Esther 7
Commentary from 1 father
And the king said to Esther at the banquet on the second day, What is it, queen Esther? and what [is] thy request, and what [is] thy petition? and it shall be [done] for thee, to the half of my kingdom.
εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Εσθὴρ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν τῷ πότῳ· τί ἐστιν, ᾿Εσθὴρ βασίλισσα, καὶ τί τὸ αἴτημά σου καὶ τί τὸ ἀξιωμά σου; καὶ ἔστω σοι ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου.
И҆ речѐ ца́рь є҆сѳи́ри во вторы́й де́нь на пирꙋ̀: что́ є҆сть, є҆сѳи́ре цари́це; и҆ что̀ проше́нїе твоѐ; и҆ что̀ моле́нїе твоѐ; и҆ бꙋ́детъ тебѣ̀ до полꙋца́рствїѧ моегѡ̀.
And she answered and said, If I have found favour in the sight of the king, let [my] life be granted to my petition, and my people to my request.
καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα εἶπεν· εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, δοθήτω ἡ ψυχὴ τῷ αἰτήματί μου καὶ ὁ λαός μου τῷ ἀξιώματί μου·
И҆ ѿвѣща́вши (є҆сѳи́рь цари́ца) речѐ: а҆́ще ѡ҆брѣто́хъ благода́ть пред̾ ѻ҆чи́ма твои́ма, царю̀, да да́стсѧ дꙋша̀ моѧ̀ проше́нїю моемꙋ̀ и҆ лю́дїе моѝ моле́нїю моемꙋ̀:
For both I and my people are sold for destruction, and pillage, and slavery; [both] we and our children for bondmen and bondwomen: and I consented not to it, for the slanderer [is] not worthy of the king’s palace.
ἐπράθημεν γὰρ ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός μου εἰς ἀπώλειαν καὶ διαρπαγὴν καὶ δουλείαν, ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν εἰς παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ παρήκουσα· οὐ γὰρ ἄξιος ὁ διάβολος τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ βασιλέως.
про́дани бо є҆смы̀, а҆́зъ же и҆ лю́дїе моѝ, на поги́бель и҆ расхище́нїе и҆ въ рабо́тꙋ, мы́ же и҆ ча̑да на̑ша въ рабы̑ и҆ рабы̑ни, и҆ небрего́хъ: нѣ́сть бо досто́инъ клеветни́къ двора̀ царе́ва.
And the king said, Who [is] this that has dared to do this thing?
εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· τίς οὗτος, ὅστις ἐτόλμησε ποιῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο;
И҆ речѐ ца́рь: кто̀ є҆́сть се́й, и҆́же дерзнꙋ̀ сотвори́ти ве́щь сїю̀;
And Esther said, the adversary [is] Aman, this wicked man. Then Aman was troubled before the king and the queen.
εἶπε δὲ ᾿Εσθήρ· ἄνθρωπος ἐχθρὸς ᾿Αμάν, ὁ πονηρὸς οὗτος. ᾿Αμὰν δὲ ἐταράχθη ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς βασιλίσσης.
И҆ речѐ є҆сѳи́рь: человѣ́къ вра́гъ, а҆ма́нъ лꙋка́вый се́й. А҆ма́нъ же смѧте́сѧ ѿ царѧ̀ и҆ цари́цы.
And the king rose up from the banquet to go into the garden: and Aman began to intreat the queen; for he saw that he was in an evil case.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐξανέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ συμποσίου εἰς τὸν κῆπον· ὁ δὲ ᾿Αμὰν παρῃτεῖτο τὴν βασίλισσαν, ἑώρα γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἐν κακοῖς ὄντα.
Ца́рь же воста̀ со гнѣ́вомъ ѿ пи́ра (и҆ и҆́де) въ вертогра́дъ: а҆ма́нъ же молѧ́ше цари́цꙋ, ви́дѧше бо себѐ въ бѣда́хъ сꙋ́ща.
And the king returned from the garden; and Aman had fallen upon the bed, intreating the queen. And the king said, Wilt thou even force [my] wife in my house? And when Aman heard it, he changed countenance.
ἐπέστρεψε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τοῦ κήπου, ᾿Αμάν δὲ ἐπιπεπτώκει ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην ἀξιῶν τὴν βασίλισσαν. εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· ὥστε καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα βιάζῃ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ μου; ᾿Αμὰν δὲ ἀκούσας διετράπη τῷ προσώπῳ.
Возврати́сѧ же ца́рь и҆з̾ вертогра́да, и҆ а҆ма́нъ припадѐ къ ло́жꙋ, на не́мже бѣ̀ є҆сѳи́рь, молѧ̀ цари́цꙋ. И҆ речѐ ца́рь: є҆да̀ и҆ женꙋ̀ наси́лꙋетъ въ домꙋ̀ мое́мъ; А҆ма́нъ же слы́шавъ и҆змѣни́сѧ лице́мъ.
That is, Haman’s attempt to beseech Queen Esther was regarded by King Ahasuerus as a ruse, because when the day of judgment arrives the petitions of the wicked are seen not as prayer but as provocation. Hence it is written in the Psalm: “When he is judged let him leave condemned, and let his prayer become sin” (Psalms 109). For it is then that the oppression with which they were crushing the humble is thrown back in their faces, because the time of recompense is at hand; for then those who have been condemned for their sins are covered in shame, as it is written: “The confusion of their faces will cover them,” when they are dragged off to the depths of Hell to be given a reward that suits their actions.
Commentary on Esther
Haman’s appeal to Queen Esther was considered by King Ahasuerus to be an act of deceit. Indeed, when the day of judgment is about to come, the petition of the wicked is no longer a prayer but a source of irritation. This is what is written in the psalm: “When he is tried, let him be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin.” Therefore the request is made for the oppression of those who previously oppressed the humble because the time of retribution has come. Then, after they are condemned, they are covered with the shame of their sins, as is written, “The confusion of their face will cover them,” when they are dragged to the darkness of hell to be rewarded with retribution suitable to their works.
Explanation on the Book of Esther 10
And Bugathan, one of the chamberlains, said to the king, Behold, Aman has also prepared a gallows for Mardochaeus, who spoke concerning the king, and a gallows of fifty cubits high has been set up in the premises of Aman. And the king said, Let him be hanged thereon.
εἶπε δὲ Βουγαθὰν εἷς τῶν εὐνούχων πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἰδοὺ καὶ ξύλον ἡτοίμασεν ᾿Αμὰν Μαρδοχαίῳ τῷ λαλήσαντι περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ὤρθωται ἐν τοῖς ᾿Αμὰν ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα. εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· σταυρωθήτω ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.
Рече́ же вꙋгаѳа́нъ є҆ди́нъ ѿ скопцє́въ, се́й же вѣ́дѧше ѡ҆ то́мъ дре́вѣ, ви́дѣвъ є҆̀ въ домꙋ̀ а҆ма́новѣ, є҆гда̀ призыва́ше є҆го̀ на ѡ҆бѣ́дъ ца́рскїй, и҆ ѡ҆ се́мъ и҆спыта́въ є҆ди́наго ѿ ѻ҆́трѡкъ, ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ́въ замышлѧ́емое, и҆ речѐ ко царю̀: сѐ, и҆ дре́во ᲂу҆гото́ва а҆ма́нъ мардохе́ю глаго́лавшемꙋ блага̑ѧ ѡ҆ царѝ, и҆ стои́тъ въ домꙋ̀ а҆ма́новѣ возвыше́но на лакѡ́тъ пѧтьдесѧ́тъ. И҆ речѐ ца́рь: да повѣ́ситсѧ (а҆ма́нъ) на не́мъ.
9–10It is written in Proverbs: “He who digs a pit will fall into it; and when one starts a stone rolling it will roll back upon him” (Proverbs 26). So too Haman was forced to suffer the cross he had prepared for Mordecai.
We might, however, ask what it means that, as we have read, the cross itself was made fifty cubits high. For the Law had previously been given to the people on the fiftieth day after a lamb was sacrificed on Mount Sinai; and given that we said before that Haman signified the Jews themselves when they were rioting against Christ—who had been promised to them in the Law—and persecuting his Church, the Law itself, which had been given to them to safeguard their lives, became the cause of their deaths because with it they had snuffed out the name of Christ and tried mightily to kill those who professed him. In other words, those who wanted by means of the Law to oppress the guiltless unjustly received through it the verdict of a just judgment, about which we are told by Paul: “Whoever has sinned in the Law will be judged through the Law” (Romans 2).
Moreover, Harbona the eunuch, who handed over the actual cross that had been made, signifies the teachers of the Law who brought to light—by reading the Law itself—the deceit of the Jews and everything which they did contrary to the precepts of God. Hence because Moses foresaw in the spirit the rebels and apostates who would one day come to be, he predicted in his song in Deuteronomy everything that was going to happen to sinners. So too the Savior says to the Jews themselves in the Gospel: “Do not think that I am going to indict you before the Father—it is Moses, in whom you hope, who accuses you; for if you believed in Moses you would perhaps believe in me as well, for it is about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, then how will you believe my words (John 5)?”
Commentary on Esther
9–10It is written in the book of Proverbs: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.” So also Haman was forced to support the cross that he had prepared for Mordecai.
Explanation on the Book of Esther 10
So Aman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mardochaeus: and then the king’s wrath was appeased.
καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη ᾿Αμὰν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου, ὃ ἡτοιμάσθη Μαρδοχαίῳ. καὶ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκόπασε τοῦ θυμοῦ.
И҆ повѣ́шенъ бы́сть а҆ма́нъ на дре́вѣ, є҆́же ᲂу҆гото́ва мардохе́ю. И҆ тогда̀ ца́рь ᲂу҆толи́сѧ ѿ ꙗ҆́рости.
So the king and Aman went in to drink with the queen.
ΕΙΣΗΛΘΕ δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ᾿Αμὰν συμπιεῖν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ.
Вни́де же ца́рь и҆ а҆ма́нъ пирова́ти со цари́цею.