Esther 9:1-17
The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors
1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.
6 And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
11 On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.”
13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”
14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
15 And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
When the appointed day arrived for the edict of Haman to destroy and kill the people of the LORD, the second legal ruling allowed the Jews who had been preparing to overcome the evil meant for them, themselves overpowered those who hated them. They killed those set on their demise instead and had free reign to defeat all their enemies with the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them as it is written here. They eliminated the enemies of the Jews—but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. It was not about personal gain, but survival to eliminate the threat. The king asked what more the queen wanted after that day, and she requested that the next day be allowed to continue the fight, and that the ten sons of the deceased evil adversary Haman be hung as he had been to stop the antisemitism in its tracks. Thus the Jews across the land gathered together and protected their lives and had rest from their enemies, yet still did not plunder their enemies for personal gain. Afterwards, they rested and celebrated with gladness in a great feast of thanksgiving. We can learn from this that God protects His own in the end, bringing destruction on the destroyer of God’s people in the end, but we are not as them in enacting our own vengeance for our survival in the midst of persecution for the gospel’s sake; instead, we rely on the King of kings to enact His vengeance (Psalm 94:1, Romans 12:19, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 2 Peter 2:12-13, 3:7, Jude 1:7) on the great day of judgment when the adversary and all who side with him, angelic or human beings, are held to account and we the people of the Lord are safe forever in His kingdom to come on earth at last. The Lord is the avenger of such who will overpower evil intent and actions in the end. It is He who put His Son in the right place and time to accomplish these things for such a time as this, similar to placing Esther in her place for such a time as that.
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