Read Esther 9
9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”
13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”
14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
19 That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
Purim Established
20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25 But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. 26 (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.
29 So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— 31 to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. 32 Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
Go Deeper
Esther 9 is the culmination of the plot against the Jewish people that Haman began in chapter 3, except it has a little bit of a different ending than Haman had in mind. On the day King Xerxes originally decreed for the Persians to overpower the Jewish people, the Jewish people completely destroyed the Persians. The day that would’ve meant certain death for God’s chosen people became the day of their salvation. Today, we read an important lesson: anything opposing God must be completely destroyed. Anytime we read such graphic texts that detail the death and destruction of so many people, we need to pause and pay attention. It can provoke many questions—and that’s good! The more we understand what’s going on, the more clearly we see God. So what does happen?
First, notice the Jewish population did not seek to kill anyone; they defended themselves from those who attacked them first (Esther 8:11). No one had to take up their sword against God’s people, but those who did marked themselves as His enemies. Any Jewish people who fought were defending themselves from God’s enemies.
Secondly, while Esther’s plea to impale Haman’s sons seems harsh, with a greater understanding of the story, we see that she actually shows faithfulness. Haman was a descendant of the Amalekites, and the Amalekites were the Israelites’ greatest enemies. Twice God promised to wipe them out completely (Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:17-19), and in 1 Samuel 15 God gave Saul the command to destroy them entirely. However, Saul disobeyed and allowed the Amalekite king to live; as a result, some of his sons escaped. Now, 600 years later, we see Esther follow through on God’s command to destroy the evil enemies of His people. While God’s righteous judgement might still be hard for us to comprehend, we can choose to trust that God has a better understanding of the story than we do. If He promised the Amalekites would be destroyed, then He was going to see it through to completion, and this time, it is through a faithful girl named Esther.
A third thing to note is that the Israelites didn’t take any plunder in these battles. Once again, the Israelites were trying to right a past wrong. In 1 Samuel 15, when Saul let some of the Amalekites live, he and his men took plunder from them, even after God forbade it. The Jewish people in today’s story, like Esther, knew their history and refused to make the same mistakes their ancestors did. They knew God asks for complete obedience, and so they fully devoted themselves to following Him, no matter the task.
Esther and the Israelites showed their allegiance and faithfulness to Yaweh by destroying those who proved themselves to be enemies of God. While we have the same call, it looks a bit different for us today. God does not ask us to take a sword to any person, but He does call us to be ruthless in taking out the sin that seeks to take us out. First Peter 5:8 says that we have an enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We have an enemy, we are in a battle, and we must actively put to death any of the schemes, lies, and temptations to sin that actively seek to put us to death. We must fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)!
Questions
- What does it mean to be an enemy of God? Did you know that’s what you were once labeled? Read Romans 5:10 and praise God for His forgiveness.
- Is there any area of your life in which you are not being obedient to God? Is He calling you to do something that you haven’t done? If so, confess and choose to be faithful today.
- Do you have any “pet” sins that you keep around and let stay by your side? How can you take one step towards ruthlessly destroying that sin in your life today?
Keep Digging
The book of Esther is full of so many rich details. For a list of questions (and articles full of explanations) on the book of Esther, check out this resource from GotQuestions.org!
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8 responses to “Esther 9”
The celebration of Purim is March 2nd in case anyone is interested.
Mordecai writes to establish the days of Purim as annual celebration. The people are to feast, send portions of food to one another, and give gifts to the poor.
The Jews destroy their enemies but did not take plunder, justice is carried out without greed. This too was all in God’s plan for His people. Esther was not casual about bloodshed; she was resolute about ensuring the survival of her people. The Persians that were fighting against the Jews were all destroyed in this chapter. While many Persians were killed (75,000), this was limited to those aligned with Haman’s plot or who attacked the Jews, with the support of local officials who feared Mordecai. For us, our fight or struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces (Eph 6:12.). Our battle today is fought with prayer, love, and the Gospel of peace.
The book of Esther tells us to NOT forget the sorrows of our past but to remember so that stand firm in the faith. God shows us that when we go through tough times how faithful and just He is. We are to remember and be grounded in our faith. The we are to celebrate our victory. We are invited to celebrate the faithfulness of God, celebrate the victory that is in Christ Jesus. You can choose a life of joy. Tough times will be a part of your life, sickness will be real, heartache is part of the ebb and flow, yet to recognize the faithfulness of God and celebrate the victory that is ours in Christ Jesus is a gift.
1 Cor. 16:13: Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. (NLT)
Ps. 31:24: Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.
God help me recognize the gift of Jesus Christ minutely in my life. God I thank You that the gift is freely given for one and all. God thank You for boldness to share it. God as life does ebb and flow I so want to choose a life of joy. God thank You for giving me Your Word to glean Your wisdom from. God I love the idea of this celebration of Purim. Have a feast, send food one to another and give gifts to the poor. God thank You for Your word being made alive in my life. God help me to love the unlovable, to show Your light in dark places. God I thank You for Your love effervescing out of my being. I choose joy. I choose WOOHOO’s, praises, gratitude, laughter, reverence, tenderness, kindness, excitement about You with honor and glory today in these minutes in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God’s beautiful redemption plan of saving the Jews foreshadows the divine rescue of all people through Christ. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Who needs an invitation to God’s kingdom? Let’s make it our mission to invite them in!
Having worked with Josh McDowell for nine years, I am drawn to find any “Evidence” that God may have left for us as to the authenticity of Biblical accounts. God has given us so much evidence that can be pieced together archeologically and especially in ancient writings apart from Scripture that corroborate the historical accounts and especially the culture of that time. He’s never required of us a blind faith, but to use the mind he’s given us, and most important, respond to the draw of Jesus/Holy Spirit to come to Him.
When seeking to find any historical account of what occurred in Esther Chapter 9 – This summary encouraged me. It says in so many words, “no” there is no direct evidence, however…then goes on to corroborate the layout of the palace that match Esther’s description – and – that decrees of the King were documented that align with the accounts in Esther, just not mentioning “Jews”…and more; which leave me understanding that this King and these times did in fact occur. (I hope you read what is says about the possibility of the name Mordecai being found!)
At the end of it all – it is Jesus that reveals Himself to us and draws us to Himself (John 6:44) BUT – again, God has left us so much Evidence to then therefore trust, embrace and use the owners manual for our life (The Bible)
Interesting!
Oh, here’s the link:https://www.perplexity.ai/search/is-there-an-historical-writing-_VEZrxriRLKnQvn0lOwbhw#0
10 “But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.”
I find this interesting that the Jews acted only to defend themselves. By not taking plunder, they demonstrated their honor and integrity under very challenging circumstances. Respect!
I’ve “gone quiet” on this book over the past several days, living a version of my own kind of “Esther story.” It’s been one of those times where leadership gets downright ugly — when honoring what is right requires letting go of what is dearly loved.
Seeking direction and encouragement, I had ChatGPT help me synthesize the last few chapters. Such reflections help reaffirm the kind of “governance theology“ that helps me stand strong in “such a time as this.”
REFLECTIONS ON ESTHER 6-9
Even the King Doesn’t Sleep
Esther 6 opens with one of the strangest — and most comforting — lines in the whole book:
“That night the king could not sleep” (v. 1).
Nothing happens yet.
No speeches.
No reversals.
No justice.
Just insomnia.
At this point in the story, the people who are awake, alert, burdened, and grieving are not the ones who caused the harm.
They are the ones who have been faithful inside it.
Esther 6 is the chapter where nothing new is exposed — and yet everything begins to shift.
The king rereads the record.
Old facts resurface.
Overlooked faithfulness is remembered.
Power starts to reorder itself — not because anyone pushes, but because truth was already written down.
This is “governance theology” in its most humane form.
We do not have to make truth prevail. We just have to make sure it is documented, stewarded, and not erased.
And notice what doesn’t happen:
Mordecai does not campaign for recognition.
Esther does not rush the moment.
No one demands immediate resolution.
They let the record speak when the time comes.
Esther slows the story down right here — and in doing so, she acknowledges a particular kind of grief — the grief of loving something that must now be named truthfully.
Before justice, clarity and consequences, Scripture pauses and observes:
Even kings don’t sleep well when systems are lying to them.
Esther 7: Exposure is quiet, contained and irrevocable.
What strikes me most about Esther 7 is how undramatic it is.
No speeches to the crowd.
No public unraveling.
No chaos.
Just a table. A meal. A question.
And then truth — spoken plainly.
Haman is exposed not by outrage, but by clarity.
By facts.
By proximity.
By timing Esther did not rush.
Once the truth is spoken, everything changes — but not noisily. Exposure does not need to be loud to be final.
That matters when truth comes to light in orderly, confidential rooms — when nothing about the moment feels theatrical — and yet nothing will ever be the same again.
Esther 8: Relief does not erase damage.
This is where we might expect release.
But Esther 8 is not relief — it is administration.
Paperwork.
Edicts.
Messengers.
Irreversible consequences that must now be mitigated rather than undone.
Even after Haman is gone, the decree still exists.
Truth coming to light does not restore what was harmed — it creates responsibility.
Esther does not get to collapse afterward. She has to stay present and help shape what comes next.
That isn’t triumph.
That is governance.
Esther 9: Justice is not clean — or cheap.
This is perhaps the hardest chapter to sit with, especially for those who love order, integrity and peace.
There is deliverance — and there is devastation. Survival comes with a body count, and victory carries scars.
This chapter holds two difficult truths at once:
justice is costly — and justice is necessary.
This is “living in the middle chapters.” Not in the upcoming celebration of Esther 10, but somewhere in between. Where truth is exposed, damage is acknowledged and responsibility is SO very heavy.
And the resolution we long for is nowhere in sight.
Scripture does not rush us out of that space. Through stories like these, it directs and affirms us as we live in the middle chapters — as faithful people called to stay steady while systems shake.
The establishment of the Feast of Purim in is a celebration of deliverance and God’s faithfulness.
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11
Remember to celebrate and give thanks for the victories and deliverances God provides in your life.