When things go awry, as they sometimes do in natural disasters, bad things are corrected more easily than when bad things occur due to the wicked plan of an enemy. Natural disasters have the effect of calling out the mercy of folks who haven’t been so affected by the disaster that has struck down so many. On the other hand, if the disaster is planned, from where would come mercy? If the bigot rules, who would come to the aid of the bigot’s enemy? Fear is an effective weapon in the hands of the bigot. A powerful bigot is often able to prevent mercy from being expressed to his target, because any mercy shown the bigot’s enemy, may reap similar treatment from the one, who has been given or who has taken great authority. Haman was such a man. He was given great authority (Esther 3:1), and he was the powerful enemy of the Jews (Esther 3:5-6, 10). The question now arises: how should Mordecai act to neutralize Haman’s evil, antisemitic, desire to destroy the Jews?
It was now two months after Haman had conspired to slay the whole Jewish population within the Persian Empire (Esther 8:9; cp. 3:7-10). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah show us that there were a great many enemies of the Jews, who were also scattered throughout the empire, and they would be very happy to carry out Haman’s wicked plan, even though he was now dead. Remember, what has been written in the king’s name cannot be reversed (Esther 3:12-14; 8:8). The command that Haman had written in the king’s name, to destroy the Jews throughout the empire, was still in force (cp. Esther 8:5). Therefore, both Esther and Mordecai appeared before the king to request this command be neutralized, and Ahasuerus gave Mordecai his ring, commanding him to write up the command, according to how Mordecai thought it should be written, and then seal the written command with the king’s ring, sending copies by the king’s couriers on horses throughout the empire. Thus, informing the king’s satraps, governors and other officials of the king’s will (Esther 8:9-10).
Some scholars have wondered why the king would permit Mordecai to encourage civil war throughout his kingdom.[1] Why would the king do such a thing? We need to pause at this point and ask ourselves: what is the difference between Haman’s command to destroy the Jews and Mordecai’s command to destroy the Jews’ enemies? Moreover, both commands became effective on the same day, and were effective only on that day, namely, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month in the calendar (Esther 8:11-12; cp. Esther 3:13)?
In as much as I can tell from the text, the Jews would have fought their enemies who attacked them even if Mordecai’s decree was never written. So, the king’s command would have ignited civil war through either decree, but this ‘war’ had the king’s blessing for only one day. Letters were sent to his satraps, governors and other officials, who were then commanded to support the group doing the will of the king. In the first instance, it supported Haman’s bigotry, so all the king’s military would have supported the antisemitic group. However, with the change in the king’s will, his military would now support the Jews against their antisemitic enemies. Civil war was a threat in either case, but the outcome changed with the change of military support for the Jews.
When Mordecai came away from the presence of the king, the city rejoiced to see that the king had clothed him with the apparel of nobility and with a turban on his head (Esther 8:15), quite the opposite of the city’s response to Haman’s edict (Esther 3:15), when the city was perplexed. Moreover, when the news was heard throughout the kingdom, the Jews declared a holiday and made banquets to celebrate the good news, and many people throughout the land expressed their support for the Jews[2] out of fear for their own state of affairs, knowing the Jew’s security had the full support of the king’s military (Esther 8:16-17)
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[1] See Matthew Henry’s Commentary; Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers; and the Pulpit Commentary at Esther 8:11.
[2] The text at Esther 8:17 is uncertain. Some scholars translate it the “became Jews,” (NASB, NKJV, TEV, NJB), but there is no historical evidence that shows an increase in the Jewish population at this point. Other scholars translate “professed to be Jews (NRSV, JPSOA) or “professed Judaism” (REB), or “embraced Judaism” (NAB). Still other scholars believe it should read “pretended to be Jews” (LB; NET). However, the word should be translated, the point is that, instead of embracing antisemitism, the people professed their support for the Jews, because, as the prophet predicted, they believed God was with them, and to oppose the God of Israel was foolishness (cp. Zechariah 8:23).
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