Page:03.BCOT.KD.HistoricalBooks.B.vol.3.LaterProphets.djvu/916

 told him what he was to her,” viz., her kinsman and foster-father, Est 2:7. This information effected Mordochai's appearance before the king, i.e., his reception into the number of the high dignitaries who beheld the face of the king, i.e., were allowed personal access to him; comp. Est 1:10, Est 1:14; Est 7:9.

Verse 2
And the king took off his seal-ring which he had taken from Haman (comp. Est 3:10), and gave it to Mordochai. מן העביר, to cause to go from some one, i.e., to take away. By this act Mordochai was advanced to the post of first minister of the king; comp. Gen 41:42, 1 Macc. 6:15. The king's seal gave the force of law to royal edicts, the seal taking the place of the signature. See rem. on Est 8:8 and Est 3:10.

Verses 3-4
The chief enemy of the Jews was now destroyed; but the edict, written in the king's name, sealed with the royal seal, and published in all the provinces of the kingdom, for the destruction of all the Jews on the 13th day of the twelfth month, was still in force, and having been issued in due legal form, could not, according to the laws of the Persians and Medes, be revoked. Queen Esther therefore entreated the king to annul the designs of Haman against the Jews. Est 8:3 and Est 8:4. “Esther spake again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and wept, and besought him to do away with (העביר, to cause to depart) the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he devised against the Jews. And the king held out his golden sceptre towards Esther, and Esther arose and stood before the king.” This verse gives a summary of the contents of Esther's speech, which is reported verbally in Est 8:5 and Est 8:6, so that we must translate the imperfects ותּתחנּן ותּבך - ותּפּל: She spoke before the king, falling at his feet and beseeching him with weeping, that he would do away with המן רעת, the evil that Haman had done, and his device against the Jews. The king stretched out his sceptre (comp. Est 4:11) as a sign that he would graciously grant her petition; whereupon she arose, stood before the king, and made known her request.

Verses 5-6
The introductory formula are in part similar to those used Est 1:19; Est 5:4, Est 5:8; Est 7:3; but the petition referring to a great and important matter, they are strengthened