seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Esther 8:15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy,gladness and honor. 17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
9:1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”
13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”
14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
19 That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
This is from the enduringword.com site.
If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows: Many have criticized Esther for this, saying it showed a lack of love towards her enemies. Yet she displays the same principle found so often in Joshua – she would not settle for less than total victory.
And they hanged Haman’s ten sons: Haman and his sons were descendents of the ancient Amalekites (comparing Esther 3:1 and 1 Samuel 15:8-33). God commanded Saul, the son of Kish, to execute the full extent of God’s judgment against the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:2-3). Saul failed; but this later descendent of the tribe of Benjamin and a son of Kish named Mordecai (Esther 2:5-6) completed God’s judgment against the Amalekites.
“Now it was God’s intent that a last conflict should take place between Israel and Amalek: the conflict which began with Joshua in the desert was to be finished by Mordecai in the king’s palace.” (Spurgeon)
And this is from the easy English site.The Jews killed many people. This might seem very cruel. But they probably only attacked those who attacked them first. They killed their enemies and those who hated them. Probably they only killed those who tried to obey Haman’s evil law. The new law allowed them to do this. They killed the sons of Haman too. The law allowed them to take the property of their enemies, but they did not. (See also Esther 9:15-16.) They did not kill people to make themselves rich. The other people probably respected the Jews for this. God’s plan was only to save the lives of the Jews.
Maybe they did not take the property of their enemies because they remembered the story of King Saul. In 1 Samuel chapter 15, King Saul did not obey God. God told him to kill the people called Amalekites and to destroy all their property. But Saul and his army kept some of the good property and he allowed King Agag to live. (Haman was from the family of Agag, the king of the Amalekites.)
It seems that the king was sad. Perhaps he was sad because the Jews killed so many people. Or perhaps he was sad because so many people had hated the Jews. But he allowed Esther to ask for something more. Esther asked the king to allow the Jews to kill their enemies for one more day. She also asked the king to hang the bodies of Haman’s sons. Haman’s sons were already dead. When people saw their bodies on the gallows, they would remember wicked Haman. Then they would not attack the Jews. The king did what Esther asked.
The king allowed the Jews in Susa to kill their enemies for two days. The other Jews only killed their enemies for one day. Then they rested on the second day. They ate together and they were happy. The Jews in Susa did not rest until the next day.
Some Jews had a holiday on the 14th day, but other Jews had a holiday on the 15th day. This tells us why the dates are different.
They didn't kill their enemies for plunder. Ask anyone why we got involved in the Middle East.... and the majority will say it was for oil. The descendants of Israel [Jacob's family.... God renamed Jacob, Israel].... didn't take the plunder.... they weren't there to gain from this slaughter... they were there to defend themselves. Not taking the plunder made it respectful.... meanwhile.... Haman's sons became human popsicles too.
Persia... is modern day Iran?
