The author of the Book of Esther is unknown, however, the description of the history of the establishment of the Purim holiday, the details of the life of the Persian court, folk customs, knowledge of the geography of the kingdom prompts us to assume in him the Persian Jew Mordecai, who lived in Susa, a fiery patriot with a literary talent.

Period covered: about V century. BC Currently, many scholars are inclined to date the book to the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century. BC In their opinion, this date is confirmed by the peculiarities of the author's language, his favor towards the Persian king and the pagans.

According to some researchers, this is a story about the Persian king Artaxerxes, also known as Xerxes (485 / 6-465 BC, Ezra 4:14).

Artaxerxes was a Persian king, famous for uniting the empire of his father Darius, erecting several successful buildings and waging wars with the Greeks in 480-470. BC

The Book of Esther explains to subsequent generations of Israel the circumstances of the establishment of the holiday Purim, which is celebrated by Jews today.

1:1- 4 And it was in the days of Artaxerxes - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia -
2 while the king Artaxerxes sat on his king's throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the Persian and Median army, and for the rulers of his provinces,
4 showing the great riches of his kingdom and the excellent brilliance of his greatness [during] many days - one hundred and eighty days.
Yes, to brag about their wealth for 180 days - not every king, we think, can do it. It turns out that Artaxerxes had a lot of curiosities from real estate, if for so long the public was able to entertain the audience with “excellent brilliance of his wealth,” as it is written.

1:5-9 At the end of these days, the king made for his people, who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.
6 White paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, [hung] on silver rings and marble pillars.
7 Gold and silver boxes [were] on a platform covered with green stones, and marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black stones.
8 Drinks were served [were] in vessels of gold and vessels of all kinds, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's riches. Drinking [went] decorously, no one forced, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do it according to the will of everyone.
But even this did not seem enough to the king: for another 7 days, the king decided to throw a feast for his own in the capital. But they did not disgrace: they drank decorously and decently, no one forced anyone to get drunk, they drank of their own free will. I wonder if there really are those in the world who make them drink the green serpent - their household?

1:9-12 And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes. 1
0 On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced from wine, he told Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the face of King Artaxerxes,
11 that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king in the royal crown, in order to show the nations and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.
12 But Queen Vashti did not want to come by the order of the king, [announced] through the eunuchs.
The tsar and the tsarina entertained themselves with separate companies: he with their husbands, she with the ladies. The time has come for the king to boast of his movable property: a beauty queen, which all these princes have never seen. He ordered her to appear in their company and demonstrate her beauty. And in vain. Boasting, as you know, does not lead to anything good: such a queen denied him the courtesy, not a thing and not real estate - a queen, so that she could be shown to drunken princes and bosses as in a circus for entertainment. Although, perhaps, the queen did not obey the order, transmitted through the Eunuchs, for she expected that the king, in his own person, would deign to invite her to the bride.
However, be that as it may, andit came out sadly for the tsar, the word tsar meant nothing in the eyes of the tsarina.

1:13-15 And the king was very angry, and his fury kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know [the old] times, for the king's deeds were [done] in the presence of all who knew the law and rights,
14 those close to him [then were]: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Medes, who could see the face of the king [and] sat first in the kingdom:
15 "What should the law do with Queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of King Artaxerxes, [announced] through the eunuchs?"
N the wife's obedience, and even public - in the presence of all the princes and witnesses-eunuchs, plunged the king into a rage. Still, he was publicly disgraced. But, we must give him his due, anger did not cloud his mind and the sun did not set in his anger, he did not let his mind be eclipsed: having mastered himself and collecting his thoughts, he turned to the wise men who knew the laws of the state from ancient times, because he did not want to act according to your own will. The king was wise:he put interests and laws of the kingdom above his own, mercantile ones.The king is not a crown or a throne, however, but a royal BEHAVIOR.

1:16-18 And Memuchan said in the presence of the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes;
17 because the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: “King Artaxerxes ordered the queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.”
18 Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen's deed, will [the same] speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.
The sages described to him the accusation to the queen: she was guilty not only before the king, but also hit the princes with a ricochet, for a bad example is contagious and the wives of all princes can adopt it. And if the wife is disobedient to her husband and rules over them, then the grief for the whole country is considerable. Such punishment is inevitable.
Yes, the beauty queen went too far in her whims, there is nothing to say, hoped that her beauty - the king's mind would eclipse and he would not go anywhere from her. But it turned out differently.

We thought: the queen at least can be understood, she had something to manipulate in front of the king, trying to take the upper hand: the beauty was indescribable, and the male sex was still greedy for beauty.

And we have seen such vanity: neither beauty, nor intelligence, but some wives hold on to queens and strive to rule over their husbands. And what do they only hope for? We think we know why: that the husband is not a royal family-tribe, he will not be punished, because he needs a wife a lot.

1:19 If it is pleasing to the king, let the royal decree come out from him, and fit into the laws of Persian and Median, and it is not canceled that Vashti will not enter in the face of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.
The Tsar was offered a solution so that it would be possible to get out of this situation without losing the royal greatness and dignity. And the solution is simple: you have to drive away such restive wives from yourself, and replace them with others, better ones, because a disobedient wife is not an assistant to husbands.
The queen played out, she wanted a great one: a husband on errands, well, now sit at a broken trough, let not all the "queens" now think that there are no irreplaceable ones.

1:20 When they hear about this decree of the king, which will spread throughout his entire kingdom, no matter how great, then all wives will honor their husbands, from great to small. "
In order to prevent the situation from developing to a mass "woman's" revolt in Medo-Persia, the center of the revolt had to be strangled in the bud and the instigator should be punished somehow. And instead of female pseudo-freedom, it turned out the other way around, through the stupidity of one, albeit a beautiful and great woman, and men in the kingdom strengthened their positions and rights, given to them by God himself from the beginning.

It can be seen that at that time life was hard for the male sex, if the whole decree of the tsar was needed in order to bring all the wives in line.

Hearing such a decision, other wives will also guard their husbands' right to pump: this decree also extended to them. The king allowed all disobedient wives to be driven into the neck and the problem of a wife's disobedience to her husband was easily resolved in the Persian kingdom.

1:21,22 And this word was pleasing in the eyes of the king and princes; and the king did according to the word of Memuchan.
22 And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in every province in its letters, and to every people in their own language, that every man should be lord in his house, and that this should be announced to everyone in his own language.
And such a decision was pleasing to the king, and to all princes, and to all husbands throughout Media and Persia. Wives, of their husbands' good will, did not want to respect themselves as masters, made them fearful: you won’t really command when the law allows you to get rid of such “commanders”.

We also saw such a bustle on earth, heavy for our psyche: the wives of witnesses (sisters-commanders) - sometimes not with their beauty and not with their minds - manipulate their husbands, neglecting them and even humiliating them in public. But what - they beat me with the letter of the law: "I do not commit adultery, then you will never get rid of me, you insignificance!" And they do what they want. Horror.

We think that such a decree of Artaxerxes and these "queens" could enlighten and make them Christian women, respecting their husbands - if not of their own free will, then at least for fear of being replaced by another - for a better one.

Bible. Old Testament:
Book of Esther

Notes

Old Testament: Book of Esther

[In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, the son of Jairus, Semeyev, Kiseev, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who lived in the city of Susa, a great man who served at the royal palace, had a dream. He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judah. His dream is like this: here is a terrible noise, thunder and earthquake and confusion on the ground; and behold, two large serpents came out, ready to fight each other; And their howl was great, and according to their howl all the peoples prepared for war, to smite the people of the righteous; and now - a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and oppression, suffering and great confusion on earth; and all the people of the righteous were confused, fearing their own troubles, and they prepared to perish and began to cry to the Lord; from their cry came, as it were from a small spring, a great river with a great deal of water; and the light and the sun shone, and the humble ascended and destroyed the vain. - Mordecai, awakening after this dream, depicting what God wanted to accomplish, kept this dream in his heart and wanted to understand it in all parts of it, until the night. And Mordecai stayed in the palace with Gawafa and Farroah, two royal eunuchs who guarded the palace, and he heard their conversations and scouted their plans and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes, and reported them to the king; and the king tortured these two eunuchs, and when they confessed, they were executed. The king recorded this event in memory, and Mordecai recorded this event. And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this. Under the king, Haman, the son of Amadaths, a Bugean, was then noble, and he tried to harm Mordecai and his people for the two king's eunuchs.]

Chapter 1

1. And it was [after this] in the days of Artaxerxes, - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia, -

2. while the king Artaxerxes sat on his royal throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,

3. in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the rulers of his provinces,

4. showing the great riches of his kingdom and the excellent brilliance of his greatness for many days, one hundred and eighty days.

5. At the end of these days, the king made for his people, who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.

6. White, paper, and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, tied with fine linen and purple cords, hung from silver rings and marble pillars.

7. Gold and silver boxes were on a platform covered with green stones and marble and mother-of-pearl and black stones.

8. The drinks were served in jars of gold and vessels of all kinds, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's riches. Drinking was decorous, no one forced, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do it according to the will of everyone.

9. And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.

10. On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced from the wine, he said to Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the presence of the king Artaxerxes,

11. that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king in the royal crown in order to show the peoples and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.

12. But Queen Vashti did not want to come by the order of the king, announced through the eunuchs.

13. And the king was very angry, and his fury kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who knew the old days - for the king's deeds were done before all who knew the law and rights, -

14. close to him then were: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see the face of the king and sat first in the kingdom:

15. what to do according to the law with the queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of king Artaxerxes, announced through the eunuchs?

16. And Memuchan said before the king and the princes: Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes;

17. because the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes ordered the queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.

18. Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear about the queen's deed, will say the same to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.

19. If it pleases the king, let the royal decree come out from him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled, that Vashti will not enter in front of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.

20. When they hear about this decree of the king, which will spread throughout his entire kingdom, no matter how great, then all wives will honor their husbands, from great to small.

21. And this word was pleasing in the eyes of the king and princes; and the king did according to the word of Memuchan.

22. And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in every province in its letters and to every people in their language, so that every man should be lord in his house, and that this be announced to everyone in his natural language.

Chapter 2

1. After this, when the anger of King Artaxerxes subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been determined about her.

2. And the youths of the king who served with him said: Let them look for the king for young beautiful maidens,

3. and let the king appoint observers in all areas of his kingdom, who would gather all the young maidens, beautiful in appearance, to the throne city of Susa, to the house of wives under the supervision of Gegai, the royal eunuch, the guard of wives, and let them give them rubbish [and so on, what do you need];

4. and the damsel, who pleases the eyes of the king, let her be the queen instead of Vashti. And this word was pleasing in the eyes of the king, and he did so.

5. There was one Jew in Susa, the throne city, his name was Mordecai, the son of Jairus, the son of Semey, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin.

6. He was removed from Jerusalem together with the captives brought out with Jeconiah, king of Judah, who were removed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

7. And he was the educator of Gadassah - she is Esther - of his uncle's daughter, since she had neither a father nor a mother. This girl was beautiful in stature and handsome in face. And after the death of her father and her mother, Mordecai took her to him instead of his daughter.

8. When the order of the king and his decree was announced, and when many girls were gathered in the throne city of Susa under the supervision of Gegai, then Esther was taken to the royal house under the supervision of Gegai, the guard of the wives.

9. And this maiden pleased his eyes and gained favor with him, and he hastened to give her the rubbing and everything assigned to her part, and to assign to her seven maidens worthy to be with her from the royal house, and moved her and her maidens to the better. branch of the women's home.

10. Esther did not speak either about her people or about her kinship, because Mordecai gave her the order not to speak.

11. And every day Mordecai came to the court of the women's house to visit about Esther's health and what was happening to her.

12. When the time came for every girl to go to the king Artaxerxes, after for twelve months everything assigned to women had been fulfilled over her - for so long the days of rubbing them lasted: six months with myrrh oil and six months with fragrances and other women's rubbing, - -

13. then the maiden went in to the king. Whatever she demanded, she was given everything to leave the women's house to the king's house.

14. In the evening she entered and in the morning she returned to another house of women under the supervision of Shaazgaz, the royal eunuch, the guard of the concubines; and she no longer went in to the king, unless the king desired her, and she would be called by name.

15. When the time came for Esther, the daughter of Aminadab, the uncle of Mordecai, who took her to him instead of his daughter, to go to the king, then she did not ask for anything other than what Gegai, the king's eunuch, the guardian of wives, told her about. And Esther gained affection for herself in the eyes of all who saw her.

16. And Esther was taken to the king Artaxerxes, into his royal house, in the tenth month, that is, in the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17. And the king loved Esther more than all the wives, and she won his favor and favor more than all the maidens; and he put a royal crown on her head and made her queen in Vashti's place.

18. And the king made a great feast for all his princes and for those who served with him - a feast for Esther's sake, and made a favor to the provinces and distributed gifts with royal generosity.

19. And when the maidens were gathered the second time, and Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate,

20. Esther still did not speak about her kinship and about her people, as Mordecai ordered her; and Esther kept the word of Mordecai even now, just as when she was in his upbringing.

21. At this time, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, the two king's eunuchs, Gabath and Terah, guarding the threshold, became embittered [because Mordecai was preferred], and plotted to lay hands on King Artaxerxes.

22. Upon learning of this, Mordecai told the queen Esther, and Esther told the king on behalf of Mordecai.

23. The case was examined and found to be true, and they were both hanged from a tree. And it was written about Mordecai's good deed in the book of the day's records with the king.

Chapter 3

1. After this, King Artaxerxes exalted Haman, the son of Amadath, the Bugean, and lifted him up, and made his seat higher than all the princes that he had;

2. and all the servants of the king who were at the king's gate bowed and prostrated themselves before Haman, for the king had commanded so. And Mordecai did not bow or prostrate.

3. And the servants of the king, who are at the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why are you transgressing the king's command?

4. And as they spoke to him every day, but he did not listen to them, they told Haman to see if Mordecai would stand in his word, for he told them that he was a Jew.

5. And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow and prostrate before him, Haman was filled with anger.

6. And it seemed insignificant to him to lay his hand on Mordecai alone; but since they told him from what people Mordecai, then Haman planned to destroy all the Jews who were in the whole kingdom of Artaxerxes, like the people of Mordecai.

7. [And he made counsel] in the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Artaxerxes, and they cast pur, that is, lots, before Haman, day after day, and month after month, [to destroy the people of Mordecai in one day, and the lot fell] in the twelfth month, that is, in the month of Hadar.

8. And Haman said to king Artaxerxes: There is one people scattered and scattered among the nations in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from the laws of all nations, and they do not comply with the laws of the king; and the king should not leave them like that.

9. If it pleases the king, then let it be ordered to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of the officers in order to bring them to the royal treasury.

10. Then the king took off his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Amadath, the Bugean, in order to seal the decree against the Jews.

11. And the king said to Haman: I give you this silver and people; do with him as you please.

12. And the royal scribes were called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it was written, as Haman ordered, to the king's satraps and to the rulers over each region [from the region of India to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty and seven regions], and to the princes of each of the people, to every region with her letters and to every people in their language: everything was written in the name of the king Artaxerxes and was fastened with the king's ring.

13. And letters were sent through messengers to all the regions of the king, to kill, destroy and destroy all Jews, young and old, children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, and their property to plunder. [Here is a list from this letter: the great king Artaxerxes to the rulers from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven regions and the governors subordinate to them. Reigning over many nations and reigning over the entire universe, I wanted, not being exalted with the pride of power, but always managing meekly and quietly, to make the life of my subjects permanently serene and, observing my kingdom peaceful and easily passable to its limits, to restore the peace desired for all people. When I asked the advisers how to bring this to fruition, who is distinguished among us by wisdom and enjoys unchanging favor, and who has proved his firm loyalty, and received the second honor for the king, Haman explained to us that one hostile people was mixed up in all the tribes of the universe, according to his laws, he is contrary to any people, constantly disregarding the royal commands, so that the co-government we are impeccably performed does not improve. So, having learned that this people alone always opposes every person, leads a way of life alien to the laws, and, opposing our actions, commits the greatest atrocities so that our kingdom does not achieve prosperity, we have commanded the Haman indicated to you in the letters, appointed over deeds and our second father, completely destroy everyone with their wives and children with enemy swords, without any regret and mercy, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar of this year, so that these hostile people, both formerly and now, being forcibly cast down into the underworld on one day, do not hinder us thereafter, to live peacefully and serenely to the end.]

14. The list with the decree should be given to each region as a law announced for all peoples so that they are ready for that day.

15. The messengers set off quickly with the royal command. A decree was announced in Susa, the throne city; and the king and Haman sat and drank, and the city of Susa was in turmoil.

Chapter 4

1. When Mordecai knew all that was being done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city and cried out with a great and bitter cry: [Innocent people are being destroyed!]

2. And he reached the king's gate [and stopped,] because it was impossible to enter the king’s gate with sackcloth [and ashes].

3. Likewise, in every region and place where the king's command and his decree reached, there was a great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and crying; sackcloth and ashes served as a bed for many.

4. And Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was greatly troubled. And she sent garments for Mordecai to put them on, and to strip off his sackcloth. But he didn't accept.

5. Then Esther called Gathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom he assigned to her, and sent him to Mordecai to find out: what is this and why is it?

6. And Hatach went to Mordecai in the city square, which is in front of the king's gate.

7. And Mordecai told him about everything that had happened to him, and about a certain amount of silver, which Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasury for the Jews, in order to destroy them;

8. and gave him a copy of the decree promulgated in Susa, about their destruction, in order to show Esther and let her know about everything; besides, he punished her that she should go to the king and pray to him for mercy and ask him for her people, [remembering the days of her humility when she was brought up under my hand, because Haman, second in king, condemned us to death, and that she called And she told the king about us, that he will deliver us from death].

9. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10. And Esther said to Hatach, and sent him to say to Mordecai:

11. all those serving under the king and the peoples in the king's provinces know that everyone, both man and woman, who enters the king's courtyard without being summoned, one judgment is death; only the one to whom the king stretches out his golden scepter will remain alive. And I have not been invited to the king for thirty days.

12. And they told Mordecai the words of Esther.

13. And Mordecai answered Esther: Do not think that you alone will be saved in the king's house of all the Jews.

14. If you remain silent at this time, then freedom and deliverance will come for the Jews from another place, and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows if it was not for such a time that you achieved the dignity of the king?

15. And Esther answered in reply to Mordecai:

16. Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for my sake, and do not eat or drink for three days, neither day nor night, and I will also fast with my maids and then I will go to the king, although this is against the law, and if I die, I die.

17. And Mordecai went and did as Esther commanded him. [And he prayed to the Lord, remembering all the works of the Lord, and said: Lord, Lord, King, Almighty! Everything is in Your power, and there is no one who resists You when You want to save Israel; You have created heaven and earth and all that is wondrous in heaven; You are the Lord of all, and there is no one who would oppose You, the Lord. You know everything; You know, Lord, that I did this not for offense and not out of pride or vanity, that I did not worship the vain Haman, for I would gladly kiss his footprints to save Israel; but I did this in order not to give glory to man above the glory of God and not to worship anyone but You, my Lord, and I will not do this out of pride. And now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, spare Thy people; for they are plotting our destruction, and they want to destroy Thy original inheritance; do not despise thy wealth, which thou hast redeemed for thyself out of the land of Egypt; Hear my prayer and have mercy on Your inheritance and turn our mourning into joy, so that while we live, we may sing Your name, O Lord, and do not destroy the lips that glorify You, O Lord. And all the Israelites cried out with all their might, because their death was before their eyes. And Queen Esther ran to the Lord, seized by mortal grief, and, stripping off the garments of her glory, put on garments of sorrow and mourning, and instead of precious overalls, she sprinkled ashes and dust on her head, and greatly exhausted her body, and every place adorned in her joy, she covered her with her loose hair, and prayed to the Lord God of Israel, saying: My Lord! You alone are our King; help me, lonely and having no help but you; for my trouble is near me. I heard, O Lord, from my father, in my native tribe, that You, O Lord, chose Israel for yourself out of all nations and our fathers out of all their ancestors for an eternal inheritance, and did for them what you said to them. And now we have sinned against You, and You have delivered us into the hands of our enemies because we glorified their gods: You are righteous, O Lord! But now they were not content with our bitter slavery, but laid their hands in the hands of their idols, in order to subvert the commandment of Thy lips, and to destroy Thy inheritance, and to shut off the lips of those who praise Thee, and to extinguish the glory of Thy temple and Thy altar, and to open the mouths of the peoples to glorify. vain gods, and the king of the flesh to be magnified forever. Do not betray, O Lord, Thy scepter to the non-existent gods, and let them not rejoice at our fall, but turn their intentions on them themselves: put the libel against us to shame. Remember, Lord, reveal Yourself to us during our sorrow and give me courage. King of the gods and Lord of all authorities! Give my mouth a favorable word before this lion, and fill his heart with hatred for the one who persecutes us, for his destruction and his like-minded people; Deliver us with Thy hand, and help me, O Lord, who is alone and has no helper but Thee. You have the knowledge of everything, and you know that I hate the glory of the wicked and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and every foreigner; You know my necessity, that I abhor the sign of my pride, which is on my head in the days of my appearance, I abhor it like a garment defiled with blood, and do not wear it in the days of my solitude. And Thy servant did not partake of Haman’s meal, and didn’t cherish the king’s feast, and didn’t drink wine offered to idols, and Thy servant didn’t rejoice from the day of the change of my fate until now, except for Thee, O Lord God of Abraham. God who has power over all! hear the voice of the hopeless, and save us from the hand of the evil one, and deliver me from my fear.]

Chapter 5

1. On the third day, Esther [stopped praying, took off her clothes of mourning and] dressed like a king, [and becoming magnificent, calling on the all-seeing God and Savior, she took two maids, and leaned on one, as if indulging in bliss, and the other followed her, supporting her dress. She was beautiful in the color of her beauty, and her face was joyful, as if filled with love, but her heart was cramped with fear]. And she stood in the courtyard of the king’s house, in front of the king’s house; The king was then sitting on his royal throne, in the royal house, directly opposite the entrance to the house, [clothed in all the garment of his majesty, all in gold and precious stones, and was very terrible]. When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she found mercy in his eyes. [Turning his face, flaming with glory, he looked with intense anger; and the queen became discouraged and changed in her face from weakness, and bent down on the head of the servant who accompanied her. And God changed the spirit of the king to meekness, and he hastily got up from his throne and took her into his arms until she came to herself. Then he consoled her with gentle words, saying to her: What do you want, Esther? I am your brother; be of good cheer, you will not die, for our dominion is common; come here.]

2. And the king stretched out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand, and Esther came up and touched the end of the scepter, [and the king put the scepter on her neck and kissed her and said, Speak to me. And she said: I saw in you, lord, as it were an angel of God, and my heart was troubled with fear of your glory, for you are wonderful, lord, and your face is full of grace. - But during the conversation she fell from weakening; and the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her].

3. And the king said to her: What is it to you, Queen Esther, and what is your request? Even half a kingdom will be given to you.

4. And Esther said: [Today I have a feast day;] If the king pleases, let the king come with Haman today to the feast that I have prepared for him.

5. And the king said, Go quickly for Haman, to do according to the word of Esther. And the king came with Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.

6. And the king said to Esther while drinking wine: What is thy desire? it will be satisfied; and what is your request? even up to half a kingdom, it will be fulfilled.

7. And Esther answered, and said: This is my desire and my request:

8. if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if the king is pleased to satisfy my desire and fulfill my request, then let the king come with Haman [tomorrow] to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will fulfill the king's word.

9. And Haman went out that day, cheerful and complacent. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king's gate, and he did not get up and did not move from his place before him, then Haman was filled with anger at Mordecai.

10. However, Haman held together. And when he came to his house, he sent to call his friends and Zeresh, his wife.

11. And Haman told them about his great wealth and about the multitude of his sons and about all how the king had exalted him and how he had exalted him over the princes and servants of the king.

12. And Haman said, Yes, even the queen Esther did not call anyone with the king to the feast that she had prepared, besides me; so for tomorrow I am invited to her with the king.

13. But all this is not enough for me, as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

14. And Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him: Let them prepare a tree fifty cubits high, and in the morning tell the king to hang Mordecai on it, and then go merrily to the feast with the king. And Haman liked this word, and he prepared a tree.

Chapter 6

1. That night the Lord took sleep from the king, and he ordered [the servant] to bring a memorable book of the day's entries; and read them before the king,

2. and it was found recorded there as reported by Mordecai to Ghaaf and Terah, two eunuchs of the king, guarding the threshold, who planned to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes.

3. And the king said, What honor and distinction is given to Mordecai for this? And the king's youths who served with him said, “Nothing has been done to him.

4. [When the king inquired about the good deed of Mordecai, Haman came to the court,] and the king said: Who is in the court? Haman then came to the outer court of the royal house to talk to the king, so that Mordecai would be hanged on a tree that he had prepared for him.

5. And the youths said to the king, Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard. And the king said, Let him come in.

6. And Haman entered. And the king said to him: What could be done to that man whom the king wants to be distinguished with honor? Haman thought in his heart: who else would the king want to honor, besides me?

7. And Haman said to the king: To that man whom the king wants to distinguish with honor,

8. let them bring the royal robe, in which the king is dressed, and bring the horse, on which the king rides, and put the royal crown on his head,

9. and let them give a robe and a horse into the hands of one of the first princes of the king, - and clothe the person whom the king wants to distinguish with honor, and bring him out on horseback to the town square, and proclaim to him: so is done to the person whom the king wants to distinguish with honor !

10. And the king said to Haman: [Well you said;] immediately take a robe and a horse, as you said, and do it to Mordecai the Jew who is sitting at the king's gate; omit nothing of everything that you said.

11. And Haman took a robe and a horse, and clothed Mordecai, and brought him out on horseback to the town square and proclaimed before him: This is how it is done to the man whom the king wants to distinguish with honor!

12. And Mordecai returned to the king's gate. Haman hurried to his house, sad and covering his head.

13. And Aman told Zereshi his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. And his wise men and Zeresh, his wife, said to him: if Mordecai is of the tribe of Judah, out of which you began to fall, you will not overpower him, but surely you will fall before him, [for the living God is with him].

14. They were still talking with him, when the king's eunuchs came and began to rush Haman to go to the feast that Esther had prepared.

Chapter 7

1. And the king came with Haman to feast with Esther the queen.

2. And the king said to Esther also on this second day during the feast: What is thy desire, Queen Esther? it will be satisfied; and what is your request? even up to half a kingdom, it will be fulfilled.

3. And Queen Esther answered and said: If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if it pleases the king, then may my life be given to me, according to my desire, and my people, according to my request!

4. For we, I and my people, are sold for destruction, slaughter and destruction. If we were sold as slaves and slaves, I would be silent, although the enemy would not reward the king's damage.

5. And King Artaxerxes answered and said to Queen Esther: Who is this, and where is the one who dared to do so in his heart?

6. And Esther said: Enemy and adversary — this wicked Haman! And Haman trembled before the king and queen.

7. And the king got up from the banquet in his anger and went into the garden at the palace; Haman remained to beg for his life the queen Esther, for he saw that an evil fate was determined for him from the king.

8. When the king returned from the garden at the palace to the house of the feast, Haman was crouching down to the box on which Esther was. And the king said: He even wants to rape the queen in my house! The word came out of the king's mouth, and they covered Haman's face.

9. And Harbona, one of the eunuchs with the king, said: Behold, the tree that Haman prepared for Mordecai, who spoke good to the king, stands by the house of Haman, fifty cubits high. And the king said, Hang him on it.

10. And they hanged Haman on the tree which he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king's anger subsided.

Chapter 8

1. On that day, King Artaxerxes gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews; and Mordecai went in before the king, for Esther declared that he was for her.

2. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; Esther appointed Mordecai overseer over Haman's house.

3. And Esther continued to speak before the king and fell at his feet, and wept and begged him to turn away the malice of Haman the Bugeean and his plan, which he had plotted against the Jews.

4. And the king stretched out the golden scepter to Esther; and Esther arose and stood before the king,

5. And she said: If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his face, and this deed is just in the presence of the king, and I am pleased with his eyes, then let it be written that the letters should be returned according to the design of Haman, the son of Amadaph, the Bugeean, written them for the destruction of the Jews in all the provinces of the king;

6. for how can I see the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I see the destruction of my loved ones?

7. And King Artaxerxes said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I gave Haman's house to Esther, and he himself was hanged in a tree because he laid his hand on the Jews;

8. Write also about the Jews, whatever you want, in the name of the king and fasten it with the king's ring, for the letters written in the name of the king and fastened with the king's ring cannot be changed.

9. And then the royal scribes were called in the third month, that is, in the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of it, and everything was written as Mordecai ordered, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and to the governors, and the rulers of the regions from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to each province in writing, and to each people in their language, and to the Jews in their writings and in their language.

10. And he wrote in the name of the king Artaxerxes, and fastened it with the king's ring, and sent letters by messengers on horses, on dromedaries and king's mules,

11. that the king allows the Jews who are in every city to gather and stand up to defend their lives, to destroy, kill and destroy all the strong in the people and in the region that are at enmity with them, children and wives, and their property to plunder,

12. on one day in all regions of king Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar. [The list from this decree is as follows: the great king Artaxerxes to the rulers from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven regions and to the rulers who are well-wishing to us, rejoice.

Many, out of the extraordinary kindness of benefactors, generously rewarded with honors, have become overly proud and not only seek to inflict harm on our subjects, but, unable to saturate their pride, attempt to intrigue their benefactors themselves, not only lose their sense of human gratitude, but, boasting the arrogance of the insane, think criminally avoid the judgment of everything and always seeing God

But often many, being invested with power in order to arrange the affairs of the friends who have entrusted them, by their conviction make them the culprit of the shedding of innocent blood and subject them to incorrigible calamities, deceiving the immaculate prudence of the sovereigns by the cunning weaving of insidious lies.

This can be seen not so much from the ancient stories, as we said, as from the deeds that are criminally committed before you with the malice of unworthy rulers. Therefore, we need to attend to the subsequent time, so that we can arrange the kingdom serene for all people in the world, not allowing changes, but discussing the presented cases with due foresight. So Aman Amadafov, a Macedonian, truly alien to Persian blood and very far from our goodness, having been received by us as a guest, won the favor that we have for every nation, so much so that he was proclaimed by our father and revered by all, representing the second person in the royal throne ; but, not moderating pride, he plotted to deprive us of our power and soul, while our savior and everlasting benefactor Mordecai and the immaculate commune of the kingdom of Esther, with all their people, sought to destroy by various insidious measures.

Thus, he thought to make us deserted, and to transfer the Persian state to the Macedonians. We find the Jews, condemned by this villain to destruction, not evil, but living according to the most just laws, the sons of the Most High, the greatest living God, who gave us and our ancestors the kingdom in the best condition.

Therefore, you will do well not to carry out the letters sent by Haman Amadafov; for he, who did this, was hanged at the gates of Susa with the whole house, according to the will of God who reigns over all, who soon rendered him a worthy judgment.

Having put the list of this decree openly in every place, leave the Jews to use their laws and help them, so that those who rebelled against them during the time of tribulation they could take revenge on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar, on that very day.

For God who rules over everything, instead of the destruction of the chosen race, gave them such joy. And you, among your famous holidays, spend this famous day with all the merriment, so that salvation for us and for the Persians who are well-disposed to us and the destruction of those who intrigued us will be remembered both now and after.

Every city or region in general that does not fulfill this will be mercilessly devastated by sword and fire and will become not only uninhabited for people, but also for animals and birds forever disgusting.]

13. The list of this decree should be given to each region, as a law announced for all peoples, so that the Jews were ready to take revenge on their enemies for that day.

14. The messengers, riding on the fast horses of the tsar, drove quickly and hastily, with the tsar's command. A decree was announced in Susa, the throne city.

15. And Mordecai came out from the king in a royal garment of yahont and white, and in a large gold crown, and in a fine linen and purple mantle. And the city of Susa rejoiced and rejoiced.

16. And the Jews then had illumination and joy, and mirth, and triumph.

17. And in every region and in every city, in every place where the king's command and his decree reached, the Jews had joy and joy, a feast and a feast day. And many of the peoples of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Chapter 9

1. In the twelfth month, that is, in the month of Adar, on its thirteenth day, on which the time came to fulfill the command of the king and his decree, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to take power over them, but it turned out on the contrary, that the Jews themselves took power over the enemies their own, -

2. The Jews gathered together in their cities in all the provinces of king Artaxerxes, to lay hands on their evil-doers; and no one could stand before them, for fear of them fell upon all the nations.

3. And all the princes in the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and the executors of the king's affairs, supported the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

4. For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went to all the regions, for this man, Mordecai, ascended higher and higher.

5. And the Jews struck down all their enemies, striking with the sword, killing and exterminating, and dealt with their enemies according to their own will.

6. In Susa, the throne city, the Jews killed and killed five hundred people;

7. and Parshandaf and Dalphon and Asfaf,

8. and Porath and Adal and Aridaf,

9. and Parmashfu and Arisai and Aridaya and Vayezaf, -

10. They killed the ten sons of Haman, the son of Amadath, the enemy of the Jews, but did not stretch out their hand to plunder.

11. On the same day, the king was informed about the number of those killed in Susa, the throne city.

12. And the king said to the queen Esther: In Susa, the throne city, the Jews killed and killed five hundred men and ten sons of Haman; what did they do in the other provinces of the king? What is your desire? and it will be satisfied. And what else is your request? it will be fulfilled.

13. And Esther said: If it pleases the king, then let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed to do the same tomorrow as today, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on a tree.

14. And the king ordered to do so; and a decree was given to this in Susa, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.

15. And the Jews, who were in Susa, also gathered together on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and killed three hundred people in Susa, but did not stretch out their hand to plunder.

16. And the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered together to stand up for their lives and to be at peace from their enemies, And they killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies, but they did not stretch out their hand to plunder.

17. This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar; and on the fourteenth day of this month they quieted down and made it a day of feasting and mirth.

18. But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on his thirteenth day and on his fourteenth day, and on his fifteenth day they calmed down and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

19. Therefore, the rural Jews, living in open villages, spend the fourteenth day of the month of Adar in merriment and feasting, as a feast day, sending gifts to each other; [Those who live in the metropolises also spend the fifteenth day of Adar in good fun, sending gifts to their neighbors].

20. And Mordecai described these incidents and sent letters to all the Jews who were in the provinces of King Artaxerxes, to those near and far,

21. that they should establish every year the celebration of the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day thereof,

22. how such days, in which the Jews were made at peace by their enemies, and how such a month, in which their sorrow turned into joy, and mourning - on a feast day - to make them days of feasting and joy, sending gifts to one another and alms to the poor ...

23. And the Jews received what they themselves had begun to do, and of which Mordecai wrote to them,

24. as Haman the son of Amadath, the Bugeean, the enemy of all the Jews, thought to destroy the Jews, and cast pur, lots, for their destruction and destruction,

25. and how Esther reached the king, and how the king ordered in a new letter that the evil plan of Haman, which he had conceived against the Jews, would turn on his head, and that he and his sons be hanged on a tree.

26. That is why they called these days Purim, from the name: pur [lot, for in the language of their lot they are called Purim]. Therefore, in accordance with all the words of this letter and with what they themselves saw and what it came to with them,

27. The Jews ordained, and took it upon themselves, and upon their children, and upon all who join them, unchangingly, to celebrate these two days, according to the ordained for them and in their due time, every year;

28. and that these days should be remembered and celebrated in all generations in every tribe, in every region and in every city; and so that these days of Purim would not be canceled among the Jews, and the memory of them would not disappear from their children.

29. Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew also wrote, with all insistence that this new letter on Purim be fulfilled;

30. And they sent letters to all the Jews in the one hundred twenty-seven regions of the kingdom of Artaxerxes with words of peace and righteousness,

31. so that they steadfastly observe these days of Purim in due time, which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther set about them, and how they themselves appointed them for themselves and for their children in the days of fasting and crying.

32. So Esther's command confirmed this word about Purim, and it is written in the book.

Chapter 10

1. Then King Artaxerxes imposed a tax on the land and on the islands of the sea.

2. However, all the deeds of his strength and power and the detailed testimony of the greatness of Mordecai, which the king exalted him, are recorded in the book of the daily records of the kings of Media and Persia,

3. as well as the fact that Mordecai the Jew was the second after King Artaxerxes and great among the Jews and loved by many of his brothers, for he sought good for his people and spoke for the good of all his tribe. [And Mordecai said, This was from God, for I remembered the dream that I had about these events; nothing remained unfulfilled in it. The small spring became a river, and there was light and sun and a lot of water: this river is Esther, whom the king took to be his wife and made his queen. And the two snakes are me and Haman; the nations are those gathered to destroy the name of the Jews; and my people are the Israelites, who have cried out to God and have been saved. And the Lord saved His people, and the Lord delivered us from all these evils, and God performed great signs and wonders, which were not among the Gentiles. So God arranged two lots: one for the people of God, and the other for all the Gentiles, and these two lots came out at the hour and time and on the day of judgment before God and all the Gentiles. And the Lord remembered His people and justified His inheritance. And these days of the month of Adar, on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of this month, will be celebrated with triumph and joy and gladness before God, for ever generations, among His people Israel. In the fourth year of the reigns of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who is said to have been a priest and a Levite, and Ptolemy his son, brought to Alexandria this letter of Purim, which is said to have been interpreted by Lysimachus, the son of Ptolemy, who was in Jerusalem.]

1st addendum to the book: Mordecai's dream and the disclosure of a conspiracy against the king. 1-9. The Feast of Artaxerxes. 10–22 Queen Vashti's refusal to come to the meeting of guests at the call of the king and her removal by the king.

Esph. 1: 0a. [In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, the son of Jairus, Semeyev, Kiseev, from the tribe of Benjamin saw a dream,

In the story of Mordecai's dream, the following contradiction should be noted first of all: the narrator says that the dream presented itself to Mordecai “in the second year” (Esther 1: 0a) of Artaxerxes, and Mordecai is already referred to as “serving at the royal palace”. Meanwhile, according to the Hebrew text, Esther was taken to the king only "in the seventh year of his reign" (Esther 2:16, cf. conspiracy against him. It is possible to resolve the bewilderment caused by this contradiction - either by making a mistake in indicating the year of the reign of Artaxerxes, or by admitting a different situation in which Mordecai could have recognized and brought to the attention of the king a conspiracy against him, or, finally, by the assumption of a more significant interval of time between sleep and conspiracy.

The history of the conspiracy according to various lists is presented in four forms (Hebrew text, 2 Greek and Josephus Flavius). According to the Hebrew text (Esth. 2.21-23), the conspiracy is the reason for Mordecai's approach to the court, while according to the main Greek text (appendix 1) Mordecai was already at the court and himself, and not through the queen, reports the conspiracy to the king. Josephus Flavius ​​generally follows this Greek text, supplementing it, however, with the message that Mordecai himself does not learn about the conspiracy, but through a certain Barnabaz, a Jewish servant of one of the conspirators. Other Greek versions also allow a repetition of the conspiracy, allowing the first in the 2nd year of Artaxerxes, and the second in the 7th year and thus trying to reconcile the disagreement and contradiction of the texts with the indicated different dates and representations of the conspiracy case, or accept any one eliminating the other.

Esth. 1: 0b A Jew who lived in the city of Susa, a great man who served at the royal palace.

"Mordecai" is a Persian name meaning "worshiper of Merodach." In 1Ezra 2.2 and Neh 7.7 - Mordecai is mentioned among those who came with Zerubbabel from the captivity of Nebuchadnezzar. In addition, Mordecai is also called ἄνθροπος μέγας ("great man"), that is, great in strength and significance for the Jews (cf. Esth 10.3), Flavius ​​XÏ6, 2 - he is designated as a man τῶν πρώτων παρὰ τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις. In the Hebrew text, the name of Mordecai appears for the first time from Esther 2.5-6.

Esth. 1: 0c He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judah.

Esth. 1: 0d His dream is like this: here is a terrible noise, thunder and earthquake and confusion on the ground;

Est. 1: 0ë) and behold, two large serpents came out, ready to fight each other;

Esth. 1: 0f and their howl was great, and after their howl all the peoples prepared for war, to smite the people of the righteous;

A "righteous people" is a righteous people, that is, Jews.

Est. 1: 0g and now - a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and oppression, suffering and great confusion on earth;

Est. 1: 0h and all the people of the righteous were confused, fearing troubles for themselves, and they prepared to perish

Est. 1: 0ï) and began to cry out to the Lord;

Esth. 1: 0j from their cry came, as it were from a small spring, a great river with a great deal of water;

Esth. 1: 0k and the light and the sun shone, and the humble ascended and destroyed the vain. -

A detailed explanation of Mordecai's dream is given in a special 7th addendum to the book (after Esph. 10: 3), to which we refer the reader.

Esph. 1: 0l Mordecai, awakening after this dream, portraying what God wanted to do, he kept this dream in his heart and wanted to understand it in all parts of it, until the night. those. until next night, all day.

Esth. 1: 0m And Mordecai dwelt in the palace with Ghaaf and Farrah, the two king's eunuchs who guarded the palace.

Esth. 1: 0n and heard their conversations and scouted their plans and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes, and reported them to the king;

Est. 1: 0ö) and the king tortured these two eunuchs, and when they confessed, they were executed.

Est. 1: 0p The king recorded this event in memory, and Mordecai wrote about this event.

Esth. 1: 0q And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this.

Esph. 1: 0r When the king was then Noble is Haman, the son of Amadaths, a Bugean, and he tried to harm Mordecai and his people for the two eunuchs of the king.]

Esth.1.1 "Aman" - according to Esth 3.1 of the main text - Agagit - הָאֲגָגִי. The Greek texts, in contrast to the Hebrew, call him either Macedonian or Vugeian (Βουγαῖος). The latter, however, is neither the name of the people, nor the name of the locality, nor even less a proper name. It is rather a nickname (Βουγαῖος), the meaning of which is "big braggart." As for the name of Haman "Agagit", it was thought for a long time on this basis that Haman was an Amalekite, for one of the Amalekite kings was called Agag. And since already in ancient times the names of Esau and Amalek were taken for designations of the pagans of Europe, LXX translates the Hebrew "agagn" through Μακεδῶν, a Macedonian. However, Haman's name, like the name of his father, is of Mid-Persian origin. And we also now know from the Karzabad inscriptions that the country of Agag was really a part of Media - a new circumstance that shows, even in the smallest details, the historical significance of the book. Esther. This shows that the objection made against Esther 16.10 - according to the Vulgate - and borrowed from the fact that in this place Haman is called "the spirit and race of the Macedonian" (animo et gente macedo), does not matter. This passage does not contradict (as it was claimed) Esth. 3.1: 10, 8.3, 9.10, 24. The word "Macedonian" in Ch. XVI. - comes from the fact that the Greek translators, according to which the Latin translation of Chapter XVI was made, in vain transmitted here, as in Esth 9.24 - the word "Agagite" through "Macedonian" (Viguru, Guide to reading and studying the Bible, book . Esph).

The names of the conspiratorial eunuchs vary from edition to edition. In the accepted Greek text, they are referred to as "Gabath and Terah" (Γαβαθά and Θάρρα); Josephus - Βαγαθῶος and Θεόδεστος; according to other variations Ἄστβγος (Ἀστυάγης) and Θεδευτός. The Vulgate has Bagatha instead of Γαβαθά.

Esph. 1: 1. And it was [after this] in the days of Artaxerxes, - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia, -

According to the Hebrew text, the name of the king is אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, according to one of the Greek variations Ἀρταξέρξης - "Artaxerxes", according to others - Ασυηρος (cf. Tov 14:15, 1Ezr.4.6, Dan 9.1), according to the Vulgate - Assuerus. It is debatable which king should really be meant here. In any case, it is most reliable that speech here can only be or about Artaxerxes Longimane or Xerxes... The name of this Artaxerxes "great" in the 1st appendix (τοῦ μεγάλου. - Est. 1: 0a) should be understood as the usual designation of the Persian kings, and not as Artaxerxes' own distinction. Recent investigations have led to the idea that this "Artaxerxes" is none other than Agasver (Xerxes I, 485-465, son of Darius I, son of Hystaspes). “One of the very first results of reading Persian inscriptions,” says one of the researchers (Oppert), “was the identification of Ahasver (Assuer) with Xerxes. Already Grotefend expressed this opinion more than half a century ago, and the successes of science did not leave even a shadow of doubt about its truth. " And the biblical image of "Artaxerxes" is as similar as possible to "Ahasuer" of history and the circumstances of his reign. So, everything that is said about the space of the Persian Empire (Esth. 1.1: 10.1), about the customs of the court, about the capricious, voluptuous, cruel, vengeful, extravagant disposition of Ahasver - all this is most applicable to Xerxes as described by Herodotus.

The 127 regions, from India to Ethiopia, over which Artaxerxes reigned, should not be confused with the 20 satrapies established by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, in their state. The former, for their division, were based on geographical and ethnographic characteristics, while satrapies were more general administrative units, to facilitate the collection of taxes.

Esph. 1: 2. while the king Artaxerxes sat on his royal throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,

The action takes place "in Susa, the throne city", where the king usually spent several months of the year.

Esph. 1: 3. in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the rulers of his provinces,

"In the third year ... of the reign" - circa about 482 BC.

Esph. 1: 4. showing the great wealth of his kingdom and the excellent splendor of his greatness during many days, one hundred and eighty days.

The duration of the feast - without any exaggeration - is indicated at 180 days. It was, more precisely, a whole series of feasts that opened for new and new guests of the king, who arrived at his call from the most distant regions of the vast kingdom. Herodotus gives a remarkable confirmation of this, reporting that, preparing for the campaign in Greece, after the conquest of Egypt, Xerxes invited all the nobles of his kingdom to his court to consult with them about this war, and spent four years preparing for it.

Esph. 1: 5. At the end of these days, the king made for his people, who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.

Esph. 1: 6. White, paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, hung on silver rings and marble pillars.

Esph. 1: 7. Gold and silver stocks were on a platform covered with green stones and marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black stones.

Esph. 1: 8. Drinks served were in vessels of gold and vessels of all kinds, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's riches. Drink was going decorously, no one compelled, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do according to the will of everyone.

Everything that is told about the greatness of the Persian kings, about the great wealth of their kingdom and the beauty of the palace decorations - is sufficiently confirmed by the result of excavations carried out at the site of Susa in 1884-1886.

Esph. 1: 9. And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.

The name of the queen in Hebrew: וַשְׁתִּּי, in LXX: Αστιν, in the Vulgate: Vasthi, in ancient Persian: Vahista - excellent. - The queen could usually dine with the king, but she could not attend public feasts according to Persian concepts of female honor.

Esph. 1:10. On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced from the wine, he said to Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the presence of the king Artaxerxes,

Esph. 1:11. that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king in the royal crown in order to show the peoples and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.

Esph. 1:12. But Queen Vashti did not want to come at the order of the king, announced through eunuchs.

The eccentric thought of the king - "to show the peoples and princes the beauty" of Queen Vashti makes the queen's refusal all the more attractive because it was in the midst of the feast and the sensuality of the king and his guests: "on the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced from wine."

Esph. 1:13. And the king was very angry, and his fury kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know former times - for the deeds of the king were made before all who know the law and rights, -

“And the king asked the wise men who know the times - for the king’s deeds are before all who know the law and the law,” that is, The king consulted with the wise men (naturalists or magicians) who were with him about this matter, because this was his custom - to carry out judgments and sentences openly, in front of everyone who knew and respected laws and rights.

Esph. 1:14. close to him then there were: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see the king's face and sat first in the kingdom:

“They could see the face of the king,” that is, had access to him in the performance of his royal affairs. The number of these privileged persons was very limited (Est. 1:10); even the closest friend of the king, the queen, did not belong to him, as we see further on Esther (Esther 4.11 onwards).

Esph. 1:15. what to do according to the law with the queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of king Artaxerxes, announced through eunuchs?

Esph. 1:16. And Memuchan said before the king and the princes: Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes;

Esph. 1:17. because the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes ordered the queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.

Esph. 1:18. Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear about the queen's deed, will also speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.

In the verdict of the king's associates in the case of Astini, there is absolutely no indication of mitigating circumstances; it can be seen that the servility of courtiers placed above all else - to act in the tone of the tsar's mood and to please this mood; Moreover, the courtiers even exaggerate the matter, overly generalize it, expressing the fear that "the princesses of Persia and Media" and all Persian wives in general "will neglect their husbands", excluding any possibility of cases when this neglect may be a matter of women's life and honor, and, thus, giving the woman into complete slavish submission to all the whims of a man.

Esph. 1:19. If it pleases the king, let the royal decree come out from him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled, that Vashti will not enter in front of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.

"Let the royal decree come out from him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled." A literally similar expression is found in the book of Daniel - Dan 6.8, confirming the close contact of the authors of both books to Persian life and their accurate knowledge of Persian legislative formulas and customs.

Esph. 1:22. And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in every province in its letters, and to every people in their language,

"Letters", i.e. decrees.

that every man should be lord in his house, and that this be announced to everyone in his natural language.

A more accurate translation: "that every husband should be master of his house and the language of his people", i.e. so that in marriage between persons of different nationalities, the husband's dialect and customs of life are dominant in the house. This is something similar to how the law now states that in mixed marriages, the religion of the country should be taken into the leadership in raising children.

Introduction.

Historical setting.

The Book of Esther is unique in several ways. It contains interesting and very informative material about the nature of life in the Persian Empire at a certain historical period. The events described in the book took place during the so-called Persian period (539-331 BC), after the return of a large number of Israelis from exile to the land of Palestine.

Most of the exiles chose not to return to Palestine, despite the fact that the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, who lived at that time, called them to "leave Babylon" (Isa. 48:20; Jer. 50: 8; 51: 6). Moreover, Jeremiah referred to the fact that they should have left Babylon after 70 years of being there, because this is the will of the Lord (Jer. 29:10), who will bless them again in the promised land on the basis of the covenant made by Him with their fathers (Deut . 28).

Esther and Mordecai were among those Jews who did not follow the prophetic commands to return.

In various ancient sources, the Persian king, which is described on the pages of the book of Esther, is called differently, and this is reflected in translations of the Bible into various languages. In the Russian Bible, he is called Artaxerxes. But he is usually known as Xerxes. Also sometimes he is also called Ahasuerus or Agasver. This king ruled the Persian Empire from 485 to 465 B.C. and was a strong and active ruler.

The events described in the book took place in the period of time that "separates" chapters 6 and 7 in the book of Ezra. More specifically, these events took place in a decade that began from 483 BC (from the third year of Artaxerxes' reign; Esther 1: 3) to 473 (when the 12th year of his reign expired).

The book of Esther is the only book of the Bible where the name of God is not mentioned. We do not find quotations from the book of Esther in the New Testament. Lists of her have not been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Neither the law of Moses nor sacrifice is mentioned in it. All this is consistent with the point of view that the Jews who settled in the Persian Empire departed from the fulfillment of the law and, therefore, the will of God. They also shied away from fulfilling their duty - to return to the promised land and restore the worship of Jehovah in the temple.

In the book of Esther, there is no mention of prayers, although there is a fasting. Recall that in other books of this period, prayer in the mouths of the main characters plays an important role (good examples of this are the books of Ezra and Nehemiah). But we don't see Mordecai or Esther praying. Perhaps both of them were lacking in spiritual knowledge, apart from their conviction that God would protect His people.

To whom was the book of Esther addressed? If you knew who they were, the first readers of the book of Esther, it would be easier to interpret it. The book contains several indications of dates that "tie" the story to a certain period of the Persian Empire, but there is no hint at the time of its writing, as there is no clear indication of who it was "addressed" in the first place.

Some theologians suggest that the book of Esther was written in Persia and then taken to Palestine, where it entered the collection of Old Testament books recognized as canonical. Another opinion seems more plausible, which is that the author of the book, while living in Palestine, described all these events that took place in Persia for the benefit and edification of his fellows who returned to the promised land. It is unlikely that it was intended for Persian readers. Its purpose was undoubtedly to encourage the Israelites by reminding them that God works in their best interests, and even people who refused to return to the earth can serve as instruments of His grace.

Whenever the book of Esther was written, the timing of its appearance was difficult for the Jews in Palestine. 21 years were spent on the construction of the temple (536-515 BC) and, as follows from the second half of the book of Ezra, in the reign of the actual Artaxerxes (son of Xerxes), i.e. in 464-424 BC. H., the spiritual state of the people left much to be desired. For both Ezra and Nehemiah, the reason for this was clear: the people did not follow the covenant conditions recorded in Deuteronomy, and therefore were more under the influence of God's judgment than under His blessings.

In light of this, it is understandable what a wonderful source of encouragement the Book of Esther could have been for the Jews who fought to restore the nation and the system of worship that existed before exile. After all, the book clearly testified that the hostile tribes, which the Jews were so afraid of, would never conquer the people chosen by God. Israel was under His protection, despite the fact that much of it remained outside the Promised Land. And although the God of Israel is not mentioned in the book of Esther, this book undoubtedly inspired the idea of ​​the need to worship Him.

As already mentioned, the book does not contain even a hint of who was its author, but whoever he was, this person was well aware of the Persian way of life and their culture. One cannot help but feel from the narrative that it was composed by an eyewitness of the events. The author of the book was probably Jewish. There is speculation that it was written by Ezra or Nehemiah, but there is no conclusive evidence to support this.

1 In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the Great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, the son of Jairus, Semeyev, Kiseev, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who lived in the city of Susa, a great man who served at the royal palace, had a dream. He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judah. His dream is like this: here is a terrible noise, thunder and earthquake and confusion on the ground; and behold, two large serpents came out, ready to fight each other; And their howl was great, and according to their howl all the peoples prepared for war, to smite the people of the righteous; and now - a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and oppression, suffering and great confusion on earth; and all the people of the righteous were confused, fearing their own troubles, and they prepared to perish and began to cry to the Lord; from their cry came, as it were from a small spring, a great river with a great deal of water; and the light and the sun shone, and the humble ascended and destroyed the vain. - Mordecai, awakening after this dream, depicting what God wanted to do, he kept this dream in his heart and wanted to understand it in all parts of it, until the night. And Mordecai stayed in the palace with Gawafa and Farroah, two royal eunuchs who guarded the palace, and he heard their conversations and scouted their plans and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes, and reported them to the king; and the king tortured these two eunuchs, and when they confessed, they were executed. The king recorded this event in memory, and Mordecai recorded this event. And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this. When the king was then Noble is Haman, the son of Amadaphs, the Bugeean, and he tried to harm Mordecai and his people for the two king's eunuchs.| And it came to pass in the days of Artaxerxes, - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia, -
2 while the king Artaxerxes sat on his king's throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the rulers of his provinces,
4 showing the great riches of his kingdom and the excellent splendor of his greatness during many days, one hundred and eighty days.
5 At the end of these days, the king made for his people who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.
6 White, paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, hung on silver rings and marble pillars.
7 Gold and silver boxes were on a platform covered with green stones and marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black stones.
8 Drinks served were in vessels of gold and vessels of all kinds, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's riches. Drink was going decorously, no one compelled, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do according to the will of everyone.
9 And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced with wine, he said to Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Artaxerxes,
11 that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king in the royal crown, in order to show the nations and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.
12 But Queen Vashti did not want to come at the order of the king, announced through eunuchs.
13 And the king was very angry, and his fury was kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know former times - for the deeds of the king were made before all those who know the law and rights, -
14 close to him then there were: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see the face of the king and sat first in the kingdom:
15 How to act according to the law with the queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of King Artaxerxes, announced through eunuchs?
16 And Memuchan said before the king and the princes: Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the provinces of King Artaxerxes.
17 For the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes ordered the queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.
18 Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen's deed, will also speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.
19 If it pleases the king, let the royal decree come out of him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled, that Vashti will not enter in front of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.
20 When they hear of this decree of the king, which will be scattered throughout all his kingdom, no matter how great, then all wives will honor their husbands, from great to small.