Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.
The king's decree fixed the thirteenth day of Adar as the date for wiping out every Jew in the Persian empire. That day arrives here — and it turns out the exact opposite of what was planned.
The day that changed hands
Two royal decrees pointed at this one date. Grant notes that the king's permission was not the only thing the Jews had that day.
Leslie M. GrantOn the day set by both decrees, the enemies of the Jews expected to destroy all the Jews in the Persian empire. But the tables were turned completely. Besides having the king's permission to fight for their lives, the Jews were given power from God to defeat and destroy all their enemies.
Why the enemies had to be met
The verse names the hostile side twice: those who hoped to overpower them, and those who hated them. Rossier looks at what the peoples of the empire felt before that day came.
H. L. RossierIf they are overcome with fear when judgment is decreed, that was not the case when their hostility seemed about to be satisfied. At that moment, they were the "enemies" of the Jews and "hoped to gain the mastery over them" (Esther 9:1). They "hated them" and "sought their harm." This hatred must meet its retribution.
That hatred had a long history. Rossier sees Satan at work behind Haman:
H. L. RossierNow that the people are captive, reduced by their unfaithfulness to the lowest point of humiliation, Satan stirs up Haman the Agagite to wipe out the weak remnant of this people. And — let us not forget — his hidden aim is to take Israel away from Christ, the king according to the counsels and promises of God.
Two decrees, one still standing
The first decree could not be cancelled. Rescue came through a second document placed beside it.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThe proclamation of death stood, but alongside it stood a proclamation of life. They did not need to die. Their enemies were given into their hands. They acted on this second proclamation and believed its contents. So they learned that the first decree stood and could not be revoked, but the second decree set them free from death and gave them liberty.
The second decree still had to be acted on:
C E StuartBut notice: to escape the doom threatened by the first decree, they had to stand up for their lives and kill their opponents. They had to be active, in line with the terms of the second decree. If inaction overcame them, death would be their portion.
The unnamed worker
God is never named in this book. Kelly treats that as the point, not a problem:
William KellyPerhaps there is no more remarkable unfolding of the great truth of divine providence in the Bible. And notice, as a striking companion to this, how the name of God does not appear anywhere in it. Ignorant men have supposed this to be a defect. In truth, using the name openly along the way would have badly spoiled the book. The main object is to show His hand secretly working where His name could not rightly be proclaimed. Far from being a fault, this is one of the most strengthening things to consider, since we deal with a similar secret providence every day.
Darby draws comfort from the same silence:
J. N. DarbyGod does not show Himself. But God holds the reins by His providence, behind the power and the mistakes of that throne to which the government of the world had fallen. He watches over the carrying out of His purposes and over everything necessary to their fulfilment. And He cares for His people, whatever their condition or the power of their enemies may be.
A picture of a day still ahead
Kelly reads the reversal forward, to something still unfinished:
William KellyThe Jews did gather themselves together and laid their hand on all who sought their life. No man could withstand them. It is the clear picture of the day when the Jew will again be restored to his due and proper place throughout the earth.
Kelly also warns against reading the chapter as a picture of the church:
William KellyCarrying out righteous vengeance does not fit the calling of the Christian at all — it does not fit the church's place. But with the Jew called in to share the kingdom by and by — called into the honours of the kingdom — it is exactly in season.
Summary
- Hatred — The enemies are named by what they wanted: to overpower, to hate, to harm. Rossier says such hatred must meet its retribution, and this day is where it did.
- Hidden — God's name never appears. Kelly argues that is the design, not a flaw: the book exists to show His hand working secretly where His name could not be spoken.
- Given — The Jews had more than the king's permission that day. Grant says God gave them power, and the tables turned completely.
- Acted — The death decree was never repealed. A second decree stood beside it. Stuart warns that inaction would still have cost them their lives.
- Ahead — Kelly reads the reversal as a picture of Israel restored in a coming day. He warns that this vengeance does not describe the Christian's calling now.