The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-10-05
HAMArs PLOT AGAINST JEWS
international Sunday school Lesson
for October 8, 1s80-Texs. Esther
3sl-11-MemePy Verses, q, O.

Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notes.
GOLDEN TENTH God be for US. who
can be against us?-Rom. 8: 81.
READ Chapters l-3.
TIME.-The time Of the story was some
where about the middle Of Xerxes reign
lS6-l6S 81 years after the first return. I:
after the completion of the temple. and II
before Esra went up 10 Jerusalem. /. xerxes
Third Year.-The great feast Il: 81. B. c. iss.
Z His Seventh Year.-Esther made queen
GAO. B. c. 40 g. His Thirteenth Year
Haman's plot and Esther's hero!sIn. Il. c.
49,
PLACE.-Shushan (Susa). the winter
capital Of the Persian empire, about 300
miles south Of east from Babylon, and l2i
miles north Of the Persian gulf. The site
Of the ancient Susa has been explored, and
remains Of the great palace have been dis
EXPLANATORY.
The Book of Esther.-The author is
unknown, but must have been some one
''living in the heart of Persia, man
who was intimately acquainted with
the scenery he describes" - Prof.
Adeney. The date of writing is also un-
known. Prof. Sayce places it ut b. c.
425. He says that the minuteness of de-
tail shows that the author lived before
the overthrow of the Persian power,
d. C. 331. Some place the date still later.
Historical Accuracy.
/. The Great Feast of Shushan, i. C..
4S3.-Esther 1919. According to Hero
dotus, NerXes held an assembly to ar
range for the Grecian war in the third
year of his reign, and it is probably this
feast which is described in the first
chapter of the book of Esther, as given
to the mobiles of the realm, assembled at
Shushan from all parts of the empire.
1t lasted $50 days, or six months. At
this long-continued fete were gathered
the chief officers and mobiles from the
whole empire. Everything was done to
impress upon them the greatness and
power Of the king, and the unlimited
resources at his command.
III. Queen Vashti Deposed.- d.-Esther
1:10-22. Nashti refuses the indelicate
summons of her drunken husband. 1t
is suggested by Prof. Adeney that
Nashti herself may have been under the
influence of the wine drunk at her own
feast, and so rendered reckless, and in
spired with Fictitious courage. But
while / do not see with DR.. GLADDEN. that
"Vashti is the character which most de-
mands our sympathy yet l do agree
with DR.. Taylor when he says: For
my part, l consider her conduct worthy
of all praise; and hold that she was en-
tirely right in what she did"
III Ouaan Ecthar Chor l..
terval Of four years occurs before new
queen is found in place of Vashti. 1t
was during this interval that his great
invasion of Greece took place. After
the return of Xerxes from his great de-
feat Esther was chosen queen.
~. Haman's Plot Against the Jews.
VS.. Ill. Four or five years later
(3:O. vi. "Haman:" Nothing further
is known of him. "The Agagite:"
Probably term of reproach" (Scrib-
ner's Bib. Dic.) or a local name of his
birthplace.
v. 2. Bowed" Frustrated him.
self, for such was the ordinary eastern
practice. "Mordecai:" A Jew, and an
elder cousin of Esther (2:D, whom he
had adopted as his daughter (2:15.)
Bowed not:" Because In so doing he
would have been untrue to his God and
his religion.
V. 3. "The kings gate:" An open
space before the gate Of his palace.
V. 4. whether Mordecai's matters"
(or, rather, "words") "would stand"
!. e., whether his excuse would be al
lowed. He had told them that he was
Jew." So that they would understand
why he could not worship Haman.
V. 6. HE thought scorn to lay hands
on Mordecai alone:" "If Haman had
simply said to Ahasuerus: There is
one OF your menials, who persistenly
disobeys a royal edict, and at the same
time insults me- Ahasuerus would, MS
matter of course, have told him to put
the menial to death. But the revenge
full temper of the man was such that
thisseemed to him insufficient. Sought
to destroy all the Jews that were
throughout the whole kingdom Of
Ahasuerus. Massacres on q large scale.
w. I'm the first month" of the jew
ish religious year. "Nisan:" Corre-
spending to our March-April, the mid
die of which is our Easter. "They cast
Pur:" The word from which Purim,
the name of the feast commemorating
this deliverance, was derived. Cast
the lot from month
to month" to find the favorable day for
asking his favor of Xerxes, just as the
augurs of the Romans by sacrifices, or
the fight of birds sought for day of
good omen for great undertakings.
V. s. "A certain people scattered
abroad" Who, by their ceremonies
and by their religion. were kept from
intermingling with the other peoples,
and being absorbed by them, us has
been the remarkable fact ever since.
V.9. Let it be written that they may
be destroyed" See under v. 6. "Ten
thousand talents of silver" Variously
estimated at s10,0OO,OOO to $50, 100000.
V.10. king took his ring:" His sig
net, either ring or cylinder. "Gave
it unto Haman:" So that he could sign