State, that few or none might have acceſs to the King but them- ſclves and their Yrieads And many fuch ſevere Laws there were in the Perfian Courts which profane Hiſtorians relate, as that if any Perſon looked upon one of the Kings Concubines, or wore any of his own Clothes,or drunk of that water which he had appropriated to. himſelf, and other ſuch like things he was puniſhed withdeath. n Which gives me juſt cauſe ro fuſpect and tear that the Kings Affections are alienated from me, and rherefore that neither my Perſon nor Petition will be acceptable to him,
12 And they told to Mordecai Eſthers words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to anſwer Eſther, Think not with'thy ſeif char thou ſhalt eſcape inthe kings houſe o, more than all the Jews:
0 7. e, Being, or becauſe thou art in the Kings Houſe, and an e- mincent Member of his Family.
14 Forit thou alcogecher holdeſt thy peace at this time, then ſhall there + enlargement and deliverance ariſe to the Jews from another place p, bur thou and
; He ſheweth E- Rher the cauſe of it, and adviſeth her to petition the King for - her Peo-
A Em
ſwer,
nor drink t three days, night or day : I alſo and
I periſh, I periſh =.
of abſoJuteFaſting ſo long upon all the Jews, which very few of them were able to endure, And fo the like Phraſe is taken, 4#s 27. 33. where he ſaith, This is the fourteenth day that ye have continued fa- ting having taken nothing. u Which ſhe had choſen toatrend upon her perſcn, and were doubtleſs either of the Jewifh Nation, or proſely-
long, either T1. To the thing only, that as they did faft, ſo ſhe would. Or, rather, 2. Tothe time of three day and three nights ; for ſo ſhe might do, though ſhe went to the King on the th.rd day. Hor the Faſt began at evening, and fo the might continue her Fat three whole nights. and two whole days, and the greatelt part of tne third 3 a part of aday being repured a «ay in the account of Scripture, and other Authors : of which ſce on Mat. 12. 40. Yea, ſhe might faſt all that day too : for ir is probable ſhe went not ro the King il] he had dined ; when ſhe ſuppoſed the might find him in the molt mild and pleaſant humour, and thenrerurned to her A- partment, where ſhe taſted till the Evening. y Which is againſt the Law now mentioned. z Although my danger be great and evi- dert, conſidering the expreſneſs of that.Law, and the uncertainty ofthe Kings mind, and that ſeverity which he ſhewed ro my Prede- ccflor Yajhii ; yet rather than neg!e& my duty to God, and to his People, I will go to the King, and cat my ſeif chearfully and re- {oJurely upon Gods Providence for my ſafety and ſucceſs.
5. And being encouraged by the King in her Petition, 6. Invites them to another banquet, 7, 8, Haman's joy, but angry with Myaecai for contemning him, 9 13: By the counſel of his Wife he builds 8 Gallows for him, 14.
OW it came to paſs on the third day «, that E-
houſe : and the king fat upon his royal throne in the royal houſe, over againſt che gate of the houſe. | a Of which ſee the Notes on ch. 4. 16. b That ſhe might ren-
der her ſclfas amiable in the King's Eyes as ſhe could ; and fo ob- tained” her requeſt.
ſtanding in the court, rhat ſhe * obtained favour in his ſight : and the king held out to Efther the golden ſcep- ter that was in his hande: fo Eſther drew near, and touched the top of his ſcepter 4.
c Inteſtimony that he pardoned her preſumption, and accepted her perſon, and was ready to grant her petition, d In token of her thankful acceptance of the King's great favour, and of her reve- rence and ſubmiſſion to his Majeſty, whereof thar might poſlibly be an uſual token, and it may be, at the King's call and invitation to her to come nezr to him.
3 Then faid the king unto her, what wilt thou, quzen
given thee to the half of the kingdoms
4 And Efther anſwered, If i: ſeems good unto the king, let the King and Haman e come this day unto the ban- quet that I have prepared for him. | |
e Whom ſhe invited, partly that by ſhewing ſuch reſpeR ro the King's great Favourite, the might inſinuate her ſc]f into rhe King's good opinion and affeftion ; and partly, that if ſhe ſaw fic,ſhe migar then preſent her requeſt ro the King. :
' 5 Then the king ſaid, cauſe Haman to make haſte, thar he may do as Either hath faid: fo the king and 'Haman came tothe banquet that Eſther had prepared.
6 And the king laid unco Elther atthe banquer of wine f, What is thy Petition ? and ic ſhall begcanted thee: and what is thy requeſt ? even to the half of the kingdom it ſhall be performed.
f Either 1. At the latter end of the Feaſt, when they vu: 9 drink Wine more freely, whereas in the former part, moſt of : heir drink was Water. Or, 2. Ather Banquet; which is ſo called, be- cauſe it confiſted norof Meats, which probably the King had plen- tifully eate:z before at his own Table, but of Fruits and Wines ; which Banquets were very frequent among the Perſfaus.
7 Then anſwered Eſther, and ſaid, my pericion, and
thy fathers houſe ſhall be deſtroyed q: and who know- 1 eth whether thou art come to the kingdom for ſuch a time as this 7 ? |
p From another hand, and by another means 3 which God can, and'I am fully perſwaded, will raile up. q By the righteous an | dreadful Judgement of God, punituing thy Cowardite,o teliz.ceking
my requelt zs ;' | 8 If Thave found favour in the fight of the king,
and if ir pleaſe rhe king to grantmy peticion, and 5 ©
perform my requeſt, let the King and Haman come to * Teb. #
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are | pre- ſent in Shuſhan, and faſt ye s for me, and neither eat
: my maidens « will falt likewiſe *, and ſo will Igo in unto
the king, which is not according io the law 7; and if
2 And it was /o, when the king ſaw Eſther the queen,
. 5 And pray ; which was the main buſineſs, to which faſting was only an help and an Handmaid. # To wir, ſo asyou uſe to do, either deliciouly or plentifully. Leave off your common Meals, Dinners by day, and Suppers at night, and eat and drink no more than meer neceſſity requires ; that ſo you may give your ſelves to conſtant and fervent Praycrs, for which your ordinary repaſts will unfir you. For it is not likely that ſhe would impole the burden
ted by hers, or others means, to that Religion, x Which may be- -
-
4
to all that Eſther had commanded him, paſſes. | CHAT Y. Eſther wentuting en the King's favour, haththe golden Scepter held ont ta her, 1 —— 3. She inviteth the King and Haman to # banquet, 4,