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. 11:1). 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. 8:7). Certainly what is said of Ahasuerus—of his riches (Esther 1:4), of the extent of his vast empire (Esther 1:1), of his sensuality and feasting (Esther 1: 5-10), of his arbitrary and tyrannical conduct (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 3:7), 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|{}|
AHASUERUS, Esther 1, etc.
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.