Esther Chapter 9

Victory for the Jews
A. They defeat their enemies.

1. (Esther 9:1–5) Victory, with the help of the king.

“Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.”

a. In the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary.
The appointed day arrives exactly as decreed. Nothing about the timing changes, only the outcome. The enemies of the Jews fully expected success. They relied on the original decree and assumed Jewish vulnerability. Yet the text emphasizes a decisive reversal. What man intended for destruction, God turned into deliverance. This is not coincidence, it is providence. The phrase turned to the contrary summarizes the entire book of Esther. God repeatedly reverses expectations without ever being named, demonstrating His sovereign control even when He works behind the scenes.

b. The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities.
The Jews obeyed the king’s counter decree precisely. They did not pursue their enemies indiscriminately, but gathered defensively in their own cities. Unity was essential. Their strength lay not only in legal permission, but also in collective resolve. God’s people stood together, confident that the authority backing them was greater than the hatred against them.

c. No man could withstand them, for the fear of them fell upon all people.
The fear that once belonged to the Jews now rests on their enemies. This fear is the result of God’s evident favor and the visible shift of power. When God places His protection on His people, opposition collapses internally before it ever collapses externally. Resistance fails because morale fails.

d. All the rulers of the provinces helped the Jews.
Those who once would have enforced Haman’s decree now actively support the Jews. This assistance flows directly from Mordecai’s elevation. God places His servant in authority at precisely the right moment. Political power becomes a tool of preservation rather than persecution. The same government structure that threatened destruction now facilitates deliverance.

e. For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces.
Mordecai’s influence is not localized. His reputation spreads empire wide. Authority grounded in righteousness produces stability, not fear. God’s exaltation of Mordecai ensures that the Jews are protected not merely by law, but by leadership aligned with God’s purposes.

f. Thus the Jews smote all their enemies.
The victory is complete and decisive. Scripture does not soften the language. This was real conflict with real enemies and real bloodshed. The Jews were not aggressors, they were defenders acting under lawful authority. The text consistently frames this as justice, not cruelty.

g. Spiritually, the principle is clear. God’s people do have enemies, but victory does not depend on their own strength. It depends on who stands behind them. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
(Romans 8:31)

2. (Esther 9:6–10) Cities where they fought their enemies.

“And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.”

a. In Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
The capital city, where the threat originated, becomes the primary site of conflict. This underscores that opposition was real and organized, not imaginary. The number indicates significant resistance, yet also decisive victory. God’s deliverance does not eliminate conflict, but it ensures triumph within it.

b. The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews.
The listing of names is deliberate. Haman’s legacy is completely erased. His hatred does not survive him. By naming each son, Scripture records the total removal of the house that sought Israel’s destruction. This fulfills the principle that God judges not only individual wickedness but also the continuation of unrepentant hostility.

c. But on the spoil laid they not their hand.
This detail is critical. The Jews did not fight for personal enrichment. Their restraint distinguishes justice from greed. Unlike Saul’s failure with the Amalekites, the Jews refuse to profit from their enemies. Their motivation is survival and obedience, not plunder. This reinforces the moral clarity of their actions.

d. The restraint shown here demonstrates that this was not mob violence or revenge. It was lawful defense carried out with discipline. God’s people exercised power without abusing it, confirming that the victory was righteous and not merely successful.

3. (Esther 9:11–17) At the king’s invitation, Esther asks for the complete defeat of all the enemies of the Jews.

“On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee, or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey, On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.”

a. On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
The report to the king underscores that this conflict was not hidden or unofficial. Everything occurred openly under royal authority. The king is fully informed, and there is no rebuke or hesitation. This confirms again that the Jews acted lawfully and with imperial support.

b. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces?
The king’s question highlights the scope of the conflict. If such resistance existed in the capital, it could be assumed that opposition throughout the empire was widespread. The question is rhetorical and anticipates further action rather than restraint.

c. Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee.
Esther is again invited to speak, and the king places no limit on her request. This repeated pattern emphasizes her favor and the trust the king places in her judgment. Esther has already proven that her requests align with justice and stability in the empire.

d. If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree.
Esther requests an additional day of defense specifically for Shushan. This is not motivated by vengeance, but by discernment. The capital was the center of opposition, and remnants of organized hostility likely remained. Esther refuses to leave unfinished work that could later resurface as renewed danger.

i. Many criticize Esther at this point, claiming she lacked mercy. Yet Scripture repeatedly affirms the necessity of complete victory over entrenched evil. Partial obedience produces long term consequences. Esther reflects the same principle seen in Joshua, where incomplete defeat of enemies led to ongoing trouble for Israel.

e. And let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
The sons of Haman were already dead, but their public hanging served as a visible declaration that the house of Haman was finished. This was a judicial act, not a personal vendetta. It signaled that the threat associated with Haman’s lineage would not rise again.

f. And the king commanded it so to be done.
The king immediately agrees. There is no debate or resistance. Authority once again aligns with God’s purposes. When God positions His servants in influence, decisions that protect His people move swiftly.

g. But on the prey they laid not their hand.
This repeated statement is deliberate. The Jews consistently refuse plunder. Their motive remains survival and justice, not enrichment. This restraint distinguishes righteous defense from revenge driven violence.

h. The other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives.
Across the empire, the Jews act in unity. They do not pursue enemies indiscriminately, but stand together defensively. God grants them rest from their enemies, demonstrating that victory produces peace, not endless conflict.

i. And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand.
The number is large, underscoring the extent of hostility against the Jews. This was not a minor threat. Yet the outcome reveals the effectiveness of God’s protection. What was intended as a genocide becomes a decisive deliverance.

j. On the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
Rest follows victory. Celebration follows deliverance. God’s work does not end in exhaustion but in joy. The pattern of conflict followed by rest mirrors God’s redemptive pattern throughout Scripture.

b. And they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
Haman was an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekites. Scripture records God’s judgment against Amalek because of their perpetual hostility toward Israel. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.”
(1 Samuel 15:2)

God commanded Saul to execute complete judgment, but Saul failed. “And Saul took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.”
(1 Samuel 15:8)

Saul’s disobedience allowed the Amalekite line to survive. Mordecai, a Benjamite and a descendant of Kish, completes what Saul failed to do. The judgment that began in the wilderness is concluded in the king’s palace.

i. As Charles Spurgeon observed, “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.”

B. The feast of Purim established.

1. (Esther 9:18–19) A great celebration among the Jews of the Persian Empire.

“But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.”

a. The Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth and fourteenth days.
Because the fighting in Shushan extended an additional day, the celebration there occurred later. This distinction explains the difference in observance dates. Scripture records these details carefully to establish the foundation for the feast that follows.

b. On the fifteenth day they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
Rest is emphasized. Victory is complete. The people no longer stand in defense but sit in celebration. Feasting becomes an act of remembrance, anchoring joy to historical deliverance.

c. Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns made the fourteenth day a day of gladness.
Those outside fortified cities celebrate earlier because their conflict ended sooner. This practical distinction later shapes the formal observance of Purim among different communities.

d. And of sending portions one to another.
Celebration extends beyond personal joy. It includes generosity and fellowship. God’s deliverance produces unity, gratitude, and care for others. Victory is shared, not hoarded.

2. (Esther 9:20–32) The institution of the feast of Purim.

“And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim. And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.”

a. And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews, both nigh and far.
Deliverance is not left to vague memory or oral tradition alone. Mordecai records the events and formally communicates them to all the Jews throughout the empire. God’s works are meant to be remembered accurately and intentionally. Written testimony safeguards truth across distance and generations. What God does in history is worthy of permanent record.

b. To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar, yearly.
The feast is not optional or occasional. It is established as an annual observance. The days are fixed, recurring, and deliberate. God’s deliverance is not meant to be celebrated once and forgotten. Regular remembrance anchors faith, gratitude, and identity.

c. As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies.
The feast is rooted in rest. After danger, conflict, and fear, God granted relief. Rest is not merely the absence of fighting, it is the enjoyment of safety secured by God’s intervention. This rest becomes the foundation of celebration.

d. And the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day.
The language emphasizes reversal. God does not simply ease sorrow, He transforms it. Mourning becomes gladness. Fear becomes joy. The feast exists to remember not only survival, but transformation. God is able to reverse circumstances completely, not partially.

e. That they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
Purim includes celebration, fellowship, and generosity. Joy over God’s deliverance naturally expresses itself in sharing with others, especially the poor. True thanksgiving before God produces generosity, not selfish indulgence.

f. Because Haman… had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot.
The feast is named after the very instrument Haman used to plan their destruction. What was intended as a symbol of fate and doom becomes a reminder of God’s sovereignty. The lot did not control the outcome. God did. Purim testifies that chance never overrides divine providence.

g. But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device should return upon his own head.
Justice is emphasized. Evil is not merely stopped, it is answered. The plot rebounds upon its author. This reinforces a biblical principle that God often causes the schemes of the wicked to collapse upon themselves.

h. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur.
The name itself is a testimony. Each time Purim is spoken, it recalls both the threat and the deliverance. Memory is built into the language of the feast.

i. The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them.
The observance is voluntary but binding. The people accept responsibility to remember. It extends not only to descendants, but also to those who join themselves to Israel. God’s deliverance becomes a shared heritage.

j. That these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city.
The scope is total. No generation is exempt. No location is excluded. God’s saving acts are not regional or temporary. They are covenant markers meant to shape identity everywhere God’s people dwell.

k. Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority.
Royal authority and covenant leadership unite. Esther’s position and Mordecai’s leadership work together to confirm the feast. God uses both political authority and faithful servants to establish lasting testimony.

l. With words of peace and truth.
The letters are characterized not by coercion, but by peace and truth. God’s deliverance produces peace, and remembrance must be grounded in truth, not myth or exaggeration.

m. And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
Final confirmation ensures permanence. Writing in the book secures official recognition. What God accomplished is now permanently recorded for instruction, remembrance, and thanksgiving.

n. The principle remains clear. God expects His people to remember His deliverance deliberately. Forgetfulness leads to ingratitude and spiritual drift. Memorials preserve faith across generations.

b. So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim.
To this day, Purim remains one of the most widely observed Jewish feasts. Its enduring popularity reflects the deep human need to remember salvation, reversal, and God’s unseen but decisive hand in history. The joy, celebration, and remembrance associated with Purim testify that God’s deliverance was not only real, but unforgettable.