By “Shushan the palace (or the fort),” is probably meant the whole of the upper town, which occupied an area of more than 100 acres, and contained many residences besides the actual palace. The Jews would not have ventured to shed blood within the palace-precincts. read more
Most of these names are Persian, and readily traceable to Old Persian roots.Esther 9:10On the spoil laid they not their hand - As they might have done (see the margin reference). read more
Esther 9:5. Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword The second decree “allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and therefore may account, in some measure, for the slaughter which they made of their enemies: and, no doubt, the great sum which Haman had offered to gratify his revenge against the Jewish nation, was an additional provocation to them to slay every one that came to annoy them. But still it should be remembered, that in this they acted by virtue of a... read more
Esther 9:6. In Shushan the palace That is, in the city where the palace was; it not being probable, either that they would make such a slaughter in the palace itself, or that they would be permitted so to do; the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men These, and the rest killed in other places, either were men who did not conceal their wicked inclinations, but openly assaulted the Jews, and whom therefore the king’s edict gave them power to destroy; or, they were persons whom the Jews... read more
Esther 9:10. But on the spoil laid they not their hand The king had granted them leave to take it, Esther 8:11, but they declined to do it; that it might appear what they did was not done out of malice or covetousness, but out of mere necessity, and according to the great law of self-preservation; that they might not so much as seem to desire any thing but their own safety; and that the king might have the greater kindness for them, in whose exchequer these goods were to come, if he pleased... read more
8:1-10:3 THE JEWS TRIUMPHANTVictory and celebration (8:1-9:32)Although Mordecai was appointed chief minister instead of Haman (8:1-2), the decree arranged by Haman was still in force. A king’s decree could not be changed. However, the king gave Esther and Mordecai his authority to issue a new decree that would counteract the former one (3-8).Esther and Mordecai acted promptly. They gave the Jews permission to take whatever action they chose in order to defend themselves against any attack on... read more
sword . . . slaughter . . . destruction. Note the Figure of speech Synonymia , for emphasis. and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6 . read more
destroyed, &c. Note that they took no advantage of the permission given in Esther 8:11 . read more
And. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton in verses: Esther 9:7-9 , particularizing each one of Haman's ten sons. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Esther 9:7-10
And Parshandatha . Haman's ten sons have unmistakably Persian names, so that no countenance is given by them to the theory that he was a foreigner. Formerly it was customary that they should be written in each MS . of the Book of Esther in three perpendicular lines, to signify (as it was said) that they were hanged on three parallel cords. In reading them the ten names were uttered in one breath, in memory of the supposed fact that they all died in one instant. It would be wrong, however,... read more