i The Expreffions are ſhort and doubled, as proceeding from a diſcompoſed and enraged mind. & z. e. To circumvent me, and by ſubrilty to procure an irrevocable Decree,whereby not only my Eitate ſhould be ſo much impaired, and fo many of my innocent Subje&s be deſtroyed without Mercy,but my Queen alſo ſhould be involved in the ſame danger and defſtruttion.
6 And Eſther faid, | The adverſary and enemy is 1 F this wicked Haman, Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
I Of the King, and of my Perſon and people.
7 And the king ariling from the banquet of Wine in his wrath, ext into the palace-garden »»: and Haman Food up to make requeſt for his life to Eſther the queen: for he ſaw » that there was evil determined againit him by the king.
m Partly as diſdaining the company and fight of ſo ungrateful and audacious a perſon : partly ro cool and allay his troubled and inflamed Spirits, and partly to conſider within himſelf the hai- nouſneſs of Haman's crime,and the miſchief which himſelf had done by his own raſknet(s, and wtat punithment was fit to be inflicted upon ſo great a Deliaqueat. # By the violent commotion of the King's mind and paſſions.
s Then the king returned out of the palace-garden, into the place of the banquet of Wine, and Haman was fallen upon the bed o whereon Eſther was. 'Then ſaid the king, Will he force the queen alſo p + before me inthe houſeq ? As the word weat out of the kings mouch they 7 covered Hamas face /.
. 0 Or, by, or beſize rhe bed, on which the- Queen fat at Meat, after the manner : where he was fallen upon his Knees, and upon the ground, at her feet, as humble Supgliants uſed ro do, and as the Queen did at the King's feet, chap:8:3: p Will he now attempt my Queens Chaſtity as he hath already atrempred her life ! His preſum- ption and impudence I ſee will ſtick at nothing.He ſpeaks not this out of a real jealouſic, for which there was no cauſe in thoſe cir-.
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pon the Jews,
NH BR makes the worſt conflruQtion of all his words and aftiens. 9 Inmy own preſence and Palace. » i.e. The King's and Queen's Cham- berlains then attending upen them. { Partly that the King might not be offended or grieved with the fight of a Perſon whom he now
loathed + and partly becauſe they looked upon him as a condem= ned Perſon 3 for the faces of ſuch uſcd tobe covered.
9 And * Harbonah, one of the chamberlains?, ſaid xc, , | before the king, Behold alfo the + gallows fifty cubits +Heb.zrl
high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had ſpoken good for the King «, {candeth in the houſe of Haman. Then the King faia, Hang him thereon.
: Who knew this either by his own Obſervation,or by the Infor= mation of ſome of his Brethren, who were lately ſent to Haman's | Houſe, ch. 6; 14: where they might caſily ſee ir, or at leaſt hear of '1t. And this he faid either out of a diftaſt which he had taken as ' gainſt Haman for his great inſolency, and barbarous cruelty; or in | compliance with the King's inclinations,and the Queen's deſire, E-
ven to the ſaving of the King's lite, ch: 2: 21, 22, 23- and therefore deſerved a better requital than this even from Haman,if he had not ; baſely preferred the ſatis/aCtion of his own revenge before the pre- ſervation of the King's life. | Io SO they hanged Haman onthe gallows that he had prepared x for Mordecai. Then was the kings wrath pacihied y. |
x Which ſtood in his own houſe, as was now ſaid,and made the puniſhment more grievous and ignominious. y Judgement being now molt juitly executed upon this abominable criminal.
EaHAP. VIiIL Mor decai ts advanced wer the houſe ef Haman, 1, 2. Eſther maketh #» Petition ta the King to reverſe Haman's Letter, 3 5, Abate erus grantath ts Effher and Mordecai, 7, to write to the Jews 10 defend themſelves, 8. Mordecai”s Litters in the King's Name to defend them- Jelves, and defiroy their Aſuilants, 9 14. Mordeca:'s honour, and the Jews joy, 15 17, |
ON that day did the king Ahaſuerus give the houſe of Haman s the Jews enemy, unto Eſther the king b,for Eſther
!
queen,and Mordecai came before the had told what he was unto her c.
a With all his Goodsand Eſtate, which being juſtly forefeired to the King, he no leſs juſtly beſtowsit upon the Queen,to compenſate the danger ro which Hsmes had expoſed her. +57i.e. Was by the Queen's deſire admitted into the King's Preſence,and Favour, and Family, and, as it ſeems, made one of the ſeven Princes. ci:e:How nearly he was related to her : which till this time ſhe had wiſely concealed ; this being the fit ſeaſon to declare it.
2 And the king took off his ring 4 which he had ta-
ken from Haman, and gave- it unto Mordecai, And Eſther fer Mordecai over the houſe of Haman e. 4 That Ring which he had formerly given to Haman for that pre- ſent, or any further uſe, c<:3: »o: henow gives to Mordecai, and with it that Power and Authori'y, whereof this Ring was a hon, making him,as Haman had been, the Keeper of nis Signet. e Asher Steward, to manage that great Eſtate for her as he thought fitteſt.
3 And Efther ſpake yet again before the king, and
7 To repeal that cruel Decree of which ſee ch: 3: 13-
4 Then the king held ont the golden ſcepter. g to- ward Eſther,So Efther aroſe,and ſtood before the king. g In token that he accepted her Perſon aud Petition, and that ſhe ſhould ſtand upon her feer. ;
5 And ſaid, If it pleaſe the king,and if T have found favour in his ſight, and the thing /cem right before the king, and I be pleaſing in his eyes þ, ler icbe written
h She uſeth various Expreflions,thar ſhe might inſinuate her ſelf into the King's Favour, by ſuch a full and repeated reſignation and ſubmiſſion of her ſelf to the King's good pleafure. i She prudently takes off all the envy and hatefulneſs ofthe a&ion from the King, and lays it upon Haman, who had for his own wicked and felfifh ends contrived the whole buſineſs, and circumvented the King un it : which ſhealledgeth as a reaſon why it ſhould be repealed, bee cauſe it was ſurreptitiouſly and craftily procured. |
6 For how Can I + endure to {ce the evil & that come unto my people ? or how can Iendure to ſee the
deſtruRion of my kindred ? | k My heart will fink under ir,8 I ſhal never be able to ſurvive it. 7 Then the King Ahaſuerus faid unto Eſther the queen, and unto Mordecai the Jew, Behoid I have gi- ven Eſther the houſe of Haman, fand him they have hanged / upon the gallows, becauſe helaid his hand u-