{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"EST","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Esther","commonName":"Esther","introduction":"ESTHER derives its name from the Jewess, who, having become wife of the king of Persia, employed her royal influence to effect a memorable deliverance for the persecuted Church of God. Various opinions are embraced and supported as to the authorship of this book, some ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, or to Mordecai. The preponderance of authorities is in favor of the last. The historical character of the book is undoubted, since, besides many internal evidences, its authenticity is proved by the strong testimony of the feast of Purim, the celebration of which can be traced up to the events which are described in this book. Its claim, however, to canonical authority has been questioned on the ground that the name of God does not once occur in it. But the uniform tradition both of the Jewish and the Christian Churches supports this claim, which nothing in the book tends to shake; while it is a record of the superintending care of divine providence over his chosen people, with which it is of the utmost importance the Church should be furnished. The name of God is strangely enough omitted, but the presence of God is felt throughout the history; and the whole tone and tendency of the book is so decidedly subservient to the honor of God and the cause of true religion that it has been generally received by the Church in all ages into the sacred canon. \n\n\n\nNext: Esther Chapter 1\n\n","order":17,"numberOfChapters":10,"sha256":"176cde390a7b4ca8cab2e3dfedcd2c5ea2261b843cc2e9f101fd98d26722d92f","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/EST/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"EST","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":10,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/EST/10.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"EST","chapter":10},"totalNumberOfVerses":53},"chapter":{"number":10,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai--The experience of this pious and excellent Jew verified the statement, \"he that humbleth himself shall be exalted\" [Mat 23:12; Luk 14:11; Luk 18:14]. From sitting contentedly at the king's gate, he was raised to the dignity of highest subject, the powerful ruler of the kingdom. Acting uniformly on the great principles of truth and righteousness, his greatness rested on a firm foundation. His faith was openly avowed, and his influence as a professor of the true religion was of the greatest usefulness for promoting the welfare of the Jewish people, as well as for advancing the glory of God.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["For Mordecai . . . was next unto King Ahasuerus . . . great among the Jews, &c.--The elevation of this pious and patriotic Jew to the possession of the highest official power was of very great importance to the suffering church at that period; for it enabled him, who all along possessed the disposition, now to direct the royal influence and authority in promoting the interests and extending the privileges of his exiled countrymen. Viewed in this light, the providence of God is plainly traceable in all the steps that led to his unexpected advancement. This providential interposition is all the more remarkable, that, as in the analogous case of Joseph, it was displayed in making the ordinary and natural course of things lead to the most marvellous results. To use the pious words of an eminent prelate, \"though in the whole of this episode there was no extraordinary manifestation of God's power, no particular cause or agent that was in its working advanced above the ordinary pitch of nature, yet the contrivance, and suiting these ordinary agents appointed by God, is in itself more admirable than if the same end had been effected by means that were truly miraculous.\" The sudden advancement of individuals from obscurity and neglect to the highest stations of power and influence is, in Eastern courts, no extraordinary nor infrequent occurrence. The caprice, the weak partiality of the reigning sovereign, or, it may be, his penetrating discernment in discovering latent energy and talent, has often \"raised the beggar from the dunghill, and set him among princes\" [Sa1 2:8]. Some of the all-powerful viziers in modern Persia, and not a few of the beys in Egypt, have been elevated to their respective dignities in this manner. And, therefore, the advancement of \"Mordecai, who was next unto Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews,\" was in perfect accordance with the rapid revolution of \"the wheel of fortune\" in that part of the world. But, considering all the circumstances of Mordecai's advancement, not only his gaining the favor of the king, but his being \"accepted of the multitude of his brethren, it was beyond all controversy the doing of the Lord, and was truly marvellous in his people's eyes.\" \n\naccepted of the multitude of his brethren--Far from being envious of his grandeur, they blessed God for the elevation to official power of so good a man. \n\nspeaking peace to all his seed--While his administration was conducted with a mild and impartial hand, he showed a peculiarly warm and friendly feeling to all his countrymen when asked his counsel or his aid.\n\n\n\n\n\nNext: Job Introduction\n\n"]}],"introduction":"AHASUERUS' GREATNESS. MORDECAI'S ADVANCEMENT. (Est 10:1-3)\n\nAhasuerus laid a tribute--This passage being an appendix to the history, and improperly separated from the preceding chapter, it might be that the occasion of levying this new impost arose out of the commotions raised by Haman's conspiracy. Neither the nature nor the amount of the tax has been recorded; only it was not a local tribute, but one exacted from all parts of his vast empire.\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/EST/10.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"EST","chapter":10},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/JOB/1.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"JOB","chapter":1},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/EST/9.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"EST","chapter":9},"numberOfVerses":2}