Esther — Chapter 10

Rex vero Assuerus omnem terram et cunctas

King Assuerus imposed tribute on the land and all the islands of the sea — that is, those subject to him and his empire, newly burdening them with tributes, both because he himself was more inclined to tributes out of greed for gold, and because his magnificent and continuous banquet described in ch. 1 had exhausted the treasury, and because God wished to punish the Persians who had a short time before eagerly anticipated the slaughter and plunder of the innocent Jews.

Mardochaeus Judaici generis secundus a rege

Mordecai of the Jewish race was second to king Assuerus — he was therefore as the king's viceroy, and when the king was absent, the king himself; even when the king was present, Mordecai governed the empire by his rare prudence and watchfulness, as Josephus testifies. \"Speaking peaceably to all his seed\" — that is, Mordecai was devoted to the welfare not of himself but of his people. Benjamin in his Itinerary says Mordecai and Esther are buried in the chief city of Media, called Hamadan the Great, and says there were fifty thousand Jews there in his time.

Dixit Mardochaeus: A Deo facta sunt ista

And Mordecai said: God has done all these things. I recalled the dream I had seen, which signified these same things; and nothing of them was without fulfillment. This dream therefore was sent by God to Mordecai to signify through it the coming exaltation of himself and Esther and the struggle with Haman. Thus it ought to be placed at the beginning of the book in historical order, as the Greek Romans do. A similar dream sent by God was given to Pharaoh (Gen. 41) and Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2).

Parvus fons, qui crevit in fluvium

The little spring that grew into a great river, and turned into light and sun, and overflowed into many waters — Mordecai had dreamed, as narrated in ch. 11 v. 5, that he saw a little spring that grew into a river and turned into light and sun; and afterward he understood this spring to be Esther, who before was lowly and worthless but afterward grew so that she became queen and wondrously increased the Jewish people in number, strength, and glory, and thus shone like the sun in Persia and throughout the world by the rays of her virtue and majesty. Aptly Esther is compared to a spring: first, as a spring continuously gushing out water produces a great river, so Esther by her work produced a great Jewish people and converted many Gentiles to God. Second, she herself with her eyes and tears as springs quenched the great fire kindled by Haman against the Jews. Third, she with these same waters overwhelmed and drowned 75,000 Gentiles opposing the Jews. Fourth, this spring, which was before in darkness (ch. 11 v. 8), i.e., in greatest sorrow and anguish, was turned into light and sun — that is, into supreme joy and happiness, when she freed the Jews from death and made them triumph over their enemies. Allegorically: this spring turned into sun, similar to the \"fountain of the sun\" (Josh. 15:7; 18:17), signifying Esther in the literal sense, mystically represents the Blessed Virgin, who in Rev. 12:1 is called \"a woman clothed with the sun.\"

Duo autem dracones: ego sum et Aman

The two dragons — I am one and Haman the other. These two dragons fought each other (as described in ch. 11 v. 6), to signify the struggle of Mordecai with Haman and his supplanting of him. For dragons are emblems and heraldic symbols of soldiers and commanders — denoting their three chief virtues: vigilance, strength, and swiftness in accomplishing things. The dragon is watchful and keen-sighted (whence \"draco\" from δρακεῖν, to see); most powerful and swift; whence in Arabia it flies. Hence the ancients assigned the dragon as guardian of houses, temples, oracles, treasuries, and infant heroes. It was also a symbol of prudence, wisdom, and even prophecy. Allegorically, as the dragons of Moses devoured the dragons of the Magicians (Exod. 7:12), so Mordecai devoured Haman.

Et duas sortes esse praecepit, unam populi

He ordained two lots, one for the people of God and the other for all the Gentiles — meaning for the Gentiles opposing and hostile to the Jews. For Haman cast a lot against the Jews to kill them; but Mordecai allotted a day on which the Jews should kill the Gentile enemies of the Jews.

Venitque utraque sors in statutum ex illo

And each lot came to its appointed day before God for all the Gentiles — meaning both lots fell on the same day appointed by God from eternity, namely the 13th and 14th of Adar or February. But this day was happy and joyful for the Jews, while for the Gentile enemies of the Jews it was unlucky and deadly.

Recordatus est Dominus hereditatis suae

And the Lord remembered his inheritance — that is, the people of Israel, whom God singularly loves as his inheritance and special possession; therefore he protects, saves, and defends them.