Esther 10

Commentary from 1 father

And the king levied a [tax] upon his [kingdom] both by land and sea.

Ἔγραψεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τέλη ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τῆς τε γῆς καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης.

Написа́ же ца́рь по всемꙋ̀ ца́рствїю своемꙋ̀, є҆́же на землѝ и҆ на мо́ри,

Rabanus Maurus †856

1–3
That King Ahasuerus exacted tribute from all the islands, which is where the Hebrew version of the story of Esther comes to an end...
Why are we told that King Ahasuerus exacted tribute from every land, and from all the islands of the sea? Because the historical king of the Persians and Medes never held every land under his sway, and could not exact tribute from all the islands of the sea since not even his name could have reached the aforementioned islands and parts of the world; whereas this statement more accurately reflects our king and Lord Christ, whose power is in Heaven, and on earth, and on the sea and in all the depths. In fact, in the Gospels he calls himself a gateway, since through him we gain the entry to eternal life; and according to a statement of the Psalmist: “The whole world, all the kings of the earth, adore him. All the kings of the earth will serve him, the kings of Tarshish and the islands will offer him gifts, the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring presents” (Psalms 72). So the strength, and power, and dignity, and grandeur of this king, and how he raised up the true Mordecai—that is, the community of sacred teachers who were leaders of the Church at the head of the Christian people—are documented in the statements and the writings of not only the single people of Judea, but of all the nations as well. He has from the start exalted his chosen ones with the gift of his grace, and has glorified and honored them in the sight of all the nations; these seek the best for their people and whatever they say is concerned with the well-being of their seed, since according to the prophecy of Isaiah: “The watchmen of the Lord will lift up their voices, and will praise altogether (Isaiah 52); their feet are beautiful, the feet of those who bring the gospel of peace, the gospel of good things” (Romans 10). This is because they always ask after the peace of Jerusalem, and their seed will be known among the nations and their offshoots amid the peoples. All who have seen them will know them, because they are the seed which the Lord has blessed.
Commentary on Esther

1–3
What does the text mean when it says that King Ahasuerus made all lands and all islands of the sea subject to his tributes? Since the historical king of the Persians and Medes did not have all lands under his rule, nor was he able to make all the islands of the sea subject to his tributes since the fame of his name could not even reach some of those islands or parts of the world, this sentence more truly applies to our king and Lord Christ whose power is in heaven, on earth, over the sea and every abyss. And he called himself “door,” because through him we have access to eternal life, according to the testimony of the psalmist, “And the kings of the entire universe adore him. And all the kings of the earth serve him, the kings of Tharsis and the islands offer gifts, the kings of Arabia and Sheba bring gifts.” Therefore not only the voices and the writings of the Jewish people alone, but also those of all the nations testify how the power of this king, his authority, dignity and preeminence advanced the true Mordecai, that is, the assembly of the holy teachers and masters of the church who lead the Christian people. Those whom he made his elect at the beginning through the gift of grace, those whom he made glorious and honorable before all the nations are the ones who look out for the good of his people and speak the words which concern the peace of his seed, according to the prediction of Isaiah: “Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices; together they sing your praises.”
Explanation on the Book of Esther 14

And [as for] his strength and valour, and the wealth and glory of his kingdom, behold, they are written in the book of the Persians and Medes, for a memorial.

καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνδραγαθίαν πλοῦτόν τε καὶ δόξαν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἰδοὺ γέγραπται ἐν βιβλίῳ βασιλέων Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων εἰς μνημόσυνον.

и҆ си́лꙋ свою̀, и҆ мꙋ́жествєннаѧ и҆справлє́нїѧ, бога́тство же и҆ сла́вꙋ ца́рствїѧ своегѡ̀: сѐ, пи̑сана сꙋ́ть въ кни́зѣ царе́й пе́рсскихъ и҆ ми́дскихъ, на па́мѧть.

And Mardochaeus was viceroy to king Artaxerxes, and was a great man in the kingdom, and honoured by the Jews, and passed his life beloved of all his nation. 3α [And Mardochaeus said. These things have been done of God. 3β For I remember the dream which I had concerning these matters: for not one particular of them has failed. 3γ [There was] the little fountain, which became a river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water. The river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen. 3δ And the two serpents are I and Aman. 3ε And the nations are those [nations] that combined to destroy the name of the Jews. 3ζ But [as for] my nation, this is Israel, [even] they that cried to God, and were delivered: for the Lord delivered his people, and the Lord rescued us out of all these calamities; and God wrought such signs and great wonders as have not been done among the nations. 3η Therefore did he ordain two lots, one for the people of God, and one for all the [other] nations. 3θ And these two lots came for an appointed season, and for a day of judgment, before God, and for all the nations. 3ι And God remembered his people, and vindicated his inheritance. 3κ And they shall observe these days, in the month Adar, on the fourteenth and on the fifteenth [day] of the month, with an assembly, and joy and gladness before God, throughout the generations for ever among his people Israel. 3λ In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said that he was a priest and a Levite, and Ptolemy his son, brought in the published letter of Phrurae, which they said existed, and [which] Lysimachus the son of Ptolemy, who was in Jerusalem, had interpreted.]

λ ἔτους τετάρτου βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου καὶ Κλεοπάτρας εἰσήνεγκεν Δωσίθεος ὃς ἔφη εἶναι ἱερεὺς καὶ Λευίτης καὶ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν προκειμένην ἐπιστολὴν τῶν Φρουραι ἣν ἔφασαν εἶναι καὶ ἑρμηνευκέναι Λυσίμαχον Πτολεμαίου τῶν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ.

Мардохе́й бо вторы́й бѣ̀ по царѝ а҆ртаѯе́рѯѣ, и҆ вели́къ бѣ̀ во ца́рствїи и҆ просла́вленъ ѿ і҆ꙋдє́й и҆ люби́мь, повѣ́даше содѣ̑ѧннаѧ всемꙋ̀ ꙗ҆зы́кꙋ своемꙋ̀. И҆ речѐ мардохе́й: ѿ бг҃а бы́ша сїѧ̑: помѧнꙋ́хъ бо ѡ҆ со́нїи, є҆́же ви́дѣхъ ѡ҆ словесѣ́хъ си́хъ, ниже́ бо преминꙋ̀ ѿ си́хъ сло́во: ма́лый и҆сто́чникъ, и҆́же бы́сть рѣка̀, и҆ бѣ̀ свѣ́тъ, и҆ со́лнце, и҆ вода̀ мно́га. Є҆сѳи́рь є҆́сть рѣка̀, ю҆́же поѧ̀ ца́рь и҆ сотворѝ цари́цꙋ: два́ же ѕмі̑а, а҆́зъ є҆́смь и҆ а҆ма́нъ: ꙗ҆зы́цы же (сꙋ́ть), и҆̀же собра́шасѧ и҆стреби́ти и҆́мѧ і҆ꙋде́ѡвъ: ꙗ҆зы́къ же мо́й се́й є҆́сть і҆и҃ль, вопи́вшїй ко бг҃ꙋ, и҆ спасо́шасѧ: и҆ сп҃сѐ гдⷭ҇ь лю́ди своѧ̑ и҆ и҆зба́ви на́съ гдⷭ҇ь ѿ всѣ́хъ ѕѡ́лъ си́хъ: и҆ сотворѝ бг҃ъ зна́мєнїѧ и҆ чꙋдеса̀ вє́лїѧ, ꙗ҆̀же не бы́ша во ꙗ҆зы́цѣхъ. Сегѡ̀ ра́ди сотворѝ два̀ жрє́бїѧ, є҆ди́нъ лю́демъ бж҃їимъ и҆ є҆ди́нъ всѣ̑мъ ꙗ҆зы́кѡмъ: и҆ и҆зыдо́ста два̀ жрє́бїѧ сїѧ̑ въ ча́съ и҆ вре́мѧ и҆ въ де́нь сꙋда̀ пред̾ бг҃омъ во всѣ́хъ ꙗ҆зы́цѣхъ: и҆ помѧнꙋ̀ гдⷭ҇ь бг҃ъ лю́ди своѧ̑ и҆ ѡ҆правда̀ достоѧ́нїе своѐ: и҆ бꙋ́дꙋтъ и҆̀мъ дні́е сі́и (пра́здничнїи) въ мцⷭ҇ъ а҆да́ръ, въ четвертыйна́десѧть и҆ пѧтыйна́десѧть де́нь мцⷭ҇а тогѡ́жде, съ собо́ромъ и҆ ра́достїю и҆ съ весе́лїемъ пред̾ бг҃омъ, въ ро́дъ во вѣ́ки въ лю́дехъ свои́хъ і҆и҃ли. Въ лѣ́то четве́ртое ца́рствїѧ птоломе́ева и҆ клеопа́тры, внесѐ досїѳе́й, и҆́же глаго́лашесѧ бы́ти свѧще́нникъ и҆ леѵі́тъ, и҆ птоломе́й сы́нъ є҆гѡ̀, предлежа́щꙋю є҆пїсто́лїю ѡ҆ (дне́хъ) фꙋрі́мъ, ю҆́же ска́зовахꙋ, ꙗ҆́кѡ и҆столкова̀ лѷсїма́хъ сы́нъ птоломе́евъ, живы́й во і҆ерⷭ҇ли́мѣ.