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The Histories · Old Testament

Esther 8

Esther 8: Mordecai receives the ring and a second decree is written

General context

That day the king gives Haman's house to Esther, and Mordecai comes before the king, because Esther has told what he is to her. The king gives Mordecai the ring taken from Haman, and Esther sets him over Haman's house. Esther speaks again, falls at the king's feet and begs him with tears to put away Haman's mischief and his device against the Jews. The king holds out the golden sceptre, Esther stands, and she asks that it be written to reverse the letters Haman wrote to destroy the Jews in all the provinces, saying she cannot endure to see the destruction of her kindred. The king answers Esther and Mordecai that Haman has been hanged for laying his hand on the Jews, and tells them to write for the Jews as they like in the king's name, since a writing sealed with the king's ring may no man reverse. On the twenty-third day of the third month, Sivan, the scribes write all that Mordecai commands to the Jews and to the rulers of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, and mounted posts carry the letters. The king grants the Jews in every city to gather, stand for their life, destroy, slay and cause to perish any power that would assault them, little ones and women, and take their spoil, on the thirteenth day of Adar. The posts go out in haste and the decree is given at Shushan. Mordecai leaves the king's presence in royal apparel of blue and white with a great crown of gold, and Shushan rejoices. The Jews have light, gladness, joy and honour; every province holds a feast, and many of the people of the land become Jews because the fear of the Jews falls on them.

Cited passages: Esther 8:1, Esther 8:2, Esther 8:3, Esther 8:4, Esther 8:5, Esther 8:6, Esther 8:7, Esther 8:8, Esther 8:9, Esther 8:10, Esther 8:11, Esther 8:12, Esther 8:13, Esther 8:14, Esther 8:15, Esther 8:16, Esther 8:17

Esther 8 (KJV)

1On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.

2And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

4Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

5And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:

6For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

7Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

8Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.

9Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

10And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

11Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

12Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

15And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

16The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

17And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

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Historical context

The ring passes from the king to Haman in chapter 3, back to the king, and now to Mordecai. Mordecai's access to the king is explained by Esther's disclosure of what he is to her, which ends the concealment the narrator recorded twice in chapter 2. Esther asks that the letters be reversed; the king's reply that a writing in his name sealed with his ring may no man reverse repeats the principle Memucan stated about the laws of the Persians and Medes, so the remedy is a second decree rather than a cancellation of the first. The dates are explicit: the scribes write on the twenty-third day of the third month, Sivan, and the day fixed is the same thirteenth of Adar named in the first decree. The wording of the grant is written according to all that Mordecai commanded and closely follows the first decree, including little ones and women and the spoil; the narrator states this plainly and later says three times that the Jews did not take the spoil. The colours of Mordecai's apparel, blue, white, fine linen and purple, are among the colours and materials of the palace hangings and cords in the first chapter. The narrator gives fear of the Jews as the reason many of the people of the land became Jews, and says nothing further about it. The chapter does not say what the king knew of the first decree's contents before Esther spoke.

Cited passages: Esther 3:10, Esther 8:2, Esther 8:1, Esther 2:10, Esther 8:5, Esther 8:8, Esther 1:19, Esther 8:9, Esther 8:12, Esther 3:13, Esther 8:11, Esther 9:10, Esther 9:16, Esther 8:15, Esther 1:6, Esther 8:17

Literary context

The chapter answers chapter 3 point by point. A promotion and a ring open both; scribes are called with the same formula, to every province according to its writing and every people after its language; posts go out hastened by the king's commandment; and the decree is given at Shushan the palace. The endings are opposites: there the city was perplexed, here it rejoices. Esther's second approach repeats the sceptre of chapter 5, but this time she falls at the king's feet with tears and speaks with the fullest string of conditions in the book, four clauses before her request. Mordecai in royal apparel recalls the honour Haman was forced to give him, now made his own. The counter-decree copies the words of the threat, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, so that the two decrees read as mirror images, and the narrator withholds any comment on the scope of the second. The closing verses widen from the court to every province with a list of four, light and gladness and joy and honour, reversing the mourning, fasting, weeping and wailing reported when the first decree arrived.

Cited passages: Esther 3:1, Esther 8:2, Esther 3:12, Esther 8:9, Esther 3:15, Esther 8:14, Esther 8:15, Esther 5:2, Esther 8:3, Esther 8:5, Esther 6:11, Esther 3:13, Esther 8:11, Esther 8:16, Esther 4:3

Key moments

  1. The ring given to Mordecai (Esther 8:2). The king gives Mordecai the ring taken from Haman, and Esther sets him over Haman's house.
  2. Esther pleads with tears (Esther 8:3). Esther falls at the king's feet and begs him to put away Haman's device.
  3. May no man reverse (Esther 8:8). The king says a sealed royal writing cannot be reversed and tells them to write a new one.
  4. The second decree (Esther 8:11). The Jews are granted to gather and stand for their life against any who assault them.
  5. Mordecai in royal apparel (Esther 8:15). Mordecai leaves the king in blue, white, gold and purple, and Shushan rejoices.
  6. Joy in every province (Esther 8:17). The Jews hold feasts and many of the people of the land become Jews out of fear.

For reflection

The king says the first decree cannot be reversed, so a second is written in the same words with the roles exchanged. What does it mean that the remedy in this chapter takes the shape of the threat?

People in this chapter

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