Topical Bible: Joy: Jews, Over the Hanging of Haman

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The joy experienced by the Jews over the hanging of Haman is a significant event in the biblical narrative, particularly in the Book of Esther. This joy is deeply rooted in the dramatic reversal of fortune that the Jewish people experienced, as they were delivered from a plot that threatened their very existence.

Historical Context

The account unfolds during the reign of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) of Persia, where Haman, an Agagite and a high-ranking official, harbored intense animosity towards the Jews, particularly Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow to him. Haman's hatred led him to devise a plan to annihilate all the Jews in the Persian Empire. He cast lots, or "Purim," to determine the day of their destruction and secured the king's approval to carry out this genocide (Esther 3:5-13).

Divine Providence and Reversal

The narrative takes a pivotal turn when Esther, a Jewish queen of Persia and cousin to Mordecai, courageously intervenes. Risking her life, she approaches the king without being summoned, which could have resulted in her death. Esther reveals her Jewish identity and Haman's plot to the king during a banquet she prepared for the king and Haman. The king, enraged by Haman's treachery, orders that Haman be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:1-10).

Expression of Joy

The hanging of Haman marked a moment of profound relief and joy for the Jewish people. The threat of annihilation was lifted, and the Jews were granted the right to defend themselves against their enemies. This deliverance is celebrated annually during the festival of Purim, a time of feasting, gladness, and the giving of gifts to one another and to the poor (Esther 9:20-22).

The joy of the Jews is encapsulated in the following passage from the Berean Standard Bible: "For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor. In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating" (Esther 8:16-17).

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the joy over Haman's downfall is seen as a testament to God's providential care and faithfulness to His covenant people. Despite the apparent absence of direct divine intervention in the Book of Esther, the series of events leading to the Jews' deliverance is viewed as orchestrated by God, who works through human agents and circumstances to fulfill His purposes.

The joy of the Jews serves as a reminder of the triumph of good over evil and the protection of God's people against their adversaries. It underscores the biblical theme of divine justice and the reversal of the wicked's schemes, as seen in Proverbs 11:8 : "The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in."

Cultural and Liturgical Impact

The joy experienced by the Jews over the hanging of Haman has had a lasting impact on Jewish culture and religious practice. The festival of Purim, instituted to commemorate this deliverance, is characterized by the reading of the Megillah (the Book of Esther), the giving of charity, and the sharing of festive meals. It is a time when the Jewish community collectively remembers and celebrates their survival and the joy of their salvation.

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Esther 8:15,16
And 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.
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Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
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Library

Britain's Mercies, and Britain's Duty
... same yearly, as the days wherein the Jews rested from ... should make them days of feasting
and joy, and of ... this is certain, the rod is yet hanging over us: and I ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/britains mercies and britains duty.htm

Christ's First and Last Subject
... one weeps for his firstborn, so have you wept over your sin ... weeping you have had
your peace and your joy restored ... be hard, like that of the stubborn Jews in the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/christs first and last subject.htm

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day ...
... to burn within them with holy joy and wonder. ... Let Jews commemorate their temporal
deliverance from Pharaoh and ... down weight before, yet something over and above ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/questions about the nature and.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... universal triumphs of the Saviour, Antichrist will spread his influence over the
whole ... the Medes and Persians, then began the liberty of the Jews, from their ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... and force them to be paid him with an over and above ... little power, and such there
was also among the Jews, in the ... all of his state, but lived in the joy of the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm

The Pharisee and the Publican
... inheritance), and the emperor Tiberius Caesar placed over that land ... power (and such
there was among the Jews, in the ... of his state, but lived in the joy of the ...
/.../bunyan/the pharisee and publican/the pharisee and the publican.htm

Christ a Complete Saviour:
... it should turn to him for 'a name of joy, a praise ... part of the work of thy Saviour
is over; his bloody ... Thus the Jews came to God, the unbelieving Jews, 'who had ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christ a complete saviour .htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... end, as our Lord Jesus, who for the joy that was ... Christ to death, which the poor
dispersed Jews can best ... or eject them, or pull down the house over their heads ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm