people, to be destroyed, slain, made to On the aeoond day. On the second occa.sion perish." Had it been anything less than of being entertained by Esther. this, had we boen merely sentenced to be Vor. 3.-Let my life be given me, &c. First of all, I ask at the king's hands my ~old as slaves, I had kept my peace (ver. 4); own life, which is threatened (eh. iv. 13); but that did not content "the enemy "-we secondly, I ask the life of my people, in nro, one and all, to suffer death. Esther's whose sentence it is that I am involved. answer must hn.ve made all clear to the king Some rhetorical skill is shown in separating -that his wife was a Jewess; that her lifo the two, so n,s to mako them correspond to the two clauses of the king's address- was forfeit, like those of her countrymen, " What is thy petition 1" and "Whut is thy by the terms of tl1e decree ; that Ha.man was request!" " the enemy " ~-horn she feared. But he Vor. 4. -For we are. sold, I and my people. will e.ssume nothing, he will have all clearly Haman has paid our price, has given ten set before him, and therefore be asks, "Who thousand talents for us, and you, 0 king, have sold us to him. The reproach is covert, is he, and where is he, that durst presume but clearly contained in the words; and so in his heart to act so!" Then comes Esther's the king must have understood Esther. To final declarntion, clear, direct, unmistakable: be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. "The adversary and enemy is this wicked The use of three synonyms for one and the Haman" (ver. 6), this man here before you, same thing is not mere verbiage, but very expressive. "We are sold, all of us, to be this man who eats our salt, and would take overwhelmed in one universal, promiscuous, one of our lives. Fiercely angry, but con- unsparing destruction." Although the enemy fused and hesitating, the king rises from the could not countervail the king's damage. banquet, and quits the room, stepping pro- "Although, even in that case, the enemy bably through an open door into the palace (Haman) could not (by the payment that he has made) compensate the king for the garden. Now is Ha.man's last chance. Can damage that he would suffer by losing so he excit.e the pity of the queen 1 Can he many subjects." So Gesenius, Rambach, prevail on her to intercede for him and make Dathe, and others. But it is simpler, and his peace with the king 1 He entreats, he perhaps better, to understand the passage as supplicates, he "falls upon the couch " on Bertheau does: "for the enemy (Haman) is not worthy to vex the king," or "is not 'll"hich Esther reclines, in his eagerness to win worth vexing the king about." her consent (ver. 7.) At this moment the Ver. 5.-Who is he 1 Ahasuerus asks the king re-enters the room (ver. 8), and takes question to "make sure," as we say-not advant.age of He.man's breach of etiquette that he could really be in any doubt. That to accuse him of rudeness to the queen. The durst presume. Rather, "that hath pre- sumed" (oanc froAµ,,a,.-LXX. ). attendants see in the accusation a sentence Ver. 6.-Theadversaryandenemy. Esther of death, and "cover He.man's face" (ver. adds a second term ofreproach-"enemy"- 8}. Then one of the eunuchs, who knows stronger than the one which she had used all the circnmstances of the case, anxious before (ver. 4), to stir up the king to greater anger. for that kind of retribution which is known Vere. 7, 8.-Ahasuerus rose up from the to modems as '' poetic justice," suggests that banquet "in his wrath "-he could no longer the cross prepared for Mordecai will serve remain quiet-and entered the palace garden, well for the execution of Haman. The king on which Esther's apartment probably looked; readily consents to the suggestion (ver. 9), partly, perhaps, as Berthean says, to cool the and Haman is impaled on the cross which he first heat of his fury in the open air ; jartly to give himself time for reflection, an con- had erect.ed for his enemy in the court of his sider what he would do. Haman also rose own house (ver. 10). from table, and standing near her, began pleading with Esther for his life, which ho Ver. 1.-The king and Haman came to felt that she, and she alone, could save. Evil, banquet (rnarg. drink). In Persian feasts he saw, wa1 determined against him by the the solid dishes were few, and the time kin,r; but a woman's heart might be more was ma.inly passed in drinking and eating tencler, and he might perhaps move the dessert (Herod., i. 133). queen to allay the storm that slie had raised, Ver. 2.-And the king aid again. Esther and induce the king to spare him. He had prom.:i.sed to let her real request be therefore pleaded with all the earnestness in known at this banquet (eh. v. 8). The king his power, and at last threw himself forward therefore once more gives her the opportunity. on the couch where Esther reclined, seeking OH. VII. 1-10,) THE BOOK OF ESTHER.
perhaps to grasp her foet or her garments, Ver. 9.-Harbonah, one of the chamber- as is usual with suppliants in the Ee.at. .At lains, said before the king. Rather, "Har- this crisis the king returned, and miscon- bonah, one of the chamberlains (eunuchs' struing He.me.n's action, or pretending to do that served before the king, said." The so, exclaimed aloud, "Will he even force "eunuchs that served before the king" were the queen with me in the house 1" The those of the highest grade, as appears from terrible che.rge brought matters to a concln- eh. i. 10. Harbonah was one of them. Who sion-it was to.ken as e. call on the attendants had spoken good for the kinJ, Or, "who to seize the culprit and execute him. They spake good." The reference LS to his detec- covered his face, apparently, as that of a tion of the conspiracy (eh. ii 22). In the condemned man not worthy any more to see house of Haman. This had not been men- the light, according to e. practice common tioned previously. It adds one touch ol among the Romans (Liv., i 26 ; Cic. 'pro extra barbarity to Haman's character, that Rabir.,' iv.13) and theMacedonians (Q.Cnrt., he should have intended the execution to 'Vit. .Alex.,' vi. 8), but not elsewhere men- take place within the walls of his own house. tioned as Persian.