Esther 6
Commentary from 4 fathers
And he found the records written concerning Mardochaeus, how he had told the king concerning the two chamberlains of the king, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Artaxerxes.
εὗρε δὲ τὰ γράμματα τὰ γραφέντα περὶ Μαρδοχαίου, ὡς ἀπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ τῶν δύο εὐνούχων τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῷ φυλάσσειν αὐτοὺς καὶ ζητῆσαι ἐπιβαλεῖν τὰς χεῖρας ᾿Αρταξέρξῃ.
и҆ ѡ҆брѣ́те писа̑нїѧ напи̑саннаѧ ѡ҆ мардохе́и, ка́кѡ повѣ́да царю̀ ѡ҆ двою̀ є҆ѵнꙋ̑хꙋ ца̑рски́х, внегда̀ стрещѝ и҆́ма, и҆ ᲂу҆мы́слиста ᲂу҆би́ти (царѧ̀) а҆ртаѯе́рѯа.
And the king said, What honour or favour have we done to Mardochaeus? And the king’s servants said, Thou hast not done anything to him.
εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· τίνα δόξαν ἢ χάριν ἐποιήσαμεν τῷ Μαρδοχαίῳ; καὶ εἶπαν οἱ διάκονοι τοῦ βασιλέως· οὐκ ἐποίησας αὐτῷ οὐδέν.
И҆ речѐ ца́рь: кꙋ́ю сла́вꙋ и҆лѝ благода́ть сотвори́хомъ мардохе́ю; И҆ реко́ша ѻ҆́троцы царє́вы: ничто́же сотвори́лъ є҆сѝ є҆мꙋ̀;
And while the king was enquiring about the kindness of Mardochaeus, behold, Aman [was] in the court. And the king said, Who [is] in the court? Now Aman was come in to speak to the king, that he should hang Mardochaeus on the gallows, which he had prepared.
ἐν δὲ τῷ πυνθάνεσθαι τὸν βασιλέα περὶ τῆς εὐνοίας Μαρδοχαίου, ἰδοὺ ᾿Αμὰν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ. εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· τίς ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ; ὁ δὲ ᾿Αμὰν εἰσῆλθεν εἰπεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ κρεμάσαι τὸν Μαρδοχαῖον ἐπὶ τῷ ξύλῳ, ᾧ ἡτοίμασε.
Вопроша́ющꙋ же царю̀ ѡ҆ благодѣѧ́нїи мардохе́овѣ, сѐ, а҆ма́нъ прїи́де во дво́ръ, и҆ речѐ ца́рь: кто̀ є҆́сть во дворѣ̀; А҆ма́нъ же прїи́де рещѝ царе́ви, да повѣ́ситъ мардохе́а на дре́вѣ, є҆́же ᲂу҆гото́ва.
4–11Mordecai was also persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Mordecai was persecuted by the wicked Haman; and Jesus was persecuted by the rebellious people. Mordecai by his prayer delivered his people from the hands of Haman; and Jesus by his prayer delivered his people from the hands of Satan. Mordecai was delivered from the hands of his persecutor; and Jesus was rescued from the hands of his persecutors. Because Mordecai sat and clothed himself with sackcloth, he saved Esther and his people from the sword; and because Jesus clothed himself with a body and was illuminated, he saved the church and its children from death. Because of Mordecai, Esther was well pleasing to the king and went in and sat instead of Vashti, who did not do his will; and because of Jesus, the church is well pleasing to God and has gone in to the king, instead of the congregation that did not his will. Mordecai admonished Esther that she should fast with her maidens, that she and her people might be delivered from the hands of Haman; and Jesus admonished the church and its children [to fast], that it and its children might be delivered from the wrath. Mordecai received the honor of Haman, his persecutor; and Jesus received great glory from his Father, instead of his persecutors who were of the foolish people. Mordecai trod on the neck of Haman, his persecutor; and as for Jesus, his enemies shall be put under his feet. Before Mordecai, Haman proclaimed, “Thus shall it be done to the man, in honoring whom the king is pleased”; as for Jesus, his preachers came out of the people who persecuted him, and they said, “This is Jesus the Son of God.” The blood of Mordecai was required at the hand of Haman and his sons; and "the blood of Jesus,” his persecutors took “on themselves and on their children.”
Demonstrations 21.20
And the king’s servants said, Behold, Aman stands in the court. And the king said, Call him.
καὶ εἶπαν οἱ διάκονοι τοῦ βασιλέως· ἰδοὺ ᾿Αμὰν ἕστηκεν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· καλέσατε αὐτόν.
И҆ реко́ша ѻ҆́троцы царє́вы: сѐ, а҆ма́нъ стои́тъ во дворѣ̀. И҆ речѐ ца́рь: призови́те є҆го̀.
And the king said to Aman, What shall I do to the man whom I wish to honour? And Aman said within himself, Whom would the king honour but myself?
εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ᾿Αμάν· τί ποιήσω τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃν ἐγὼ θέλω δοξάσαι; εἶπε δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ᾿Αμάν· τίνα θέλει ὁ βασιλεὺς δοξάσαι εἰ μὴ ἐμέ;
И҆ речѐ ца́рь а҆ма́нꙋ: что̀ сотворю̀ мꙋ́жꙋ, є҆го́же а҆́зъ хощꙋ̀ просла́вити; рече́ же въ себѣ̀ а҆ма́нъ: кого̀ хо́щетъ ца́рь просла́вити, ра́звѣ менє̀;
and he said to the king, As for the man whom the king wishes to honour,
εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἄνθρωπον, ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς θέλει δοξάσαι,
Рече́ же царю̀: мꙋ́жа, є҆го́же хо́щетъ ца́рь просла́вити,
let the king’s servants bring the robe of fine linen which the king puts on, and the horse on which the king rides,
ἐνεγκάτωσαν οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως στολὴν βυσσίνην, ἣν ὁ βασιλεὺς περιβάλλεται, καὶ ἵππον ἐφ᾿ ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπιβαίνει,
да принесꙋ́тъ ѻ҆́троцы царє́вы ѻ҆де́ждꙋ вѷссо́ннꙋю, є҆́юже ца́рь ѡ҆блача́етсѧ, и҆ конѧ̀, на не́мже ца́рь ѣ҆́здитъ,
and let him give [it] to one of the king’s noble friends, and let him array the man whom the king loves; and let him mount him on the horse, and proclaim through the street of the city, saying, Thus shall it be [done] to every man whom the king honours.
καὶ δότω ἑνὶ τῶν φίλων τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν ἐνδόξων καὶ στολισάτω τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀγαπᾷ, καὶ ἀναβιβασάτω αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον καὶ κηρυσσέτω διὰ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως λέγων· οὕτως ἔσται παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς δοξάζει.
и҆ да да́стсѧ є҆ди́номꙋ ѿ дрꙋгѡ́въ царе́выхъ сла́вныхъ, и҆ да ѡ҆блече́тъ мꙋ́жа, є҆го́же ца́рь лю́битъ, и҆ да поса́дитъ є҆го̀ на конѧ̀ и҆ проповѣ́сть на ᲂу҆́лицахъ гра́да, глаго́лѧ: та́кѡ бꙋ́детъ всѧ́комꙋ человѣ́кꙋ, є҆го́же ца́рь просла́витъ.
Then the king said to Aman, Thou hast well said: so do to Mardochaeus the Jew, who waits in the palace, and let not a word of what thou hast spoken be neglected.
εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ᾿Αμάν· καλῶς ἐλάλησας. οὕτως ποίησον τῷ Μαρδοχαίῳ τῷ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ τῷ θεραπεύοντι ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ, καὶ μὴ παραπεσάτω σου λόγος, ὧν ἐλάλησας.
И҆ речѐ ца́рь а҆ма́нꙋ: до́брѣ ре́клъ є҆сѝ: та́кѡ сотворѝ мардохе́ю і҆ꙋде́анинꙋ, ᲂу҆го́днѡ слꙋжа́щемꙋ во дворѣ̀ (на́шемъ), и҆ да не и҆змѣни́тсѧ сло́во твоѐ ѿ си́хъ, ꙗ҆̀же ре́клъ є҆сѝ.
So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mardochaeus, and mounted him on the horse, and went through the street of the city, and proclaimed, saying, Thus shall it be to every man whom the king wishes to honour.
ἔλαβε δὲ ᾿Αμὰν τὴν στολὴν καὶ τὸν ἵππον, καὶ ἐστόλισε τὸν Μαρδοχαῖον, καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον καὶ διῆλθε διὰ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐκήρυσσε λέγων· οὕτως ἔσται παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς θέλει δοξάσαι.
И҆ взѧ̀ а҆ма́нъ ѻ҆де́ждꙋ и҆ конѧ̀, и҆ ѡ҆блечѐ мардохе́а, и҆ возведѐ є҆го̀ на конѧ̀, и҆ про́йде по ᲂу҆́лицамъ гра́да, и҆ проповѣ́даше (пред̾ ни́мъ), глаго́лѧ: си́це бꙋ́детъ всѧ́комꙋ человѣ́кꙋ, є҆го́же хо́щетъ ца́рь просла́вити.
After all, the preachers of the sacred Gospel and the leaders of the Church, who glisten with their practice of all the virtues and the beauty of wisdom and—because they are the limbs of the supreme king—are nobly honored with the diadem of royal rank, are ordered to mount the king’s horse, i.e. to take charge of and govern the people of the faithful in whose hearts the king of Heaven himself presides continuously. The Lord himself is told about these horses by the prophet Habakkuk: “Going up you shall mount your horses, and your horsemanship is salvation” (Habakkuk 3).
It is to Mordecai that Haman, the spiritual enemy of the people of God, offers—if unwillingly—the appropriate obeisance, since the persecutors of the holy Church are often forced with the assent of Heaven to preach with accurate testimony the praises of the Church, even though they do so in a spirit of disdain; because once the truth has been revealed, the guilty cannot conceal what is obvious by hiding it away.
Commentary on Esther
And Mardochaeus returned to the palace: but Aman went home mourning, and having his head covered.
ἐπέστρεψε δὲ ὁ Μαρδοχαῖος εἰς τὴν αὐλήν. ᾿Αμὰν δὲ ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ ἴδια λυπούμενος κατὰ κεφαλῆς.
И҆ возврати́сѧ мардохе́й во дво́ръ (царе́въ): а҆ма́нъ же и҆́де въ до́мъ сво́й скорбѧ̀ преклони́въ главꙋ̀.
12–13This is the change in the right hand of the Most High, when someone who was only recently boasting that he had power over others, and was more arrogant than anyone, suddenly becomes more wretched than anyone else and weaker than all of them. It is the magnitude of this phenomenon that Mary, the mother of the Lord, has in mind when she says in her song in the Gospels: “He has made power in his arm, and scattered the arrogant with the thought of his heart. He has dislodged the powerful from their seats, and raised up the humble. He has sated the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed” (Luke 1). We are told about this in Isaiah: “Lebanon will be turned into Carmel, and Carmel will be regarded as a forest” (Isaiah 29).
Here we see how the stubbornness of the Synagogue of the Jews was crushed, and the humility of the Church of the nations exalted; how the persecutors of the Christian faith, who once tore apart the flock of Christ like savage lions, have now been destroyed and reduced to nothing; and how those who proclaim Christ throughout the world have been raised up in a state of vigorous faith and exalted through the power of the virtues. The head has been turned into the tail and the tail into the head, because “Everyone who exalts himself will be brought low; and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Commentary on Esther
12–13This is the change caused by the right hand of the Highest: the one who had just boasted about his power and was arrogant towards everyone else becomes viler and weaker than anyone else. When Mary the mother of our Lord considered the greatness of this divine ordering, she sang in her song of praise, “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” And through Isaiah it is said about this same power, “Shall not Lebanon be transformed into Carmel, and Carmel be regarded as a forest?”
Explanation on the Book of Esther 9
And Aman related the events that had befallen him to Zosara his wife, and to [his] friends: and his friends and his wife said to him, If Mardochaeus [be] of the race of the Jews, [and] thou hast begun to be humbled before him, thou wilt assuredly fall, and thou wilt not be able to withstand him, for the living God [is] with him.
καὶ διηγήσατο ᾿Αμὰν τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ Ζωσάρᾳ τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς φίλοις, καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ φίλοι καὶ ἡ γυνή· εἰ ἐκ γένους ᾿Ιουδαίων Μαρδοχαῖος, ἦρξαι ταπεινοῦσθαι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, πεσὼν πεσῇ καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνῃ αὐτὸν ἀμύνασθαι, ὅτι Θεὸς ζῶν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ.
И҆ сказа̀ а҆ма́нъ слꙋчи̑вшаѧсѧ є҆мꙋ̀ зѡса́рѣ женѣ̀ свое́й и҆ дрꙋгѡ́мъ свои̑мъ. И҆ рѣ́ша є҆мꙋ̀ дрꙋ́зїе є҆гѡ̀ и҆ жена̀: а҆́ще ѿ пле́мене і҆ꙋде́йскагѡ мардохе́й, на́чалъ є҆сѝ смирѧ́тисѧ пред̾ ни́мъ, па́даѧ паде́ши, и҆ не возмо́жеши є҆мꙋ̀ ѿмсти́ти, ꙗ҆́кѡ бг҃ъ живы́й є҆́сть съ ни́мъ.
While they were yet speaking, the chamberlains arrived, to hasten Aman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
ἔτι αὐτῶν λαλούντων, παραγίνονται οἱ εὐνοῦχοι ἐπισπεύδοντες τὸν ᾿Αμὰν ἐπὶ τὸν πότον, ὃν ἡτοίμασεν ᾿Εσθήρ.
И҆ є҆щѐ глаго́лющымъ и҆̀мъ, прїидо́ша є҆ѵнꙋ́си, спѣ́шнѡ зовꙋ́ще а҆ма́на на пи́ръ, є҆го́же ᲂу҆гото́ва є҆сѳи́рь.
6:14–7:6Now, notice that Haman is now attending the second day just as he had come before when he was summoned; and yet once Esther lays out her request, he is condemned and goes off to his punishment. This explains the fact that in one place in the Gospels is mentioned a lunch made by a person, and elsewhere a dinner; since the lunch symbolizes the present Church, and the dinner the eternal and final feast. Hence once the sinners have been removed, only the good may rejoice in the sight of their creator.
Because Haman—who was of course the spiritual enemy of the people of God—was not wearing the garment of charity which would have made him worthy of the king’s feast, he realized that the king was angry; and when the king rushed into the garden—that is, when he invited his chosen ones to the delights of paradise—he tried to plead with the queen for his own safety but in vain, since he could not find an opportune moment for this. For once the penalty of vengeance is imminent, it is too late to look for a means of salvation.
So too in the Gospel parable, the foolish virgins ask for oil to refill their lamps when the groom is on his way, but do not receive it. So after the Groom has entered the wedding with the wise virgins, and the door has been closed, the others remain locked out and must look for a point of entry; but there is no way they can be worthy of this, since they no longer find the opportunity for absolution which they had earlier failed to seek out by doing the appropriate deeds.
One may no longer deserve there what he asks from the Lord, if he did not listen here to what he was ordered to do; once he has lost the chance to do the appropriate penance, in vain does he come with his prayers before the door of the kingdom. This is, in fact, the reason why the Lord says through Solomon: “I called and you refused; I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; you despised all my counsel, and you ignored my reproaches. I too will laugh at your destruction, and I will mock you when that which you fear comes to pass; when sudden disaster overwhelms you, and destruction assails you like a storm. Then they will call on me but I will not listen; they will arise in the morning but will not find me” (Proverbs 1).
Commentary on Esther
6:14–7:7The second day of the banquet arrives to which Haman is invited like before. However, after Esther reveals her petition, he is condemned and brought to his place of execution. The gospel mentions this as a noonday meal in one passage and as an evening meal in another. For it designates the noonday meal of the present church but also the eternal supper and final banquet where only the righteous will rejoice before their creator after sinners have been separated out. Therefore Haman, the spiritual enemy of the people of God, realized that the king was angry because he did not have the robe of charity that would make him worthy of the royal banquet. And while he was hurrying to the palace gardens, that is, while he invited his elect to the delights of paradise, he tried to entreat the queen for his salvation. It was to no avail, however, because he was not able to find the right time for this. It is already too late to ask for the remedies of salvation when revenge and punishment are near.In the parable of the gospel concerning the coming bridegroom, the foolish virgins also ask the wise for oil to fill their lamps, but do not receive any. And after the bridegroom has entered the wedding banquet with the wise virgins, the door is closed. And because they are left outside, they ask to be admitted. They are no longer able to incur this favor, however, because the time for mercy which they neglected to ask for previously with their good works is now past. One who has no desire to hear what the Lord has commanded cannot receive from him what he asks for. And one who has neglected the time for appropriate repentance comes in vain to the door of the kingdom with his prayers. And indeed the Lord says through Solomon, “I called you and you refused. I stretched out my arms and no one heeded. And because you ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.”
Explanation on the Book of Esther 10
But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night: and he told his servant to bring in the books, the registers of daily events, to read to him.
Ο δὲ Κύριος ἀπέστησε τὸν ὕπνον ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην, καὶ εἶπε τῷ διακόνῳ αὐτοῦ εἰσφέρειν γράμματα μνημόσυνα τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναγινώσκειν αὐτῷ.
Гдⷭ҇ь же ѿѧ̀ со́нъ ѿ царѧ̀ въ нощѝ ѻ҆́нѣй. И҆ повелѣ̀ рабꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀ принестѝ кни̑ги па̑мѧтныѧ дні́й прочита́ти є҆мꙋ̀: