Esther 9:31

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) To confirm . . . enjoined . . . decreed.—The same Hebrew verb stands for the three different English verbs; it is also the stablish of Esther 9:21. To fix or settle represents the meaning.

The matters of the fastings and their cry.—These words come in rather awkwardly, and hence, and because they are passed over by the LXX., some have doubted their genuineness here. All Hebrew MSS., however, and all the other ancient versions, retain the words, and we must, therefore, suppose that the Jews throughout the empire had instituted fasts and lamentations, in addition to what Mordecai’s letter had enjoined, Thus we may probably connect this with the fast now observed on Adar 13.

Benson Commentary

Esther 9:31. The matters of their fasting, and of their cry — For and concerning those great and overwhelming calamities which had been decreed to befall all the Jews, and for the removing of which, not only Esther and the Jews of Shushan, but all other Jews, in all places, as soon as they heard of those dismal tidings, did doubtless, according to the precepts of Scripture, and the constant practice of their godly predecessors in all ages, flee to that last and only refuge, of seeking to God by fasting and earnest prayers, and strong cries, which God was pleased graciously to hear, and in answer thereunto to give them this amazing deliverance. And this was that which they were now to remember, namely, the greatness of their danger, and of their rescue from it. And, accordingly, the Jews used to observe the first of those days with fasting, and crying, and other expressions of vehement grief, imitating herein the example of Esther and Mordecai, who had fasted and prayed in their distress, and the latter of the days with feasting, and thanksgiving, and all demonstrations of joy and triumph.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:20-32 The observance of the Jewish feasts, is a public declaration of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures. And as the Old Testament Scriptures are true, the Messiah expected by the Jews is come long ago; and none but Jesus of Nazareth can be that Messiah. The festival was appointed by authority, yet under the direction of the Spirit of God. It was called the feast of Purim, from a Persian word, which signifies a lot. The name of this festival would remind them of the almighty power of the God of Israel, who served his own purposes by the superstitions of the heathen. In reviewing our mercies, we should advert to former fears and distresses. When our mercies are personal, we should not by forgetfulness lose the comfort of them, or withhold from the Lord the glory due to his name. May the Lord teach us to rejoice, with that holy joy which anticipates and prepares for the blessedness of heaven. Every instance of Divine goodness to ourselves, is a new obligation laid on us to do good, to those especially who most need our bounty. Above all, redemption by Christ binds us to be merciful, 2Co 8:9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The matters of the fastings and their cry - The Jews of the provinces had added to the form of commemoration proposed by Mordecai certain observances with respect to fasting and wailing, and Mordecai's second letter sanctioned these.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26. they called these days Purim after the name of Pur—"Pur," in the Persian language, signifies "lot"; and the feast of Purim, or lots, has a reference to the time having been pitched upon by Haman through the decision of the lot. In consequence of the signal national deliverance which divine providence gave them from the infamous machinations of Haman, Mordecai ordered the Jews to commemorate that event by an anniversary festival, which was to last for two days, in accordance with the two days' war of defense they had to maintain. There was a slight difference in the time of this festival; for the Jews in the provinces, having defended themselves against their enemies on the thirteenth, devoted the fourteenth to festivity; whereas their brethren in Shushan, having extended that work over two days, did not observe their thanksgiving feast till the fifteenth. But this was remedied by authority, which fixed the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar. It became a season of sunny memories to the universal body of the Jews; and, by the letters of Mordecai, dispersed through all parts of the Persian empire, it was established as an annual feast, the celebration of which is kept up still. On both days of the feast, the modern Jews read over the Megillah or Book of Esther in their synagogues. The copy read must not be printed, but written on vellum in the form of a roll; and the names of the ten sons of Haman are written on it a peculiar manner, being ranged, they say, like so many bodies on a gibbet. The reader must pronounce all these names in one breath. Whenever Haman's name is pronounced, they make a terrible noise in the synagogue. Some drum with their feet on the floor, and the boys have mallets with which they knock and make a noise. They prepare themselves for their carnival by a previous fast, which should continue three days, in imitation of Esther's; but they have mostly reduced it to one day [Jennings, Jewish Antiquities].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For or about those great and overwhelming calamities which were decreed to all the Jews, and for the removing of which, not only Esther, and the Jews in Shushan, but all other Jews in all places, as soon as they heard those dismal tidings, did doubtless according to the precepts of Scripture, and the constant practice of their godly predecessors in all ages, fly to that last and only refuge of seeking to God by fasting, and earnest prayers, and strong cries unto God; which God was pleased graciously, to hear, and in answer thereunto to give them this amazing deliverance. And this was that which they were now to remember, to wit, the greatness of their danger, and of their rescue from it. And accordingly the Jews use to observe the first of those days with fasting, and crying, and other expressions of vehement grief and fear, and the latter with feasting, and thanksgiving, and all demonstrations of joy and triumph.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed,.... The fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar:

according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them; in the letters written and signed by them both:

and as they had decreed for themselves, and for their seed; see Esther 9:27,

the matters of their fastings and their cry; in commemoration of their deliverance from those distresses and calamities which occasioned fastings and prayers during the time of them; and to this sense is the former Targum; though it is certain the Jews observe the thirteenth day, the day before the two days, as a fast, and which they call the fast of Esther (y), and have prayers on the festival days peculiar to them; but the sense Aben Ezra gives seems best, that as the Jews had decreed to keep the fasts, mentioned in Zechariah 7:5, so they now decreed to rejoice in the days of Purim.

(y) Lebush & Schulchan, ut supra, (par. 1.) c. 686. sect. 1.

Geneva Study Bible

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 {s} fastings and their cry.

(s) That they would observe this feast with fasting and earnest prayer, which in Hebrew is signified by this word (they cry).

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. to confirm] It has been suggested that the former communications from Mordecai were only a recommendation, while this joint letter from him and Esther was intended to render the matter obligatory. Against such a view, however, is the fact that the word in the original here rendered ‘to confirm’ is the same as that translated ‘to enjoin’ in Esther 9:21.

in the matter of the fastings and their cry] The words may be a gloss. They are not found in the LXX., and the Heb. word translated ‘fastings’ does not occur in this exact form elsewhere.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 31. - As they had decreed for themselves and their seed. "As they - i.e. the Jews generally - had decreed" (see ver. 27). The matters of the fastings and their cry. These words stand in no clear grammatical relation to the preceding, and are otherwise very difficult to explain. They are thought to allude to the establishment by the provincial Jews, apart from Mordecai and Esther, of the 13th of Adar as a day of fasting and wailing; but if so, it is strange that nothing has been previously said of this ordinance. The plural form of the word for "fastings" is also suspicious, since it does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament. Altogether, it is perhaps most probable that the words were originally the gloss of a commentator, written in the margin, and that they have been accidentally transferred to the text. They do not occur in the Septuagint. Esther 9:31

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And he (Mordochai) sent letters, i.e., copies of the writing mentioned Esther 9:29, to all the Jews in the 127 provinces (which formed) the kingdom of Ahashverosh, words of peace and truth, i.e., letters containing words of peace and truth (Esther 9:31), to appoint these days of Purim in their portions of time according as Mordochai the Jew and Esther the queen had appointed, and as they (the Jews) had appointed for themselves and for their descendants, the things (or words equals precepts) of the fastings and their lamentations. בּזמנּיהם, in their appointed times; as the suffix relates to the days of Purim, the זמנּים can mean only portions of time in these days. The sense of Esther 9:29-31 is as follows: According to the injunctions of Esther and Mordochai, the Jews appointed for themselves and their descendants times also of fasting and lamentation in the days of Purim. To make this appointment binding upon all the Jews in all provinces of the Persian monarchy, Esther and Mordochai published a second letter, which was sent by Mordochai throughout the whole realm of King Ahashverosh. To this is added, Esther 9:32, that the decree of Esther appointed these matters of Purim, i.e., the injunction mentioned vv. 29-31, also to fast and weep during these days, and it was written in the book. הסּפר, the book in which this decree was written, cannot mean the writing of Esther mentioned. Esther 9:29, but some written document concerning Purim which has not come down to us, though used as an authority by the author of the present book. The times when the fasting and lamentation were to take place in the days of Purim, are not stated in this verse; this could, however, only be on the day which Haman had appointed for the extermination of the Jews, viz., the 13th Adar. This day is kept by the Jews as אסתּר תּענית, Esther's fast.

(Note: According to 2 Macc. 15:36, the victory over Nicanor was to be celebrated on the 13th Adar, but, according to a note of Dr. Cassel in Grimm's kurzgef. exeget. Handb. zu den Apokryphen, on 2 Macc. 15:36, the festival of Nicanor is mentioned in Jewish writings, as Megillat Taanit, c. 12, in the Babylonian Talmud, tr. Taanit, f. 18b, in Massechet Sofrim 17, 4, but has been by no means observed for at least the last thousand years. The book Scheiltot of R. Acha (in the 9th century) speaks of the 13th Adar as a fast-day in memory of the fast of Esther, while even at the time of the Talmud the "Fast of Esther" is spoken of as a three days fast, kept, however, after the feast of Purim. From all this it is obvious, that a diversity of opinions prevailed among the Rabbis concerning the time of this fast of Esther.)