Esther 10:2

10:1-3 Greatness of Ahasuerus-Mordecai's advancement. - Many instances of the grandeur of Ahasuerus might have been given: these were written in the Persian chronicles, which are long since lost, while the sacred writings will live till time shall be no more. The concerns of the despised worshippers of the Lord are deemed more important by the Holy Spirit, than the exploits of the most illustrious monarch on earth. Mordecai was truly great, and his greatness gave him opportunities of doing the more good. He did not disown his people the Jews, and no doubt kept to the true religion. He did not seek his own wealth, but the welfare of his people. Few have it in their power to do so much good as Mordecai; but all have it in their power to do hurt, and who has it not in his power to do some good? We are not required to do what is not in our power, or is unsuited to our station; but all are bound to live under the influence of the tempers displayed in the saints, whose examples are recorded in the Bible. If we live by the faith of Christ, we shall be active according to the ability and opportunities he gives us, in promoting his glory and the best interests of men. If our faith be genuine, it will work by love. Wait in faith and prayer, and the event will be safe and glorious; our salvation is sure, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And all the acts of his power, and of his might,.... As Xerxes was a very mighty and powerful prince: and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him; the history of that, and which tended not a little to the greatness, dignity and prosperity of the king himself, and his whole kingdom: are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? to which the reader is referred by the writer of this book, the which were in being in his times, but now lost: had they been preserved, they might have been of great use to lead into the history of the Medes and Persians, which for want of them is very dark and intricate; the writer of this book having nothing further to do with it, than as it related to the affairs of the Jews.

Esther 10:2 . All the acts of his power, and of his might, and of the greatness of Mordecai — These words signify, that as this king did great things, so they were to be ascribed very much to the management of Mordecai after he was advanced to the highest authority in the kingdom. But it was not the design of the author of this history to relate such things, for which he refers to the public records of the kingdom, which were kept in some part of the king’s house, as appears from Esther 6:1 , and were extant in those days, when this book was written. But they are lost long since, and buried in oblivion, while the sacred writings remain throughout the world. When the kingdoms of men, monarchs and their monarchies, are destroyed, and their memorial is perished with them, the kingdom of God among men, and the records of that kingdom, shall remain as the days of heaven.

2 . in the book of the chronicles ] the official records. See on Esther 2:23 . The formula may be imitated from the phraseology in 1 Kings 14:19 ; 1 Kings 14:29 etc. 3 was next unto king Ahasuerus ] i.e. was second only to him in point of rank. The same expression is used of a certain Elkanah’s position with respect to Ahaz, king of Judah ( 2 Chronicles 28:7 ), and of priests who were second in rank to the high priest, ‘of the second order,’ in 2 Kings 23:4 .

Verse 2. - All the acts of his power and of his might . These are unknown to us. After the failure of the Grecian expedition Xerxes attempted nothing further on that side of his empire, and the Greeks consequently record nothing more concerning him. He may have made expeditions in other directions. But the chief evidences that we have of his activity point to his having sought to gratify his ambition and give vent to his grand ideas by erecting magnificent buildings. The book of the chronicles . See Esther 2:23 ; Esther 6:1 ; Esther 9:32 . The kings of Media and Persia . It is indicative of the intimate connection of the two Iranian empires that one "book" contained the records of both. The fact of the connection is fully established by profane history. Its exact nature is not perhaps even yet fully understood. "Media" seems to be placed before "Persia" in this place on chronological grounds, because the Median history preceded the Persian history, and was therefore recorded first in the "book." Esther 10:2

Power and ... might - In the later years of Xerxes his "power and might" were chiefly shown in the erection of magnificent buildings, more especially at Persepolis. He abstained from military expeditions. Kings of Media and Persia - Media takes precedence of Persia because the kingdom of Media had preceded that of Persia, and in the "book of the Chronicles" its history came first.

2. the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai—The experience of this pious and excellent Jew verified the statement, "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" [Mt 23:12; Lu 14:11; 18:14]. From sitting contentedly at the king's gate, he was raised to the dignity of highest subject, the powerful ruler of the kingdom. Acting uniformly on the great principles of truth and righteousness, his greatness rested on a firm foundation. His faith was openly avowed, and his influence as a professor of the true religion was of the greatest usefulness for promoting the welfare of the Jewish people, as well as for advancing the glory of God.

And King Ahashverosh laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. Esther 10:2 . And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the statement of the greatness of Mordochai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? The Chethiv אחשׁרשׁ is a clerical error for אהשׁורשׁ. The word מס, service, here stands for tribute. As the provinces of the kingdom paid the imposts for the most part in natural produce, which they had reared or obtained by the labour of their hands, their labour (agriculture, cattle-keeping, etc.) was to a certain extent service rendered to the king.

The matter of Esther 10:1 seems extraneous to the contents of our book, which has hitherto communicated only such information concerning Ahashverosh as was necessary for the complete understanding of the feast of Purim. "It seems" - remarks Bertheau - "as thou the historian had intended to tell in some further particulars concerning the greatness of King Ahashverosh, for the sake of giving his readers a more accurate notion of the influential position and the agency of Mordochai, the hero of his book, who, according to Esther 9:4 , waxed greater and greater; but then gave up his intention, and contented himself with referring to the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, which contained information of both the power and might of Ahashverosh and the greatness of Mordochai." There is not, however, the slightest probability in such a conjecture.