Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. IX.

Vers. 1. IN the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary, &c.] This is noted to shew how false and deceitfull the lots which Haman cast proved in the conclusion; that day which was designed as the onely lucky day for the massacre of the Jews proved quite contrary, a happy day to them, and fatall to their enemies.

Vers. 2. And no man could withstand them: for the fear of them fell upon all people.] Hereby it appears that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth the enemies of the Jews in severall places, yea, even in the citie of Shushan it self, where Ahasuerus lived vers. 6. took up arms, and went about to massacre the Jews, accord∣ing to the sentence of the first decree, chap. 3.13. notwithstanding the second decree that was sent out after it, chap. 8.10, 11. wherein the Jews were allowed to gather themselves together and to destroy all those that should set upon them. Esther there∣fore they took this second edict to be a reversing of the first, which was against the laws of the Medes and Persians chap. 8.8. and therefore they were enraged at it, and would not obey it; or else, happely they did not believe that this second edict was in∣deed sent forth by the king, but was onely the device of Mordecai, or at least would not believe it, as being loth to be beaten off from destroying the Jews, whom they ha∣ted with a deadly hatred, and had long assured themselves that they should now have liberty to wreak their teen upon them, and therefore were resolved to put in execution the first decree: now herein was the wonder, that the Jews being a few to speak of, should be able to stand against their enemies; but the reason of this is given, that God struck their enemies with such terrours & fears, that they were not able to withstand them. The rulers for fear helped the Jews, vers. 3. many others no doubt durst not stirre, and those that had with great confidence armed themselves, when the Jews as∣sembled themselves and stood for their lives, vvere suddenly daunted, and so easily slain by the Jevvs; and thus God did immediatly, more for the preservation of the Jevvs by making them terrible to their enemies, then all that Esther and Mordecai had done.

Vers. 6. And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.] It is above all strange, that in Shushan the city royall, called here Shushan the palace, where the kings favour to Mordecai and the rest of the Jews could not be unknown, there should be so many found, that would obstinately undertake the massacring of the Jews, in confidence of the first decree, chap. 3.13. notwithstanding by the second decree, chap. 8.10.11. the Jews were allowed to kill and destroy all their enemies that should set upon them. But for this we must consider, first, that when wicked men are hardened of God that they may be destroyed, they do usually thus violently rush upon their own ruine, the vengeance of God not suffering them to rest: and second∣ly, that in likelihood there were many of the faction of Haman, that being enraged with the death of their great lord, and the sudden preferment of Mordecai, were mu∣tinously inclined, and ready enough therefore to be stirred up to this attempt by Ha∣mans ten sonnes, that were ringleaders to the rest, as by their death is evident.

Vers. 10. The ten sonnes of Haman the sonne of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they.] To wit, those before mentioned by name in the three foregoing verses (for by Hamans boasting of the multitude of his children, chap. 5.11. And Haman told them of the multitude of his children, it may seem he had more beside these: how this agrees with the Apocryphall additions of Esther, we may see, chap. 16.18. where it is said, that in the decree, by warrant whereof the Jews did now slay their enemies, there was mention made that not Haman onely, but also all his family with him were then hanged already.

But on the spoil laid they not their hand.] Though by the kings decree they might have done it, chap. 8.11. Take the spoil of them for a prey: and that because they would hereby make it evident, that they aimed not at the enriching of themselves with the spoils of those they had slain, but only at their own necessary and just de∣fence, and that it might not be said, that they had slain any one causelessely onely to get his estate.

Vers. 11. On that day, the number of those that were slain in Shushan the pa∣lace, was brought before the king.] The report of this which had happened in the city, was soon brought unto the king, perhaps by some that would willingly have stirred up the kings wrath against the Jews.

Vers. 13. Let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan, to do to morrow also according to this dayes decree.] To wit, by slaying those who this day set upon the Jews, but escaped their hands and were not slain by them, as these five hundred were. And this no doubt she desired, as aiming at Gods glory in the revenge of his peoples enemies, and at the peace of the Church, which might else afterwards be disturbed by these that were now for the present escaped.

And let Hamans ten sonnes be hanged upon the gallows.] That is, let the dead bodies of these sonnes of Haman, who were this day slain with others, be for their greater reproch and the terrour of others, hanged upon the gallows whereon their father was before hanged.

Vers. 16. But they laid not their hands on the prey.] See above vers. 10.

Vers. 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, &c.] The drift of the words in the three following verses is to shew, that the other Jews that lived not at Shushan slew their enemies on the thirteenth day, and then rested and kept a day of feasting on the fourteenth day, whereas the Jews at Shushan slew their enemies both

on the 13^th. and 14^th. dayes, and so kept not their day of feasting till the fifteenth day.

Vers. 20. And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews, &c.] That is, in the writings and letters which he sent unto the Jews concerning their kee∣ping the feast of Purim, he wrote the relation of these things before mentioned, as the ground of this annuall festivity; or else it may be meant more generally, that Mor∣decai was the pen-man of the holy ghost, in writing this whole book of Esther.

Vers. 21. To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and the fifteenth, &c.] To wit, because on the fourteenth day the countrey Jews rested from slaying their enemies, and those in Shushan not till the fifteenth; and so they were taught to rejoyce in one anothers welfare. But was not this unlawfull like that sin of Jeroboams, 1. Kings 12.33. I answer, No, and that be∣cause it was a politick ordinance for civill respects, and not any addition to the wor∣ship of God.

Vers. 22. Dayes of feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poore.] As their custome was in all their solemn festivities, Neh. 8.10. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, &c.

Vers. 26. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them &c.] This clause is added, be∣cause of those things related in these letters, concerning the danger the Jews were in, and their deliverance from that danger, which moved them to take upon them to keep the feast of Purim: some of them they had seen with their own eyes in their se∣verall dwellings (as the decree that was brought from the king for the destroying of the Jews, and the preparations that were made by the enemies, to put this decree in execution; and the second decree likewise, wherein the Jews were allowed to defend themselves, and to slay their enemies, and the slaughter which thereupon they had made amongst them) and again some other things had been onely brought unto them by relation from others as Hamans casting of lots, and many others of the like nature.

Vers. 29. Then Esther the queen the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote, &c.] the former letters whereby the Jews were in all places appointed to keep yearly the feast of Purim, on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the moneth A∣dar, in memory of this great deliverance were written by Mordecai, vers. 20. and therefore was that festivall usually afterwards amongst the Jews called Mordecaies day, 2. Maccha. 15.36. but then afterwards again perhaps the next yeare, lest they should not hold on in the yearely observing this feast, as fearing lest the celebration hereof should embitter the minds of the people against them, amongst whom they lived, by renewing the memory of that great slaughter which the Jews had made a∣mongst them, Esther also now with Mordecai wrote a second letter to enjoyn the continuance of this anniversary feast, and that with all authority; urging it by all means, and strictly enjoyning it as farre as by their authority they might, the better to confirm this second letter, and that there might be no question made of doing what was therein so strictly and firmly enjoyned.

Vers. 30. And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, &c. with words of peace and truth.] The meaning of this clause is, either that in these letters he did enjoyn them to live peaceably amongst themselves, and with others also, and not to insult over the nations because of their own present prosperity; or else that he did com∣fort

or encourage them, by giving them assurance that they should enjoy peace and truth, and putting them out of doubt and fear.

Vers. 31. And as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matter of the fastings and their cry.] Severall wayes is this understood by Expositours. For first, some understand it as in relation to their fasting and praying three dayes together, when Esther was to go in to Ahasuerus to make supplication for the Jews, chap. 4.16. to wit, that as then in their great danger, Esther and Mordecai appointed them certain dayes for fasting and prayer with strong cryes and tears, so now they appointed certain dayes of yearely praise and thanksgiving for their great delive∣rance. Secondly, some understand it thus, that as they had decreed for themselves and their posterity, that the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar should for ever be kept as a fasting day, in remembrance of their fasting, when Haman had procured his bloudy decree against them, so they decreed likewise to keep the fourteenth and fif∣teenth dayes, as dayes of feasting, in memory of their miraculous deliverance from that decree. And thirdly, others take it thus, that as they had formerly decreed for themselves and their posterity to keep certain dayes of publick humiliation with fa∣sting and prayer, in remembrance of the desolation of Jerusalem, when the city was taken, and the Temple burnt by the Babylonians, which were those whereof the pro∣phet Zachary speaks, Zach. 7.5. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and se∣venth moneth, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even unto me? so now it was decreed, that they should for ever keep this feast of Purim in remem∣brance of their joyfull deliverance from the plot of Haman. And indeed, first, be∣cause the text here speaks of fasts decreed for all the Jews and their posterity, and that fast desired by Esther, chap. 4.16. was onely kept in Shushan. And secondly, be∣cause we find it not in the story any where, that there was a fast for ever kept on the thirteenth day in memoriall of that fast (and indeed, that they kept a fast in remem∣brance of a fast, or a danger from which they were delivered, seems not probable) therefore the last Exposition is I conceive most satisfactory.

Vers. 32. And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.] That is, in the book of their publick acts, or the book of their civill statutes and ordinances, besides those of Moses laws.