given his approval to the fe11Bt from the first, haps a reference to the keeping of a fast and havo adopted it into the ceremoni11l of before the two Purim days (ver. 31). These tho n11tion, or it would scarcely have become he sent to all Jews throughout the whole universal. Hooker (' Eccl. Pol.,' v. 71, § 6) empire, inclosing with them the formal rightly makes the estnblishmen t of the feast "letter of Pu rim." With words of peace an argument in favour of the Church's power and truth. Perhaps beginning thus: "Peace to prescribe festival days ; and it must cer- and truth be with you"-a modification of tninly have been by ecclesiastical, and not the usual, "Peace," &c. (Ezra iv. 17), or, by civil, command that it became obligatory. "All peace" (ibid. v. 7), with which letters Th&t these diiys . . should not fail, . . . ordinarily began. nor the memori&l of them perish. As a Ver. 31.-As they h&d decreed for them• commemoration'ofhn.man, and not of Divine, selves and their seed. "As they-i. e. the appointment, the feast of Purim was liable Jews generally-had decreed" (see ver. 27). to abrogation or discontinuance. The Jews The matters of the fastings &nd their cry. of the time resolved that the observance These words stand in no clear grammatical snould be perpetual; and in point of fact the relation to the preceding, and are otherwise feast has continued up to the present date, very difficult to explain. They are thought and is likely to continue, though they could to allude to the establishment by the pro• not bind their successors. vincial Jews, apart from Mordecai and Esther, Ver. 29.-Then Esther the queen, the of the 13th of Adar as a day of fasting diiughter of Abihail, . . . wrote. The un- and wailing ; but if so, it is strange that usual designation of Esther as "daughter of nothing has been previously said of this Abihail" can only be accounted for by her ordinance. The plural form of the word for having so designated herself in the letter. " fastings " is also suspicious, since it does With &11 iiuthority. , Rather, "with all not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament. earnestness," or "impressiveness." Liter- Altogether, it is perhaps most probable that ally, the word used means "strength." To the words were originally the gloss of a cam• oon.ftrm this second letter of Pllrim. The mcntator, written in the margin, and that fi;rst letter is the one which is mentioned in they have been accidentally transferred to the vers. 20 and 26. That letter having elicited text. They do not occur in the Septuagint. the favourable replycontained in vers. 26-28, Ver. 32.-The decree of Esther. Rather, a. " second letter of Purim " was now issued, "a commandment of Esther." Some fresh "confirming" and establishing the observ- act seems to be intended-something beyond iince. It went forth not as an edict, or in the joint letter of Esther end Mordecai ; the king's name, but as a letter, and in the though why it was needed, or what addi- names ofEsther and Mordecai. tional authority it could give, is not apparent. Ver. 30.-Andhesenttheletters. Rather, And it wa.s written in the book. I. e. "this 'he sent letters." In addition to the formal commandment of Esther was inserted in the "letter of Purim," which was of the nature book of the chronicles," where the writer of an ordinance, though not of legal force, probably found it. No other book being Mordecai sent informal letters, which em• mentioned in Esther but this, "the book" braced other topics besides the Purim feast, can have no other meaning (see eh. ii. 23 ; as, for instiince, words of salutation, and per• vi. 1; x. 2).
HOMILETICS.
Vera. 1-16.-.Deliverance and victory. The history of "the chosen nation" is full of Divine deliverances. The present is only one of the many instances in which, by faith, the Isrnelites "esca.ped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." I. THE MEANS of the deliverance and victory here related. Royal authority primarily accounts for it. Only by the sanction of the king could the Jews dare to draw the sword and withstand their foes. Ministerial encouragement supported this sanction. It was known that Mordecai, the chief minister of Ahasuerus, was thoroughly earnest in the matter, and would countenance his countrymen in their proceedings. Official help was given. Probably the enemies of the Jews were among the idolatrous tribes, and the Persian officers and rulers were instructed to favour the Jews against their heathen foes. National courage explains the va.liant stand which was made by the children of the captivity. "A good cause, a good conscience, and a good cow·age" secured the victory. II. THE COMPLETENESS of the delivernnce and victory. Fear, panic, dread of the Jews seized their enemies, and the oppressed II bad rule over" the oppressors. Th" 160 THE BOOK OF ESTHER. [CH. IX. 1- 32.
enemi~s were sl_ain in great num~ers wh~rever an e!'counte~ took place. Mordecai and his party triumphed over their foes m the public hangmg on the gibbet of the dead bodies of Haman's ten sons. The magnanimity of the victorious was shown in their not laying hand upon the spoil, which was wise, inasmuch as it was thus made apparent that their only aim was security, and that they sought not plunder, and also that they did not wish to avail themselves of the king's generosity, but to replenish his treasury rather than their own. III. THE MARVEL of the deliverance and victory. How contrary to the designs of Harnan, the most powerful personage in the realm I How contrary to the expectations of the Jews themselves, who were naturally enough oppressed with the sense of theil danger, ai:id the prospect of their ex:termID:a?on I . How. co~trary to the forebodings of the neighbours of the Jews, who had Joined m their distress and lamentations with true and friendly sympathy. "God's ways are not as our ways, neither our thoughts as his thoughts." This is the appropriate benediction which the reader of the Megillah, at the feast of Purim, pronounces at its close: "Blessed art thou (11 Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast contended our contest, judged ~ur cause, hast avenged our wrongs, requited all the enemies of our souls, and hast delivered us from our oppressors. Blessed art thou, who hast delivered thy people from all their oppressors, thou Lord of salvation."