# That he might keep it as a Badge of his Supreme Authority under the King, and that he might ule it for the ſealing of this De- cree which now he deſired or of any other,, as hereafter he ſhould ice fir. Compare ch $., 2,8. and Gen. 41. 24, u So he was both by Inclination, as he was an Amalekite, and eſpecially by this mali- cious and deſtruftive Deſign and Reſolution.
it And the king laid unto Haman, the filver ;s gi- ven to ,thee*x, the people alſo, to do with them as it ſeemerh good to thee.
x Keep it to thy own uſe for the ; So) : :
12 Then were the kings || ſcribes y called on the thir-
I do not deſireit, I accept thy offer
cording to all that Haman had commanded unto the kings Leutenants,and to the governours that were over e- very prevince, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language,in the name of kingA- haſuerus was it written, and ſealed with the kings ring.
3 This he did ſo ſpeedily, though it was a year before the in- tended Execution, !elt the King ſhould change his Mind, either by his own clemency, or by the perſwaſion of others.
13 And the letters were ſent by poſts into all the kings provinces, to deſtroy, to kill, and to cauſe to pe- riſh all Jews, both young and old, * little children and women, in one day, evey upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month ( which is the month Adar ) and to take the ſpoil of them for a Prey z. |
z Which was to oblige them to the greater Severity and Rea- dineſs to execute this Edi& for their own advantage.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province, was publiſhed unto all people, that they ſhould be ready againſt that day.
15 The poſts went out, being haſtened-by the kings commandment ||, and the decree was given in Shuſhan
the palace : and the king and Haman ſat downto drink, but the city Shuſhan + was perplexed. || Either by/this Decree made in the King's name, or by ſome -particular aid ſncceeding command, which Haman could eatily ob- tain front the King, f Notonly the Jews, but a great number of the | Ciriz-hs, either becaute they were related to them, or engaged es ; them
of ſilver 7 to the hands of thoſe that have the charge of
Chap. 11l, PT
*Ch.9.24,
*Ezr.4.13 Acts 16, 20
T Heb, I Who meet, 0r te
ual,
+ Heb, deſtroy them.
+ Heb,
weighs
[| Or, 9p«
preſſor,
p Or, Secrt« teenth day of the firſt month, and there was written ac- et
,
* Not ex* ceptings
ka fa
ip.rq
+
(Me
" Cha Pp.
+ Hebs ſackeloch & ajnes were laid under many
tHeb. cu
7 Heb.
zum -h?
tad ſet be- know what 1t was, and why it was-
fore her.
T Heb. re-
ſ.ration,
IV. FE $7
them in worldſy coficerns ; or out of humanity and compaſſion to- wards ſo vaſt a number of innocent people now appointed as Sheep for the ſlaughter ; or out of a fear either of ſome Sedition and Di- ſturbance which might ariſe by this means; or of ſome Damage which mightaccrue to themſelves or Friends, who happily under this pretence might be expoſed to Rapine or ſlaughter ; or of a publick judgement cf God upon them all for ſo Bloody a Decree.
CHAT! Iv.
The grcat Mourning of Mordecai and the Jews, 1=—— 7.
ple, 4 wn 5, She, excuſmg her ſelf, is threatned by Mordecai,
8 —- 14. She appoints a general Fat, and reſolves to go in to the King, yg —_— I. WW en Mordecai perceived all that was donz, Mor- Cecai rent his clothes, and put on ſackcloth
with aſhes, and went out into the midſt of the city, and cried witha loud and bitter cry a, a Pzrtly to expreſs his deep Senſe of the miſchief coming upon his Peopje3 partly to move the pity of others to do what they could to prevent 1tz and partly that by this means it might come to the Queens Ear.
2 And came, even before the kings gate ; for none »:ight enter into the kings gate bþ clothed with fſack- cloth c.
b And therefore he might not fit there, as he had hitherto done. c Leſt it ſhould give the king any eccaſion of Grief or Trouble.
2 And in every province whitherfoever the kings commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and taſting, and weeping and wailing, and f many lay in ſackcloth and aſhes.
4 So Eſthers maids, and her F chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grie- ved.and jhe fent raiment to clothe/Mordecai,and to take away his ſackcloth from bim : bur he received it nor.
d That ſo he might be capable of returning to his former place, if not of coming to her toacquainr her with the caute of that un- uſual Sorrow.
5 Then called Eſther for Hatach, ove of the kings chamberlains, F whom! he had appointed to attend upon her ; and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the ftreer of the city, which as before the kings gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, ard of the ſum of money that Haman had promifed to pay to the kings treaſuries for the Jews, to deſtroy them. |
8: Alſo he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shuihan to deſtroy them, to ſhew # unto Eſther, and deciare iz unto her, and to charge her z that ſhe ſhould go in unto the king to make ſupplication unto him, and to make requeſt be- fore him for her people.
# Not only in his own name, to whom ſhe manifeſted a ſingular
reſpect, though his relation to her was yet unknown, bur allo 1n the name of the great God.-
9 And Hatach came and told Eſther. the words of Mordeca1.
Io Again Eſther ſpake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment to fay unto Mordecai ;
11 All the kings ſervants, and the people of the kings provinces do know &, that whatſoever, whether man or woman, ſhall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death m, except ſuch to whom che king [hall hold out the golden ſcepter that he may live: but I have nor been called co come in unto the king thele thirty days ».
k By common Fame of this received cuſtom and Law. 1 Within which, the Kings Reſidence and Throne was m This was decreed, partly to maintain both the Majcſty, and the {afery of the Kings
Perſon ; and partly by the contrivance of the greater Othcers of |