Esther: 521 B.C. - 10 Chapters and 167 Verses

Esther  •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 11
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TEN CHAPTERS AND 167 VERSES.
Probably not above 60,000 of the people availed themselves of the permission granted by Cyrus to return to the ruined cities and towns of Judah—so poorly was Jerusalem inhabited that Nehemiah appointed one of every ten of the people to reside in the holy city (Neh. 11:11And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. (Nehemiah 11:1)). During a residence of seventy years—two generations—in Babylon, the mass of the people originally deported died out, and those born during the period of servitude were, as a rule, totally indifferent to Jehovah and His land and interests.
This book, therefore, shows the care of God exercised secretly towards those of His people who, utterly indifferent to the hopes of their fathers, deliberately preferred remaining in the land of their exile. The grace of God is boundless, and His care unwearied, and so He watched with deep and tender solicitude over His apostate people. It is the book of God's secret providence. He is here as it were hidden from His people, hence His name does not once occur in the book. Ahasuerus, the Persian monarch of this book, is usually regarded as the celebrated Xerxes of profane history, and whose invasion of Greece so stirred up the rage of the mighty Macedonian monarch, Alexander (Dan. 8:77And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. (Daniel 8:7)). Certainly what is said of Ahasuerus—of his riches (Esther 1:44When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days. (Esther 1:4)), of the extent of his vast empire (Esther 1:11Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) (Esther 1:1)), of his sensuality and feasting (Esther 1: 5-10), of his arbitrary and tyrannical conduct (Esther 1:13-2213Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment: 14And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) 15What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? 16And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. 17For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not. 18Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath. 19If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. 20And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honor, both to great and small. 21And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: 22For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people. (Esther 1:13‑22), etc.)—agree with the character and historical account furnished by profane authors of Xerxes. The feast of Purim or lots (Esther 3:77In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. (Esther 3:7)), was instituted in commemoration of the deliverance of the people from the wicked plot of Haman, who designed their thorough extermination and destruction; this festival is termed "Mordecai's day" in the books of the Maccabees, and is even still observed in these modern times by the Jews throughout the world. The last three of the historical books of Scripture are Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, the latest of all being Nehemiah, which closes Old Testament history.
As to the typical bearing of the book, Vashti represents the Gentile wife who, failing to show her beauty was deposed, and Esther, the Jewish wife and queen, taken into high favor; Mordecai sets forth the blessed Lord exalted to the headship of the world and Israel; all this pointing forward to the coming future.
The following are the Persian monarchs specially named in the post-captivity books. As a rule the Persian sovereigns were generally kindly disposed towards the Jews:-
PERSIAN SOVEREIGNS|{}|
 
 
NAME IN HISTORY.
NAME IN SCRIPTURE.
CYRUS,
CYRUS, Ezra 1. etc.
CAMBYS ES,
AHASUERUS, Ezra 4:6
SMERDIS,
ARTAXERXES, Ezra 4:7-23
DARIUS HYSTASPIs,
DARIUS, Ezra 4:24, etc.
XERXES,
AHASUERUS, Esther 1, etc.
ARTAXERXES LONGIMANUS,
ARTAXERXES, Ezra 7; Neh. 2:1
GENERAL DIVISIONS.
1.-Vashti the Gentile deposed, and Esther the Jew exalted. Esther 1, 2
2.-Haman's wicked devices brought to naught, and himself and house ignominiously destroyed. Esther 3-7.
3.-Mordecai (type of the Lord in the end) exalted to the right hand of the then imperial power, and using his authority to effect the deliverance of, and also to securely establish the blessing of the people. Esther 8-10.