families. V. 11. Then contended I with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? The enthusiasm shown at the dedication of the walls had been replaced by an utter apathy, which permitted a total neglect of the Temple worship. The reproof was directed to the priests to whom the management of the Temple and its services had been committed, who should have opposed the course of Eliashib with all emphasis. And I gathered them, the Levites, and set them in their place, giving them back the positions which they formerly held. V. 12. Then brought all Judah, all the members of the Jewish Church, the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries, the storehouses of the Temple, as they had pledged themselves to do. V. 13. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, placed men in charge of the storehouses: Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah, these men being responsible for the Temple stores of offerings and tithes; and next to them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, a very necessary virtue in this position, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. V. 14. Remember me, O my God, concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof, for everything that was required to be observed in connection with the Temple worship. This was not a prayer of self-glorification, but a testimony of God's grace in the life of Nehemiah, and every believer may not only rightly boast of the possession of such grace, but also rejoice over it after the manner of Nehemiah.

THE SABBATH RESTORED. — V. 15. In those days, immediately after his return to Jerusalem, saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses, performing all the usual farm-work on the Sabbath; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day, produce being brought to the capital, as during the week, all of which was strictly out of harmony with the Jewish civil law. And I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. V. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem, plying their trade in direct violation of God's command to the Jews. V. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, the members of the higher classes of the province in general, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day? V. 18. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye

bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. Cp. Jer. 17, 20-27. V. 19. And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, about the time just before sunset, for the Sabbath of the Jews began with sundown, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And some of my servants set I at the gates, giving them instructions to watch, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath-day. V. 20. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice, apparently putting up booths outside the gates and endeavoring to do business in spite of Nehemiah's protest. V. 21. Then I testified against them and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? Their very presence near the gates was a menace to the spirit of the Law, if not to its letter. If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you, use violent measures to drive them away. From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath. The energetic method of Nehemiah broke up the traffic. V. 22. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, from any Levitical impurities which they might have contracted during their absence from the city, and that they should come and keep the gates, guarding the city against any further violation of the Sabbath law, to sanctify the Sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy. The example of Nehemiah may be followed in our days if the leaders of the Church and all Christians show the proper zeal for the sanctifying of the Word of God, in urging the people to hold preaching and the Gospel sacred, and gladly to hear and learn it.

--

INTERMARRIAGES FORBIDDEN. V. 23. In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, women of the Philistines, of Ammon, and of Moab, the reforms of Ezra having been set aside; v. 24. and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, a sort of mongrel dialect, with corresponding habits learned from their heathen mothers, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. V. 25. And I contended with them, chiding them not as a private person, but in his capacity as governor of the province, and cursed them and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, attacking them in their bodies for their disregard of the Law, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons or for yourselves. V. 26. Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Cp. 1 Kings 11, 1. Yet among many nations was there

no king like him, who was beloved of his God, 2 Sam. 12, 24, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, even him did outlandish women cause to sin, 1 Kings 1', 4, the conclusion being that ordinary people would be led into misbelief and idolatry all the sooner. V. 27. Shall we, then, hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? The inference was, of course, that their bad example would lead others into the same sin. V. 28. And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, one of the implacable enemies of the Jews; therefore I chased him from me, forcing him to leave Jerusalem, so that he could no longer derive his support from the treasury

of the priests. V. 29. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, Deut. 33, 8-11; Lev. 21, 6-8, and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites, bringing disgrace upon their office and setting a bad example for others. V. 30. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, by separating the mixed population from the Jews of pure blood, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business, restoring the ancient worship in all its parts; v. 31. and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, chap. 10, 34, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good! It is the Lord who rewards His faithful servants if they are zealous for His honor and truth and consistently oppose all godless, worldly innovations.

The Book of Esther takes its name from the chief character of the story it relates, the Jewish maiden Esther (Star or Young Woman), also known as Hadassah (Myrtle, Bride). Having been reared as the foster-daughter of Mordecai, one of the Jews who had remained in Babylon after the return of the first exiles to the city of their fathers, Esther was elevated to the dignity of queen of the Persian Empire, after Ahasuerus, or Xerxes, had found it necessary to repudiate Vashti, the first queen, for open insubordination. In her position as queen, Esther was used by the Lord as His instrument in foiling the murderous schemes of the wicked Haman and in delivering the Jewish people from extermination at the hand of their enemies. The Book of Esther therefore not only relates the wonderful deliverance of God's chosen people, from whom the Messiah was to come, but also explains the origin of the Feast of Purim (Feast of Lots), as it was afterward observed in the Jewish Church.

Although, as the careful reader will notice, the name of God does not occur in the book, yet the providence of God is set forth in every chapter, on every page. The Ahasuerus of the story is undoubtedly the Persian King Xerxes (485-465 B. C.). The author of the book is not known; scholars mention both Mordecai and Ezra as probable writers. From the entire book itself and all its exact data it appears that it was written soon after the events had transpired which are related there, probably about the middle of the fifth century before Christ. It may readily be divided into three sections, namely, that which tells how Esther became queen, that which relates the rise of Haman and his murderous plot against the Jews, and that which gives an account of the deliverance of the Jews.1)

1) Cp. Fuerbringer, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, 41-43; Concordia Bible Class, April, 1919, 52. 53.

The Feast of Ahasuerus and the
Repudiation of Vashti.

THE KING'S BANQUET.-V. 1. Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, the great Persian king known in secular history as Xerxes, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a large part of Asia and the northeastern part of Africa, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, the larger divisions of the empire, Popular Commentary, Old Test., I.

known as satrapies, being, in turn, divided into smaller sections,) v. 2. that in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, the Persian monarchs always being pictured as sitting on a throne under a lofty canopy, which was in Shushan, the palace, his favorite winter and spring residence, in the eastern part of the Assyrian Plain, v. 3. in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his 50

princes and his servants, a banquet on a magnificent scale and extending over a number of days, the power of Persia and Media, his most important military officers, especially those of his body-guard, the nobles and princes of the provinces, at least those of the twenty satrapies, and probably those of all the provinces included in his domain, being before him; v. 4. when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom, displayed all the resources of his might, and the honor of his excellent majesty, the extent of his influence and power, many days, even an hundred and fourscore days. During this time of prolonged entertainment the king took the opportunity to bind his subordinates to him in closer allegiance and to consult with them concerning measures he hoped to carry into effect. V. 5. And when these days were expired, all the princes and rulers having been gained for his plans, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan, the palace, the inhabitants in general, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace, in the great park surrounding the royal palace, the remains of which have been excavated; v. 6. where were white, green, and blue hangings, exquisite and costly tapestries of the finest linen and glistening, hyacinth-colored fabric, white and blue being the royal Persian colors, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble, these curtains thus admitting both light and warmth and being altogether in keeping with the climate of Shushan; the beds, that is, the sofas on which the guests reclined, were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble, altogether a magnificent setting. V. 7. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another, a fact which increased their costliness) and royal wine in abundance, gotten from the royal vineyards and vaults, according to the state of the king, the great quantity dispensed doing honor to the wealth and bounty of the king. V. 8. And the drinking was according to the law, as the etiquette of the Persian court demanded; none did compel, there was no need of urging, all being ready to show their appreciation of the king's bounty; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house that they should do according to every man's pleasure, all the guests being put at their ease and enjoying the hospitality of the king. The contrast between all this pomp and glory and the present desolation of that country shows the vanity of all earthly riches and power.

VASHTI'S INSUBORDINATION AND ITS PUNISHMENT. — V. 9. Also Vashti, the queen, made a feast for the women in the royal house

which belonged to King Ahasuerus, in her own apartments of the palace, for according to Oriental custom the sexes did not mingle at the banquet and feast. V. 10. On the seventh day, the last day of the feast, the climax of the banqueting, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, drunkenly happy with the excess of revelry, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, the eunuchs who usually transmitted the king's orders to the queen's apartments, v. 11. to bring Vashti, the queen, before the king with the crown royal, in full regal apparel, including the high, pointed turban distinctive of her rank, but evidently without her veil, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on, beautiful of countenance, and Xerxes was very proud of her beauty, as reflecting credit also upon himself. V. 12. But the Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, all the more because her refusal of obedience happened upon this state occasion, and his anger burned in him, since his authority both as husband and as king had been set aside. V. 13. Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, the astrologers and magicians of the Persian court, who were also his advisers, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment, he followed this course of getting expert advice in all his undertakings; v. 14. and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom, being his ministers or the members of his cabinet,) v. 15. What shall we do unto the Queen Vashti according to law because she hath not performed the commandment of the King Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? Her refusal had, accordingly, been absolute, not qualified. V. 16. And Memucan, undoubtedly after a consultation of the counselors, answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, her flat disobedience setting aside his authority as husband and king, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus. V. 17. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti, the queen, to be brought in before him, but she came not. They feared the consequences of the queen's evil example. V. 18. Likewise shall the

ladies of Persia and Media, the wives of the nobles, say this day unto all the king's princes which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath, literally, "in sufficient amounts," that is, more than enough to suit us. V. 19. If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, a special order, or decree, with special reference to this occurrence, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, having the legal authority that such decrees had in the Persian Empire, That Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus, being deposed entirely from her royal dignity; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. V. 20. And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honor, both to great and small, the harsh measures adopted would have this effect of strengthening the

authority of the husbands. V. 21. And the saying pleased the king and the princes. And the king did according to the word of Memucan; v. 22. for he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, in its own script or characters, and to every people after their language, this feature of communicating with all conquered nations in their own language being found in Persia at that time, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people, the language of the husband being given the preference in the home. This was, in view of the circumstances, not an idle and superfluous, but probably an ineffectual protest against a real and growing evil. So far as Christian households are concerned, the position of the husband over against his wife is not one of absolute authority, but of headship, with the example of Christ held before all spouses at all times, Eph. 5, 20; Col. 3, 18; 1 Tim. 2, 11-15.

Esther Made Queen.

THE CHOICE OF VIRGINS FOR THE POSITION OF QUEEN.-V. 1. After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, when the excitement attending the banquet and the affair of the queen's insubordination had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her, his brooding over the matter tending to make him melancholy and causing the king's counselors to suggest a course of procedure to him and to divert a threatening danger. V. 2. Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king, the requirements being youth, beauty, and virginity; v. 3. and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, a matter easy to perform with the extensive Persian post system, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan, the palace, to the house of the women, the apartments set apart for the royal harem, unto the custody of Hege (or Hegai), the king's chamberlain, the chief eunuch, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them, which, including cleansing and anointing with precious oils and perfumes, extended over some time; v. 4. and let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing, the suggestion as made, pleased the king; and he did so. V. 5. Now, in Shushan, the palace, there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of

Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, of the lineage of King Saul, apparently holding some office in the court of the Persian king, v. 6. who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah (or Jehoi achin), king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away, that is, his house had been carried into exile at that time, about 130 years before, Mordecai himself having been born in Babylonia. V. 7. And he brought up, nourished and reared, Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; although her cousin, he became her foster-father and guardian, since he was evidently very much older than she; for she had neither father nor mother, she was a full orphan, and the maid was fair and beautiful, both in face and form; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter, taking the place of a full parent toward her. V. 8. So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, that concerning the selection of virgins for the position of queen, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan, the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women, especially the virgins included in this experiment. V. 9. And the maiden pleased him, she immediately gained the good will of this chief eunuch, and she obtained kindness of him, found grace and favor before him; and he speedily gave

her her things for purification, all the cosmetics required to enhance her beauty, with such things as belonged to her, especially portions of wholesome food, for a good diet was very essential for the purpose of the king, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house, as her servants and companions; and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women, assigned the best apartments to her and her slave-girls. V. 10. Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai, with a shrewdness which had the advantages of Esther in mind at all times, had charged her that she should not show it, she should not reveal her nationality. V. 11. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, as near the royal harem as he dared to go, to know how Esther did and what should become of her, ever solicitous of her welfare. V. 12. Now, when every maid's turn was come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, as custom and etiquette demanded, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, this massaging intended for the purpose of bringing out suppleness and grace, and six months with sweet odors, with the perfumes which the Orientals delight in, and with other things for the purifying of the women,) v. 13. then thus came every maiden unto the king, fully prepared and ornamented to gain the king's pleasure; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house, and many had taken the opportunity to bedeck themselves with every possible ornament in order to attain to the position of queen. V. 14. In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, the harem of the concubines, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, the eunuch in charge of these apartments, which kept the concubines; she came in unto the king no more except the king delighted in her and that she were called by name. In the entire narrative the vanity and nothingness of this world's goods, also of mere physical beauty, is brought out with great impressiveness. A fair face alone will not bring lasting happiness.

ESTHER CHOSEN QUEEN.-V. 15. Now, when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai, the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed, she called for no excessive cosmetics or jewelry, for she had no desire to practise any blandishments upon the king. And Esther obtained favor

in the sight of all them that looked upon her, for modesty is the brightest jewel of female beauty. V. 16. So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his house royal, into the king's apartments, in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, about four years after the degradation of Vashti, and after Xerxes had returned from his unsuccessful expedition against the Greeks. V. 17. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, he chose her above all her competitors, who were retained merely as secondary wives, so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti, formally and officially elevated her to that position. V. 18. Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast, in honor of the queen, to celebrate his marriage; and he made a release to the provinces, he relieved them from certain obligations, probably in the line of taxes, and gave gifts according to the state of the king, in agreement with his wealth and his bounty. V. 19. And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, this having reference to the time before Esther's marriage, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate, in his capacity as official of the court. V. 20. Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people, had not divulged her nationality, as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai like as when she was brought up with him, since the Fourth Commandment applies to the relation to guardians also. V. 21. In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, guardians of the threshold, watchmen of the palace, were wroth and sought to lay hand on the King Ahasuerus, they planned his assassination. V. 22. And the thing was known to Mordecai, he got hold of the information in some way, as Josephus states, through the Jewish slave of one of the conspirators, who told it unto Esther, the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof, giving him the information concerning the plot, in Mordecai's name. V. 23. And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out, the charge was found to be true; therefore they were both hanged on a tree, either hanged on a stake or impaled; and it was written in the book of the chronicles, the royal annals, before the king, deposited in the royal archives after being recorded in his presence. Apparently small and insignificant things, which are nevertheless guided by the hand of God, have often had a deciding influence upon the welfare of the Church of God.