Esther 9

9:1-6 The enemies of the Jews had hoped to overwhelm them, and certainly, there were tens of thousands (v 16) throughout the kingdom who intended to carry out the original plan of annihilating God’s people. Though Haman was gone, his well-funded genocide (3:9) was still on the agenda for many. It's possible that Haman's ten sons were still at work trying to enact their father's evil plan (vv 6-8).

All of this not withstanding, when the fated day came, in March 473 BC, the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. Localized and legalized, the Jewish militias gathered together in their cities and fought to eradicate the anti-Semitism in their midst. Not only could no one withstand them, but even government officials aided the Jews in their righteous plight on account of their newfound respect and fear of Mordecai, the king’s new second in command (v 4). The Jews defeated all their enemies, but truly it is God who receives credit for the positive outcome since he had long before promised, whoever curses you I will curse (Gen 12:3).

Whereas verses one through five are an overview, six through fifteen are a description of the day in Shushan, while sixteen and on give details of the day in the other provinces. The ten sons of Haman were executed along with the enemies of the Jews,a reminder that a father’s sins, Haman’s in this case, deeply affect their sons (Num 14:18). They were probably executed because Haman had employed his sons to carry out his dastardly plan. The chapter repeats multiple times that though the Jews killed their enemies, they did not lay a hand on the plunder, even though they were within their legal right to do so (8:11). It seems they intended to abstain from even the appearance of evil (1 Thess 5:22), namely greed.

9:11-14 The Jews killed five hundred men in Shushanand seventy-five thousand throughout the empire (v 16).At this scale, it is incredible that there is no mention of any Jews being killed. The king gave a report to Esther, and in so doing, asked her, What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? This likely meant not that he's asking the queen for news from abroad, which she could not have acquired in such a short time, any more than he could. Instead, he is showing her by a rhetorical question that if five hundred were killed in Shushan, there must have been many more in the provinces abroad. Though they would not receive word for some time, the death toll would reach seventy-five thousand (v 16). The king then offered to grant Esther a further request. She asked for an extension of the decree so that it might last until the following day. There were still at least three hundred enemies that the Jews needed to dispatch. In addition, she requested that the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows. It was done as asked. 

9:16-17 Things turned out similarly among the provinces as they did in the royal city (vv 6-15), but the accumulation of dead was much higher when the entire empire was considered, reaching seventy-five thousand.Herodotus describes a set of historical events that bears a resemblance to those described in these verses. After the bloody day abroad (v 17) and two days in Shushan (v 18), they rested and engaged in feasting, gladness and sent presents to one another.

9:20-32 There were certain holidays that were prescribed by the ceremonial law of Moses, but Purim isn't one of them. Instead, the days of Purim were established by Mordecai's decree. It's surprising that even in the reasoning for celebrating the Purim events, there is no mention of God or His obvious providence. Purim is still celebrated by observing Jews yearly and usually includes a reading of the book of Esther, an exchange of presents, a feast, and giving to the poor. It's even become customary for many Jews to dress up and act out the events of the book of Esther during Purim.  

Esther and the Purim celebration stand as a testimony to God’s willingness to act through people who are at first unwilling to take action. The narrative gives encouragement to those who are tempted to remain silent in the face of oppression. Beyond the realm of practical action, Esther’s verses tell of a time when God had not forgotten his people, even though an evil world was trying to. 

Esther 10

10:1-3 This is the sixth shortest chapter in the Bible. It serves as a tight conclusion and shows the greatness of Mordecai that resulted in the years that followed. It was not by conniving and strategy that Mordecai climbed the imperial ladder, but instead, he sought the good of his people and spoke peace to his countrymen.