1On that day king, Artaxerxes gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to queen Esther, and Mordecai entered before the king. For Esther had confessed to him that he was her paternal uncle.
2And the king took the ring, which he had ordered to be taken from Haman, and he handed it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over her house.
3Not content with these things, she threw herself down at the king’s feet and wept, and, speaking to him, pleaded that he would give orders that the malice of Haman the Agagite, and his most wicked schemes, which he had contrived against the Jews, would be made ineffective.
4But he, as was the custom, extended the golden scepter with his hand, which was the sign of clemency, and she rose up and stood before him.
5And she said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his eyes, and my request is not seen to be disagreeable to him, I beg you that the former letters of Haman, the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he instructed them to be destroyed in all the king’s provinces, may be corrected by new letters.
6For how will I be able to endure the murder and execution of my people?”
7And king Artaxerxes answered Esther the queen and Mordecai the Jew, “I have granted Haman’s house to Esther, and I have ordered him to be fastened to a cross, because he dared to lay hands on the Jews.
8Therefore, write to the Jews, just as it pleases you, in the king’s name, sealing the letters with my ring.” For this was the custom, that letters which were sent in the king’s name and were sealed with his ring, no one would dare to contradict.
9Then the scribes and copyists were brought in, (now it was the time of the third month which is called Sivan,) on the twenty-third day of the month, and letters were written, as Mordecai wanted, to the Jews, and to the governors, and procurators, and judges, who presided over the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, from India all the way to Ethiopia: to one province and another, to one people and another, in accordance with their languages and letters, and to the Jews, exactly as they were able to read and hear.
10And these letters, which were sent in the king’s name, had been signed with his ring, and were sent by swift couriers who were to rush in every direction, through all the provinces, so as to prevent the former letters with new messages.
11The king commanded them to bring together the Jews throughout each city, and to instruct them to join together, so as to make a stand for their lives, and to execute and destroy all their enemies, with their wives and children and their entire houses, and to plunder their spoil.
12And one day of retribution was established throughout all the provinces, namely, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13And such was the content of the letter, so that it would be made known in all lands and nations, which are subject to the authority of king Artaxerxes, that the Jews have been made ready to be vindicated of their enemies.
14And so the swift couriers departed in haste, carrying through the announcement, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susa.
15But Mordecai, going forth from the palace and from the king’s presence, shone in royal apparel the color of hyacinth and of the sky, wearing a golden crown on his head, and clothed with a cloak of silk and purple. And all the city rejoiced and was joyful.
16But for the Jews, a new light seemed to rise; there was joy, honor, and dancing.
17With all the peoples, cities, and provinces, wherever the king’s orders arrived, there was wonderful rejoicing, banquets and feasts, and a solemn holy day, so much so that many of the other nations joined themselves to their religious practices and ceremonies. For a great fear of the name of the Jews had overcome them all.
Verse 1
When King Ahasuerus gives Queen Esther the house of Haman the enemy of the Jews, this must refer to the fact that after the people spurned the arrival of the incarnate intermediary between God and man and refused to accept his evangel, the true king and our Lord put at the disposal of the holy Church all the dignity and honor which in the past they had gotten from their knowledge of the Law and the prophets and from their practice of righteous faith, so that the Church would possess spiritual wealth and become the most respected guardian of all the virtues. Hence it is written in Proverbs: “The wealth of the sinner is guarded by the righteous” (Proverbs 13). And in the Gospel, the Lord says to the Jews themselves: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation that produces its fruits” (Matthew 21). This is also the reason for what Solomon says: “He who is good receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 12). We are next told about Mordecai that he went in before the face of the king, meaning that because the Church praises and proclaims the dedication of its leaders, these sacred teachers discover—in exchange for the effort they have exerted in nurturing the faithful—abundant grace in the sight of the creator of all things. We might also apply this principle to the characterization of all the persecutors of the Church more generally, because whatever the latter produced in their eagerness to acquire wisdom or useful disciplines; or sought out by investigating the respectability of the virtues; or whatever sorts of punishments they devised to torment the martyrs, it was all subverted by the faithful so as to magnify the honor and the glory of Christ. Nor did the wicked possessors of these things retain any of the good rewards that they earned for their labors, but everything was transferred to the righteous to consummate their perfection. And what follows this, where the king took the ring he had gotten from Haman and gave it to Mordecai, is an allegorical expression of the fact that the seal of faith, which the faithless Jews and all the persecutors of the name of Christ did not want to accept when it was offered to them through the preaching of the Gospel, was transferred to the nations by the apostles of Christ for the sake of their salvation. So Esther holds onto the house of Haman the enemy of the Jews, just as the Church of Christ possesses the world which was once the enemy of Christianity. And Mordecai goes in before the face of the king because the souls of the saints are taken every day from their homes in this life to contemplate the visage of the supreme Judge; there is no limit to the measure of their happiness—each day they experience ever more glory in the joy of eternal exultation.
The fact that King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, clearly signifies that the true king who is our Lord transferred to the holy church all the dignity and honor which the people previously possessed because of their knowledge of the law and the prophets and because of their holy and religious worship. This happened because they despised the advent in flesh of the Mediator between God and humanity and because they had no desire to receive his gospel. And so the church was able to possess all the spiritual riches and become the sincere guardian of all virtue. Therefore it is written in the book of Proverbs, “The sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” And the Lord says to the Jews themselves in the gospel, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” And again it is said through Solomon, “The good obtain favor from the Lord.”
[Daniel 2:48] "Then the king elevated Daniel to a high position, and gave him many great gifts and set him up as governor over all the provinces of Babylon..." In this matter also the slanderous critic of the Church has ventured to castigate the prophet because he did not reject the gifts and because he willingly accepted honor of the Babylonians. He fails to consider the fact that it was for this very purpose that the king had beheld the dream and that the secrets of its interpretation were revealed by a mere lad, that Daniel might increase in importance and that in the place of captivity he might become ruler over all the Chaldeans, to the end that the omnipotence of God might be made known. We read that this same thing happened in the case of Joseph at the court of Pharaoh and in Egypt (Genesis 41:38-43), and also in the case of Mordecai at the court of Ahasuerus (Esther 8:1-2). The purpose was that the Jews, as captives and sojourners in each of these nations, might receive encouragement as they beheld men of their own nation constituted as governors over the Egyptians or the Chaldeans, as the case might be.
Verse 2
So Esther appointed Mordecai over her house, because it serves the beneficial intentions of the holy Church that great numbers of the faithful might be placed under the government of the aforementioned saints to be subjected—in humility and obedience—to the authority of their chosen magistrates.
The fact that King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, clearly signifies that the true king who is our Lord transferred to the holy church all the dignity and honor which the people previously possessed because of their knowledge of the law and the prophets and because of their holy and religious worship. This happened because they despised the advent in flesh of the Mediator between God and humanity and because they had no desire to receive his gospel. And so the church was able to possess all the spiritual riches and become the sincere guardian of all virtue. Therefore it is written in the book of Proverbs, “The sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” And the Lord says to the Jews themselves in the gospel, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” And again it is said through Solomon, “The good obtain favor from the Lord.”
[Daniel 2:48] "Then the king elevated Daniel to a high position, and gave him many great gifts and set him up as governor over all the provinces of Babylon..." In this matter also the slanderous critic of the Church has ventured to castigate the prophet because he did not reject the gifts and because he willingly accepted honor of the Babylonians. He fails to consider the fact that it was for this very purpose that the king had beheld the dream and that the secrets of its interpretation were revealed by a mere lad, that Daniel might increase in importance and that in the place of captivity he might become ruler over all the Chaldeans, to the end that the omnipotence of God might be made known. We read that this same thing happened in the case of Joseph at the court of Pharaoh and in Egypt (Genesis 41:38-43), and also in the case of Mordecai at the court of Ahasuerus (Esther 8:1-2). The purpose was that the Jews, as captives and sojourners in each of these nations, might receive encouragement as they beheld men of their own nation constituted as governors over the Egyptians or the Chaldeans, as the case might be.
Verse 3
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 4
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 5
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 6
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 7
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 8
So when Esther falls at the feet of the king and beseeches him for the sake of her people, this must refer to the fact that every day the holy Church humbly petitions the Lord Almighty—through the faith and mysteries of the incarnate, only-born Son of God—to free her children so that through his grace, the arrogance of the enemy might be crushed and the innocence of the faithful be freed from their hands. The supreme king holds out his golden scepter toward the queen as she pleads with him, because he is lavishing on her the mercy of his righteousness. She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through its agents to exterminate the people of God, should be rejected and destroyed by the thoroughly salutary writings of the Gospels. The letters themselves are written in the name of the king and then sealed with his ring, because the teaching of the Gospels—which are preached throughout the world in the name of Christ—are declared everywhere to be confirmed by the seal of the Holy Spirit, since the preachers themselves, who are filled with its gift, seem to everyone to be undefeatable in their unflagging strength and to remain ever glorious and triumphant over their enemies.
The fact that Esther falls at the feet of the king and entreats him for the salvation of the people plainly symbolizes the holy church that humbly implores the almighty Lord every day for the rescue of her children through the faith and the mystery of the incarnation of the only begotten Son, so that the arrogance of her enemies may be restrained by the (Lord’s) grace, and the innocence of the faithful may be freed from the clutches of the (wicked). The heavenly king holds out his golden scepter to the pleading queen because he abundantly bestows the clemency of his mercy upon her. She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his ministers for the extinction of the people of God, may be repelled and destroyed through the saving documents of the gospel.
Verse 9
The month of Sivan, which comes third after Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, is the same one the Greeks call Thessaroi and the Romans Junius. On the twenty-third day of that month new letters were dictated by Mordecai in order to refute the earlier letters of Haman. The significance of this is obvious—the teaching of the Gospel was framed by the writers of the New Testament, under the direction of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that it would fully encompass the faith in the holy Trinity, and the absolute perfection of the entire Decalogue would be proven in the two commandments of charity. And by means of the couriers—i.e. the sacred preachers—the Scripture itself is directed toward the entire world, which is symbolized by the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces that made up the realm of Ahasuerus, since the number ten when multiplied by twelve makes one hundred and twenty; and if we were to add another seven to this, it would allow us to complete the entire sum. In the same way, the true custodianship of the Decalogue within the apostolic tradition was imparted to all parts of the world through the sacred teachers; whereas by the grace of the sevenfold Spirit it was spread through the hearts of the faithful. It is likewise of mystical significance that these letters which were sent in the name of the king and were sealed with his ring were, we are told, written according to the scripts and the languages of each and every nation, so that each nation might be able to read and to understand; that is, the teaching of the Gospels was ordained in such a way that its first teachers—who had been taught through the grace of the Holy Spirit—spoke first in the words of all the languages, and then the word of faith was seeded by their ministry through all parts of the world. Hence we read in the Acts of the Apostles that in the Cenacle of Zion, the Paraclete of the Spirit came over the one hundred and twenty believers in the form of a fire and enabled them to declare in the tongues of all the nations the marvels of God, so that those who gathered to listen to them would all be struck dumb by this miracle.
The month of Sivan, which is the third after Nisan among the Jews, and is called Thessari among the Greeks, is named June among Latin peoples. On the twenty-third day of this month new letters were written according to Mordecai’s dictation in order to invalidate the old letters of Haman. And the meaning of this event is quite clear, because the doctrine of the gospel was founded by the writers of the New Testament through our Lord Jesus Christ so that the faith of the Holy Trinity might be contained in it in its fullest form, and the supreme perfection might be shown to lie in two principles of charity that encompass the entire Decalogue. And the Scripture itself, through mounted couriers, that is the holy preachers, was provided to the whole world, which is signified by the one hundred twenty provinces that constituted the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Verse 10
The month of Sivan, which comes third after Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, is the same one the Greeks call Thessaroi and the Romans Junius. On the twenty-third day of that month new letters were dictated by Mordecai in order to refute the earlier letters of Haman. The significance of this is obvious—the teaching of the Gospel was framed by the writers of the New Testament, under the direction of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that it would fully encompass the faith in the holy Trinity, and the absolute perfection of the entire Decalogue would be proven in the two commandments of charity. And by means of the couriers—i.e. the sacred preachers—the Scripture itself is directed toward the entire world, which is symbolized by the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces that made up the realm of Ahasuerus, since the number ten when multiplied by twelve makes one hundred and twenty; and if we were to add another seven to this, it would allow us to complete the entire sum. In the same way, the true custodianship of the Decalogue within the apostolic tradition was imparted to all parts of the world through the sacred teachers; whereas by the grace of the sevenfold Spirit it was spread through the hearts of the faithful. It is likewise of mystical significance that these letters which were sent in the name of the king and were sealed with his ring were, we are told, written according to the scripts and the languages of each and every nation, so that each nation might be able to read and to understand; that is, the teaching of the Gospels was ordained in such a way that its first teachers—who had been taught through the grace of the Holy Spirit—spoke first in the words of all the languages, and then the word of faith was seeded by their ministry through all parts of the world. Hence we read in the Acts of the Apostles that in the Cenacle of Zion, the Paraclete of the Spirit came over the one hundred and twenty believers in the form of a fire and enabled them to declare in the tongues of all the nations the marvels of God, so that those who gathered to listen to them would all be struck dumb by this miracle.
The month of Sivan, which is the third after Nisan among the Jews, and is called Thessari among the Greeks, is named June among Latin peoples. On the twenty-third day of this month new letters were written according to Mordecai’s dictation in order to invalidate the old letters of Haman. And the meaning of this event is quite clear, because the doctrine of the gospel was founded by the writers of the New Testament through our Lord Jesus Christ so that the faith of the Holy Trinity might be contained in it in its fullest form, and the supreme perfection might be shown to lie in two principles of charity that encompass the entire Decalogue. And the Scripture itself, through mounted couriers, that is the holy preachers, was provided to the whole world, which is signified by the one hundred twenty provinces that constituted the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Verse 11
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies that through his preachers our king, the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, orders the true Jews and his confessors among all the Gentiles, after they have gathered in the unity of society and peace, to fight for the salvation of their souls and to condemn their enemies both visible and invisible, namely the false Jews, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and the unredeemed pagan and heretics, and the unclean spirits with all their impieties.
So when this earthly king orders his couriers to gather the Jews in each place, and to command them to assemble so that they might fight for their lives and kill all their enemies together with their wives and children and all their houses, this can only mean that our king, who rules over all of Heaven and earth, is—through his preachers—ordering the true Jews and their adherents throughout the nations to assemble as a union of fellowship and peace; and to fight for the salvation of their souls; and to condemn all their enemies both visible and invisible, i.e. the false Jews who are the synagogue of Satan and the incorrigible pagans and heretics, as well as the impure spirits with all their impieties and perverse notions. Nor should they permit any remnant of these to survive, or even their wives and children, i.e. they should wipe out completely the carnal desires and the works of sinners together with their houses, namely with their worldly ambitions; or allow to remain any offshoot of these things that could pose a threat to them. So it is that in the Law, the Lord commanded the Israelites to kill and to wipe out those nations in the Promised Land that were antagonistic to them; so too he afterward commanded them to destroy the Amalekites until they were all slaughtered, because he wanted to deprive them of any occasion for misbehavior. This is what the prophet is thinking of when he says in the Psalms: “In the mornings I was killing all the sinners of the land, to wipe out from the city of the Lord all the evildoers” (Psalms 101). Furthermore, the time at which this slaughter of enemies was ordered to take place accords very well with the mystery of this spiritual slaughter, since the twelfth Hebrew month, which is Adar, can only symbolize the last age of our world when this spiritual war is being waged above all by the soldiers of Christ. And in the same way, the thirteenth day symbolizes the faith in the holy Trinity through the observing the commands of God, which is the basis upon which all our adversaries are effectively subdued.
Verse 12
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies that through his preachers our king, the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, orders the true Jews and his confessors among all the Gentiles, after they have gathered in the unity of society and peace, to fight for the salvation of their souls and to condemn their enemies both visible and invisible, namely the false Jews, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and the unredeemed pagan and heretics, and the unclean spirits with all their impieties.
So when this earthly king orders his couriers to gather the Jews in each place, and to command them to assemble so that they might fight for their lives and kill all their enemies together with their wives and children and all their houses, this can only mean that our king, who rules over all of Heaven and earth, is—through his preachers—ordering the true Jews and their adherents throughout the nations to assemble as a union of fellowship and peace; and to fight for the salvation of their souls; and to condemn all their enemies both visible and invisible, i.e. the false Jews who are the synagogue of Satan and the incorrigible pagans and heretics, as well as the impure spirits with all their impieties and perverse notions. Nor should they permit any remnant of these to survive, or even their wives and children, i.e. they should wipe out completely the carnal desires and the works of sinners together with their houses, namely with their worldly ambitions; or allow to remain any offshoot of these things that could pose a threat to them. So it is that in the Law, the Lord commanded the Israelites to kill and to wipe out those nations in the Promised Land that were antagonistic to them; so too he afterward commanded them to destroy the Amalekites until they were all slaughtered, because he wanted to deprive them of any occasion for misbehavior. This is what the prophet is thinking of when he says in the Psalms: “In the mornings I was killing all the sinners of the land, to wipe out from the city of the Lord all the evildoers” (Psalms 101). Furthermore, the time at which this slaughter of enemies was ordered to take place accords very well with the mystery of this spiritual slaughter, since the twelfth Hebrew month, which is Adar, can only symbolize the last age of our world when this spiritual war is being waged above all by the soldiers of Christ. And in the same way, the thirteenth day symbolizes the faith in the holy Trinity through the observing the commands of God, which is the basis upon which all our adversaries are effectively subdued.
Verse 13
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies that through his preachers our king, the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, orders the true Jews and his confessors among all the Gentiles, after they have gathered in the unity of society and peace, to fight for the salvation of their souls and to condemn their enemies both visible and invisible, namely the false Jews, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and the unredeemed pagan and heretics, and the unclean spirits with all their impieties.
So when this earthly king orders his couriers to gather the Jews in each place, and to command them to assemble so that they might fight for their lives and kill all their enemies together with their wives and children and all their houses, this can only mean that our king, who rules over all of Heaven and earth, is—through his preachers—ordering the true Jews and their adherents throughout the nations to assemble as a union of fellowship and peace; and to fight for the salvation of their souls; and to condemn all their enemies both visible and invisible, i.e. the false Jews who are the synagogue of Satan and the incorrigible pagans and heretics, as well as the impure spirits with all their impieties and perverse notions. Nor should they permit any remnant of these to survive, or even their wives and children, i.e. they should wipe out completely the carnal desires and the works of sinners together with their houses, namely with their worldly ambitions; or allow to remain any offshoot of these things that could pose a threat to them. So it is that in the Law, the Lord commanded the Israelites to kill and to wipe out those nations in the Promised Land that were antagonistic to them; so too he afterward commanded them to destroy the Amalekites until they were all slaughtered, because he wanted to deprive them of any occasion for misbehavior. This is what the prophet is thinking of when he says in the Psalms: “In the mornings I was killing all the sinners of the land, to wipe out from the city of the Lord all the evildoers” (Psalms 101). Furthermore, the time at which this slaughter of enemies was ordered to take place accords very well with the mystery of this spiritual slaughter, since the twelfth Hebrew month, which is Adar, can only symbolize the last age of our world when this spiritual war is being waged above all by the soldiers of Christ. And in the same way, the thirteenth day symbolizes the faith in the holy Trinity through the observing the commands of God, which is the basis upon which all our adversaries are effectively subdued.
Verse 14
Moreover, what follows next—“And the king’s edict was published in Shushan”— means that the domain of the heavenly king rules over and governs the entire world: “everything has been placed under his jurisdiction, and there is no one who can resist his will” (Esther 13); and our mundane ambitions are laid low by his power. So it makes sense that according to the text the king’s edict was also published in Shushan, since “Shushan” means riding or conveying. In the end, the arrogance of the world is bested by the power of God; which is why the Savior says to his disciples in the Gospel: “in the world, you will face repression; but take heart, for I have conquered the world” (John 16).
The fact that this earthly king sends his couriers to gather the Jews in each place and to assemble them in a single location so that they may fight for their lives and destroy all their enemies with their children and women and houses signifies that through his preachers our king, the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, orders the true Jews and his confessors among all the Gentiles, after they have gathered in the unity of society and peace, to fight for the salvation of their souls and to condemn their enemies both visible and invisible, namely the false Jews, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and the unredeemed pagan and heretics, and the unclean spirits with all their impieties.
Verse 15
It is to the great credit of our sacred teachers that with their teaching and encouragement the faithful are able to conquer, through the power of the supreme king, the savagery of a most wicked enemy; and their reward for this awaits them in the heavenly kingdom of eternal blessing and perpetual brightness, which seem to be prefigured by the color blue and the flash of gold. Moreover, in the celestial citadel the martyrs of Christ, along with those who are going to rule together with Christ the king, are repaid with the dignity given to kings by that most righteous of source of recompense, in exchange for shedding their blood. The terms “purple” and “silken” offer us a prefiguration of this fact; and every gathering of saints will be happy and rejoice no less over this in the celestial Jerusalem. This is described in what follows: “So for the Jews, a new light was seen to arise; and joy, and honor, and celebration. Among every people, city and province, and wherever the king’s orders reached, there was a wonderful exultation, banquets, and feasting, and a holiday; and so much so that many members of other nations and beliefs adopted their religion and their rites. For a great terror of the Jewish people had fallen upon them all.” Many, therefore, among the gentiles and enemies of the Church left behind their idolatry and their gentile superstitions, and were converted to the Christian faith by the power, wisdom and perseverance of the holy martyrs, and through the virtue of Christ that shines through them; which should be perfectly obvious to anyone who reads about the sufferings of the saints and the triumphs of the martyrs. And since that time, the numbers of the faithful have been growing every day by the mercy of God, and the precincts of the Church have been replenished. This is mentioned by the Psalmist: “Let all the land fear the Lord; let everyone be moved by him, and all who inhabit the world” (Psalms 33). And likewise: “The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and will hope in him; and all the upright in heart will be praised” (Psalms 64). And the apostle says: “In the name of Jesus every creature—celestial, terrestrial and infernal—shall bend his knee, and every tongue shall proclaim that the Lord Jesus is in the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2).
The glory of the holy teachers is exalted because it is through their doctrine and exhortation that the faithful defeat the cruelty of their most evil enemy with the help and strength of their heavenly king. And their reward remains with them in the heavenly kingdom of eternal blessedness and perpetual splendor, which appears to be signified by the colors of blue and white and the brightness of gold.
Verse 16
The glory of the holy teachers is exalted because it is through their doctrine and exhortation that the faithful defeat the cruelty of their most evil enemy with the help and strength of their heavenly king. And their reward remains with them in the heavenly kingdom of eternal blessedness and perpetual splendor, which appears to be signified by the colors of blue and white and the brightness of gold.
Verse 17
Thanks to the strength, wisdom and constancy of the holy martyrs—and to the virtue of Christ which shines among them—many among the Gentiles and the enemies of the church abandoned their idolatry and their pagan superstitions and were converted to the Christian faith because it does not hide the suffering of the saints and the triumphs of the martyrs from those it encounters. And therefore, through God’s mercy, the number of the faithful increases daily and the flocks of the church are filled. The power of the Christian name causes terror among infidels and joy among believers the world over. The psalmist also wrote about this: “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”