Loins of his Parents ; in which fenſe Lev? is faid to be zithed in 4iraham, Hcb. 7 and as thoſe Perions named , Ezra 2 are faid t have been carried away by N:buchadnezz4", Ezra 2. j 1. which is not true of the moſt of them in their own pecfons, but only as in their farh*rsLoins.Or 2.In his own perſon: and then in- deed he was a man of more than ordinary years. Bur of that ice the Netes on chap. 1. 1- 7 Ard he f brought up Hadaſſah ( that 1s Eſtherf) {Heb my. bis uncles daughter, for ſhe had neither father nor mo- | hed. ther, and the maid was F fair and beautiful, whom | Mordecai ( when her father and mother were dead ) took for his own daughter. . | f Hadaſah was her Hebrew name before her marriage and ſhe was called Eſther by the King after 1t | $ Soir came TO pais, waen the kings commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shuſhan the palace, to the cuſtody of Hcgai, thar Eſther was brought g alfo unto the kings houte, co the cuſtody of Hegai, keeper of the women. =D z Or, taken and thar by force,as that word oft ſignittes: ſo great was the p: wer and tyianny OI che Perſian Rigs, that they cou-s nd did take what perſons racy liked to their own ule.
4
Jebifi god wil King. eb. fu ore iſh leb.tw# paſs 0a 8). oh Heb. here 0100
tHeb fair o form, &- gudef 6 01=
— ———
— . —— ——— —
pon her head, and mad? her. queen 1n ſtead of Vaſhti. _ ad 18 Then the king made a grear feaſt unto all his prin- foodies ces and his ſervants, evtn Eſthers feaſt, and he made
a t releaſe to the ces #, and gave gifts according to the ſtate of the&king. tHeb.reft. ti. e, He rook off a good pirt of thoſe heavy taxes which the Perſian Kings laid upon their People. : 19 And when the virgins were gathered together the ſecond time «, then Mordecai fart in the kings gate x.
v Either, 1x. When Efher, with others, were brought ro the Kings houſe, as it was decreed above, v: 2, 3- which is called 7he ſecond time, becaute they had taken this couite once betore when
7ajbzi was cholen Queen: Bur there isno mention of any fuch for- mer ule ; and by the manner of propoſing,it ſeems to have been a new proje&. Or, 2. Since Ether was declared Que-n ; for though that point was decermined,the King's Luſt was nor yer fatisfied,o theretore being pleaicd with the former Experiment, he dclired a- nother Collection of Virgins whom he might make hs Concubines: And this ſcems beſt to agree with the following words. For it 1s not probable that Mordecai ſaute at the King's Gate till Ether was Queen ; for till chen he only watked before rhe court of the womens houſe, as is exprelicd v. 11. x Either 1» Voluntarily, to learn the progrels of Aitairs. Or, rather - 2, By Oiuce,as one of the King's
Guard
A £
& Eh. J Big-
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z9 Wig
' people,
Ir courts e Efh. 1
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Guard or M'nifter;; being advanced to this place by Eflher's On] though withourany diſcovery of her Relation ro him.
29 Eftber had nor yer ſhewed her kindred, nor her as Mordecai had charged her: for Eſther did like as when ſhe was
the commandment of Mordecai,
brought up with him. ; 21 * In thoſe days ( while Mordecai ſat in the kivgs
gate) two of the kings chamberlains, || Bigthan and
Fereſh, oF thoſe which kept the | door y, were wroth, and ſought + to lay hand z on the king Ahaſuerus.
'y Either = Of the King's Chamber. Or, 2. Of his Court ; and ſo they fate in the Gate, as Mordecai did, who by that means con- trafting ſome familiar acquaintance with them, might make ſome diſcovery of their Minds and deſign. = #. c. Violent hand; to kill him as this Phraſe is uſed, ch. 3. 6. and elſewhere. |
22 And the thing wasknown to Mordecai, who told
;t unto Eſther the queen, and Eſther certified che king
thereof, in Mordecais names : 23 And when inquifition was made of the matter, 1t
was found out, therefore they were both hanged on a tree : and it was written in the book of che Chroni-
cles be'ore the king ||. H | This may be referred, either r. To the Writing, to note that
this was writen in the King's preſence by Scribes, who were con-
tinually preſent with the King to write all remarkable paſſages hap- pening in the court from time to time. Or, 2. To the Book, which was laid up before the King, that he might more eaſily and frequently perule it for his own delight or direction.
C KP. NL.
Haman is advanced by the K ng, 1 4. being deſp'ſed by Mordecai, be ſeeketh to deftroy all the Jews, 5, 6. He caſteth Lots,7. and accuſing the Jews to the King, chtamneth @ Decree to pus them to death,8---=-I1. Letters iſſued out to deſtroy all the Jews, 12 15.
A Frer theſe things did king Ahaſuerus. promote Ha-
A man the ſon of Hammedatha the * Agagite a,
and advanced him, and ſer hisſeatabove all the princes
that ere with him 6.
2 5. e. Ari Amalekite of the royal Seed of that Nation, whoſe Kings were commonly and ſucceflively called Agag, as hath been obſerved before. Ir is true, he is calſed a Macedonian in the Apo- cryphal Additions to this book, and ſo he mighr by bis Birth or Habitation in that place, though by his original, he was of ano- ther people. b Gave him the firſt place and ſear, which was next to the King. Compare 2 Kings 25. 28.
2 And all the kings ſervants that were in the kings + gate bowed, and reverenced Haman ; for the king had ſo commanded concerning him: but Mordecai *
bowed not, nor did him reverence c.