{"commentary":{"id":"john-gill","name":"John Gill Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gill_(theologian)","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"John Gill Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"f6fcfd6c3a726dc834cfaf1ae1cd0bf49bffb88c1246ac3500699e8af7be71a5","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1189,"totalNumberOfVerses":29707,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"EST","commentaryId":"john-gill","name":"Esther","commonName":"Esther","introduction":"INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER \n\nThis book has its name from the person who is the principal subject of it; it is by Clemens of Alexandria (a) called the Book of Mordecai also; it is commonly called, in the Hebrew copies, \"Megillah Esther\", the Volume of Esther; and sometimes in the Jewish writings only \"Megillah\", by way of eminency, \"the Volume\". It was written, according to the Talmudists (b), by the men of the great synagogue, composed by Ezra; and some think it was written by Ezra himself (c); but Aben Ezra is of opinion it was written by Mordecai, since he was concerned in, and had perfect knowledge of, all things related in it; which is rejected by Spinosa (d), who conceits that this, and the books of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, were written by one and the same historian long after the times of Judas Maccabaeus: as to the canonical authority of it, it has been generally received by Jews and Christians; our wise men, says Maimonides (e), openly and plainly affirm of the book of Esther, that it was dictated by the Holy Spirit; so Aben Ezra on Est 6:6, and he himself (f) affirms, that \n\n\"all the books of the prophets, and all the Hagiographa (or holy writings), shall cease in the days of the Messiah, except the volume of Esther; and, lo, that shall be as stable as the Pentateuch, and as the constitutions of the oral law, which shall never cease.'' \n\nThough the versions of other books of Scripture might not be read in the synagogues, versions of this book might to those who did not understand Hebrew (g); and so Luther (h) says, the Jews more esteem the book of Esther than any of the prophets. Whence Mr. Baxter (i) had that notion, I can not devise, that the Jews used to cast to the ground the book of Esther before they read it, because the name of God was not in it: nor is that any objection to its authenticity, since the hand and providence of God may be most clearly seen in it; in raising Esther to such grandeur, and that for the deliverance of the people of the Jews, and in counter working and bringing to nought the plots of their enemies, and in saving them: nor that it is not quoted in the New Testament; it is sufficient there is no disagreement between them, yea, an entire agreement, particularly in the account of the captivity of Jeconiah, which is expressed almost in the same words in Est 2:6 as in Mat 1:11. It stands in Origen's catalogue (k) of the books of the Old Testament; nor is it any material objection that it appears not in the catalogue of Melito (l), since in that list is comprehended under Ezra not Nehemiah only, but Esther also, which Jerom (m) mentions along with it. This book is not only of use to the Jews, as it shows the original and foundation of a feast of theirs, still kept up by them, the feast of Purim, and makes for the glory of their nation, and therefore it is no wonder it should be so highly esteemed by them; but serves to show the singular providence of God in taking care of his people in adversity, in humbling the proud, and exalting the lowly, and saving those that pray to him, and trust in him; it furnishes out various instructions in the conduct of the several persons herein mentioned; it is a history but of ten or eleven years at most, from the third of Ahasuerus, to the twelfth of his reign, Est 1:3. \n\n(a) Stromat. l. 1. p. 329. (b) T. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. (c) August. de Civ. Dei, l. 18. c. 36. Isidor. Origin. l. 6. c. 2. (d) Tract. Theolog. Politic. c. 10. p. 189, &c. (e) Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. (f) Hilchot Megillah, c. 2. sect. 18. (g) Misn. Megillah, c. 2. sect. 1. T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 18. 1. (h) Mensal. Colloqu. c. 31. p. 358. (i) The Saints Everlasting Rest, part 4. c. 3. sect. 1. (k) Apud Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 25. (l) Apud ib. l. 4. c. 26. (m) Ad Domnion. & Rogat. tom. 3. fol. 7. F. \n\n\n\nNext: Esther Chapter 1\n\n","order":17,"numberOfChapters":10,"sha256":"b55cd985242768f56e63acb8f448f50f3f76817f80df49e7e08f3dbba866840c","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/EST/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"EST","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":10,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/EST/10.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"EST","chapter":10},"totalNumberOfVerses":164},"chapter":{"number":10,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["And the King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land, and upon the isles of the sea. Which include all his dominions, both on the continent, and on the sea, the Aegean sea; though Aben Ezra thinks it regards such as were not under his government, but stood in fear of him, of whom he demanded tribute. If Ahasuerus was Xerxes, perhaps his exchequer might be drained by his wars with the Grecians, which put him upon this; though some understand this of his renewing the taxes and tribute, which he remitted upon his marriage with Esther, Esther 2:18. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["And all the acts of his power, and of his might,.... As Xerxes was a very mighty and powerful prince:\n\nand the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him; the history of that, and which tended not a little to the greatness, dignity and prosperity of the king himself, and his whole kingdom:\n\nare they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? to which the reader is referred by the writer of this book, the which were in being in his times, but now lost: had they been preserved, they might have been of great use to lead into the history of the Medes and Persians, which for want of them is very dark and intricate; the writer of this book having nothing further to do with it, than as it related to the affairs of the Jews. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["For Mordecai the Jew was next unto Ahasuerus,.... The second man in the kingdom, the principal of the counsellors, and prime minister of state:\n\nand great among the Jews; highly respected by them, in great honour and esteem with them, for which there was great reason:\n\nand accepted of the multitude of his brethren; or of many, of most, of the greatest part of them; for, let a man be ever so deserving, there are some that will envy his greatness, cavil at everything done by him, and speak evil of him without any just reason:\n\nseeking the wealth of his people; their good, their welfare and happiness, temporal and spiritual:\n\nand speaking peace to all his seed; not only to his family, but to all the Jews who were of the same seed with him, the seed of Abraham; either speaking to them in an humble and condescending manner, being very humane, affable, and courteous; or speaking for them to the king, asking of him for them what might conduce to their peace, prosperity, and happiness. No mention is made in this history of the death and burial either of Mordecai or Esther; but the author of Cippi Hebraici says (z), that Mordecai was buried in the city of Shushan, and that all the Jews in those parts assemble at his grave on the day of Purim, and sing songs, playing on tabrets and pipes, rejoicing that there was a miracle wrought; and the same writer says (a), they do the like at that time at the grave of Esther, half a mile from Tzephat, read this book that bears her name, eat, drink, and rejoice. Benjamin of Tudela says (b), they were both buried before a synagogue, at a place called Hamdan.\n\n(z) P. 70. Ed. Hottinger. (a) Ib. p. 64. (b) Itinerar. p. 96. \n"]}]},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/john-gill/EST/10.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"EST","chapter":10},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/JOB/1.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"JOB","chapter":1},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/EST/9.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"EST","chapter":9},"numberOfVerses":3}