In an answer to a question from King Xerxes, Esther requested a second day for the Jews to defend themselves. Esther 9: 12 he (King Xerxes) called for Queen Esther. He said, “The Jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Susa alone, as well as Haman’s ten sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you; tell me and I will do it.”
13 Esther responded, “If it please the king, give the Jews in Susa permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today, and let the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be impaled on a pole.”[1] Has Esther turned vindictive? Her request sounds crude in our twenty-first-century ears.
Possible Reason for the Repeat
Esther has been an obedient, humble woman to this point in the story. Crass vindictiveness would seem to be out of character for her. What would be some possible reasons for Esther’s request?
Esther does not request to go on the offensive but simply “to do again tomorrow as today.” This was to allow the Jews to defend themselves against attack. The fact that the Jews did not take any plunder demonstrates their constraint.
We must remember that Susa was Haman’s power base. Knowing Haman’s character, he had probably bribed many officials to do his bidding. Now that Haman was dead and his estate was under the control of the Jewish Mordecai, the hand-outs would be gone. These disgruntled supporters may have planned to wait a day and then retaliate. Perhaps Esther had been informed of a plot.
Why would Esther request to impale Haman’s sons when they were already dead? Desecration of corpses in war was common during the Persian Empire. The sight of Haman’s sons on the gallows would act as a public deterrent to the enemies of the Jews. It may have caused some of the Persians to have second thoughts about attacking the Jews, thus saving some lives.
Second Guessing
It is easy to play Monday morning quarterback. We have a very abbreviated record of the battles on that first Purim. We don’t know enough details to understand what happened, so we can only look for clues throughout the story. By looking at the history of action and the character of the people involved, we can make an educated guess at what happened.
In the same way, it is easy for us to second-guess decisions by political, business, or church leaders. We don’t know all the details and need to use discernment. This is where character comes in. How have these leaders acted in the past? What is inside a person comes out sooner or later in action. Proverbs 10: 9 People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. [2]
Luther speaks to this in his explanation of the Eighth Commandment. “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. [3]
To learn why Esther asked for a second day, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/triumph-of-the-jews
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 2005, 87.