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amusements of the superior ladies, and are subject to their control. The first business of the king in the morning, after he is risen, is, says Sir J. Malcolm, "to sit, from one to two hours, in the hall of the harem, where his levees are conducted with the same ceremony as in his outer apartment. Female officers arrange the crowd of his wives and slaves with the strictest attention to the order of precedency. After hearing the reports of those entrusted with the internal government of the harem, and consulting with his principal wives, who are generally seated, the monarch leaves the interior apartments" (History,' vol. ii. p. 548). He adds, in a note, that "When the king is seated on his throne in the public hall of his harem, no one but the highest born and most favoured of his legitimate wives are allowed to sit in his presence. It is said that two only of the present (late) king's wives enjoy that privilege." This passage will be useful presently in illustrating the beginning of the fifth chapter.

21. Mordecai sat in the king's gate."-From the frequent mention of his presence there, it seems that he had some official employment at court. Some fancy that he was a porter; which is altogether an unnecessary supposition, when we recollect that it was and is the custom in the East for officers of the court and the state to wait about the gates and in the outer courts of their princes till their attendance is required. Xenophon mentions that it was determined, in an assembly of Persians and others, that the men of note and quality should always attend at the gates of Cyrus, and yield themselves to his service, in whatever he required, until he dismissed them. This, he thinks, was the origin of the custom which prevailed in his time, for those who were under the king to remain in attendance at his gates. Mordecai may therefore have been a person of consideration, notwithstanding his attendance at the royal gates.

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Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? 4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

7¶ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

8¶ And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

9 If it please the king, let it be written "that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' 'enemy.

11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee

12 Then were the king's 'scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.

15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

3 Heb. weigh. 4 Or, oppressor. 5 Or, secretaries.

1 Heb. meet, or, equal. 2 Heb. to destroy them. Verse 1. "Haman...the Agagite."-Agag was the common name of the kings of Amalek, whence the Targums and Josephus understand that he was descended from the kings of those ancient and doomed enemies of the Jews. Probably the word means no more than Amalekite, in the general sense.

"Set his seat above all the princes."-This was probably when he invited them to supper. Xenophon, who however attributes the origin of too many Persian institutions to Cyrus, says that this prince intimated the estimation in which the persons invited were held by the station he assigned them at his table. The person he desired most to honour he set at his left hand, which is still the post of honour in many parts of the East, because, as Xenophon explains, that side being defenceless, greater confidence is expressed in the person stationed there. This privilege of place was not however perpetual; a man might rise to this distinction by honourable deeds, and another might lose his high seat by misconduct or neglect. It seems that this distinction was much envied, for the same writer describes Hystaspes (the father of Darius Hystaspes) as venturing to ask Cyrus why Chrysantas was preferred to it rather than himself. (Cyrop. viii. 5.)

7" They cast Pur, that is, the lot."-The Septuagint preserves a clause of this verse which assists to explain its meaning. It thus reads, "They cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month (that he might destroy in one day the race of Mordecai, and the lot fell for the fourteenth) of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar." From this it appears that the lots were cast in order to determine the month and the day of the month which might be most propitious for this barbarous undertaking, or most calamitous for the Jews. The practice of inquiring the propitious time for particular measures, whether of great or small importance, is still in full vigour in the East, and particularly so among the Persians. The lucky day, hour, or moment is sought on all occasions, and by all classes of persons. No one commences a journey, or even puts on a new dress, without consulting the astrologer or the almanac for a fortunate moment. The king himself keeps an astrologer of great reputation for the purpose; and those who cannot afford to get special directions from an astrologer, consult the almanac, in which the lucky and unlucky days are distinguished, with particular directions concerning the days proper for particular measures-such, in short, as we see in our old almanacs, or indeed in almanacs of recent date. In the East or West, the superstition of unlucky and lucky days has been in principle the same: in both, the almanacs have been made subservient to it after the same fashion-telling people on certain days to-take no journey, begin nothing, put on new apparel, begin calculations and writings, write letters, buy weapons, repair to kings, put children to school, abstain from medicine, hire a

servant, take a wife, give gifts to kings, begin a journey, let ambassadors and messengers proceed, take heed of princeswith other such directions, fixing suitable or unsuitable days for all the contingencies of public or private life. Almanacs of this kind are very old, and the ideas which they develope still older. The Egyptians had something of the sort. To determine the contingency by lot, was, however, a simpler idea than to apply to the stars for information.

9. "I will pay ten thousand talents of silver."-This was above two millions of our money, which Haman offered to pay into the treasury to indemnify the king for the loss of revenue which he would sustain by the destruction of the Jews. That a foreigner, and probably a captive, was enabled at the Persian court to acquire such wealth as the offer of so enormous a sum implies, makes it the less wonderful that Nehemiah was in a condition to sustain the charges of his government from his own resources. It will be recollected that Haman appears to have been the chief minister of the king, and that functionary enjoys peculiar opportunities for the acquisition of wealth. On New Year's day, the king receives the offerings of his princes and nobles: on one such occasion, when Mr. Morier was present, the offering of the person holding this office surpassed every other in value, amounting to about 30,000/. in gold coin. Other statements are extant concerning the extraordinary wealth possessed by some of the subjects of the ancient Persian empire. In the reign of Xerxes, the father of this Ahasuerus, a noble Lydian named Pythius entertained the whole Persian army-the largest ever assembled-on its march towards Greece; and then freely offered to contribute all his property in gold and silver to the support of the war. It amounted altogether to 2000 talents of silver and four millions (wanting 7000) of gold Darics-more than four millions of our money; besides which he had, as he said, estates and slaves which would still afford him a suitable maintenance. This noble offer was declined by the king, as that of Haman was by Ahasuerus (Herodotus, lib. vii., ch. 27-30).

12. "Sealed with the king's ring."-We shall not here add any thing to what we have already said concerning sealrings and other seals in the notes to Gen. xli. 42, and 1 Kings xxi. 8. But we are happy to introduce an instructive sup plementary cut, representing some of the most ancient seals of the ring class now existing, from originals in the British Museum. They are all Egyptian. Some of them are finger-seal rings; but the larger are scarabæus or beetle seals, which we particularly mentioned in the last of the notes referred to. These are all mounted in handles, or rings of metal, in which they revolve on pivots. This was doubtless to render them more portable, while it enabled the face to be turned outward, so as to increase their effect as ornaments, and to enable them to be worn with more convenienceattached, as they probably were, to some part of the person. The central figure exhibits the back of the seal, to show its beetle form. One of the number has also the beetle carved on its face. In connection with our previous statements, and with the cuts under 1 Kings xxi., the figures now given are conceived to furnish a very valuable illustration of the general subject.

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1 The great mourning of Mordecai and the Jews. 4 Esther, understanding it, sendeth to Mordecai, who sheweth the cause, and adviseth her to un

dertake the suit. 10 She excusing herself is
threatened by Mordecai. 15 She appointing a
fast undertaketh the suit.

WHEN Mordecai perceived all that was done,
Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sack-

cloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

2 Ånd came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the

Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and 'many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 So Esther's maids and her 'chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, 'whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.

6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there 'enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are 'present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish,

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17 So Mordecai 'went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

3 Heb. whom he had set before her. 4 Heb. respiration. Heb. passed.

Verse 11. "Whosoever...shall come unto the king into the inner court," &c.-The law here mentioned was a general one, and although, in its original intention, the queen was probably not thought of, the present queen knew that she was not necessarily exempted from its application. We have frequent instances that the proverbially fired laws of the Medes and Persians admitted, less than any other ever known, of modification, exemption, or alteration. Of this we have another instance just below; for Mordecai was persuaded that a general law for the destruction of the Jews having been issued, even the queen herself would not be spared, when it became known that she was a Jewess; and so, afterwards, in her addresses to the king, we see that Esther considers her own life compromised by the edict. With regard to the present instance, it was known to the Greek historians that none were admitted to the king without being called; but they do not appear to have known that queens and princesses were included in the application of this rule. They give many incidental statements concerning the difficulty of access to the king. The rule seems to have been that even when the king was in his outer apartments, no one was admitted to his presence uncalled or unannounced; and that when in his interior residence, not even the most dignified inhabitants of the interior palace might presume to appear before him u..bidden. The historians relate that the freedom of access to the sovereign presence was first checked by Dejoces, king of Media, who directed that no one, of whatever rank, should appear before him unless specially called, but that all business should be transacted through messengers and ministers, his nearest attendants only being allowed to see his face. The Persians adopted this and other regulations of the Median court; hence we may understand the distinction allowed to the seven princes "who saw the king's face," that is, who might appear before him uncalled. Even these. however, were not admitted when any of the king's wives were with him; and this restriction enabled the king to see them as little as he pleased, as the doorkeeper had only to intimate that the king was thus engaged. One of the privileged nobles who disbelieved the excuse, cut off the ears and noses of the two doorkeepers; for which he and all his family (excepting his wife and eldest son) were punished with death (Herodotus, i. 99; iii. 118, 119). Subject to variations from individual character, most Oriental kings have, in like manner, rendered their presence rare and of difficult approach;-not only as a precaution against treachery, but in order that their subjects, seeing them but seidom, and never but in circumstances of state and splendour-never under circumstances of human infirmities and wants-might be brought to regard them as beings of a higher and finer nature, and therefore the more cheerfully submit to the powers which they wield, and which are usually far greater than those with which it seems safe or proper that a man should be intrusted. The effect is well calculated; for it is difficult to imagine the intense veneration with which the royal person is and has been regarded in Persia and other countries of the East.

"The golden sceptre.”—That the Persian kings had a golden sceptre we learn from Xenophon, who makes Cyrus VOL. II. 3 N 457

say, among other things, to Cambyses, his son and appointed successor, "Know, Cambyses, that it is not the golden sceptre which can preserve your kingdom; but faithful friends are a prince's truest and securest sceptre." (Cyrop. viii. 7.) In the Persepolitan sculptures we do not perceive that the kings bear any other sceptre than that long staff which is represented in the cuts to Nehem, i., and without which the king never appears, under whatever circumstances represented.

CHAPTER V.

7 Then answered Esther, and said, My

1 Esther, adventuring on the king's favour, obtain-petition and my request is;
eth the grace of the golden sceptre, and inviteth
the king and Haman to a banquet. 6 She, being
encouraged by the king in her suit, inviteth them
to another banquet the next day. 9 Haman, proud
of his advancement, repineth at the contempt of
Mordecai. 14 By the counsel of Zeresh he build-
eth for him a pair of gallows.

Now it came to pass on the third day, that
Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood
in the inner court of the king's house, over
against the king's house: and the king sat
upon his royal throne in the royal house,
over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6¶ And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

1 Heb. to do.

8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and 'to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.

9¶Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and 'called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.

11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a 'gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

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Verse 1. "Stood in the inner court of the king's house."-This was obviously the more private residence of the king, not only from the mention of the inner court, but because it is certain that the queen would not have appeared at a more public levee in the outer palace. Yet he was seated in state upon his throne, and sceptre in hand, whence it may seem that he was holding some such levee, for determining the internal affairs of his imperial establishment. as we have in a former note described the present kings of the same country as holding daily within the harem. That the king, sitting in the hall, saw Esther when she appeared in the court, is explained by the circumstance that in Persian palaces the principal and most splendid apartment is always entirely open in front (unless closed by a curtain), so that the king, seated at the upper end of the hall, with his face towards the court, has a complete view over it. At audiences and levees the nobles and others stand in the open court, unless individuals are called by name into the hall. The princes of the blood and a few high functionaries have however the privilege of ordinarily standing in the hall or its portico. The cut in vol. i. p. 655, will very well illustrate these observations.

3. "It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom."-This form of speech has an evident reference to the custom among the ancient kings of Persia in bestowing grants or pensions to their favourites. This was not by payments from the treasury, but by charges upon the revenues of particular provinces or cities. Thus a particular city or province was to support the luxury of the favoured person in a particular article, another in some other article, and so on. In this manner, when Xerxes wished to make a magnificent provision for Themistocles, he gave him the city of

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