Esther — Chapter 5

Stetit in atrio domus regiae, quod erat

She stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's hall — the \"basilica\" here is the royal hall, meaning the innermost chamber of the king surrounded by precious curtains, where the golden throne was, on which the king sat gleaming with gold and gems, holding a golden scepter in hand. \"Basilica\" in Greek means \"house of the king.\" It was also called the \"consistory of the palace,\" for the princes and palace officials stood around the king within it. Esther therefore did not enter this innermost royal chamber but the inner court adjacent to it, so that she could be seen by the king seated in the innermost chamber through the doorway — for the king sat \"over against the door of the house.\"

Cumque vidisset Esther reginam stantem

When the king saw Queen Esther standing — here it must be added, from ch. 15 v. 9, that the king at first looked upon her with furious and flashing eyes and terrified her, because she had approached uninvited; that Esther, overwhelmed, fainted once and then again and fell down; then that the king ran to her and, extending the scepter over her, spoke kindly to her and restored her senses, about which more in ch. 15. \"He extended toward her the golden scepter\" — that is, the golden rod that he held in his hand, signifying thereby his clemency and goodwill toward her, that she might safely approach him even against the law, since she had not been called. Allegorically, the golden scepter is the Blessed Virgin, through whom God, angered at the whole human race, became reconciled to it.

Etiamsi dimidiam partem regni mei petieris

Even if you ask for half my kingdom, you shall obtain it. God was more generous to the Blessed Virgin than Assuerus to Esther — he granted her the entire empire of his kingdom, namely heaven. For as his mother he can deny her nothing; hence the supreme benefit of God to men, after the Incarnate Word, is the Blessed Virgin; for he gave her to us that through her we might obtain all things from him.

Veniat rex et Aman ad convivium

Let the king and Haman come to the feast I have prepared for them. Prudently Esther invited the king a second time to a banquet, in order to present her petition for the salvation of the Jews there. First, to gradually inflame the king's love for her more, so that he could deny her nothing. Second, because she did not dare to ask publicly before such a multitude of assembled princes, for they had said the law enacted by the Persian and Median kings could not be revoked. So in secret at the banquet she asked the king and obtained it; revealing in private that she was a Jewess, which would have been dangerous to do publicly before the princes. Third, she invited only Haman with the king, to arouse the envy and hatred of the remaining satraps against him. Fourth, because she knew the king would be made more generous to grant requests when cheerful with ample wine.

Cumque vidisset Mardochaeum sedentem ante

When Haman saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace, and that he had not only not risen for him but had not even stirred from his seat — Haman was very angry. This was a sign of Mordecai's great constancy, that he did not even rise for Haman, that most wicked enemy machinating destruction for the whole Jewish people — thereby showing his trust in God and tacitly rebuking Haman's pride and cruelty.

Et cum omnia habeam, nihil me habere

And yet I count all this as nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. Mordecai torments you more, O Haman, than you torment him. Therefore you have nothing without Mordecai, because Mordecai has everything, and thus you have nothing. Rightly St. Bernard exclaims, bk. I De Consideratione: \"Ambition — the cross of the ambitious — how do you torment all while pleasing all? Nothing more bitterly torments, nothing more troublesomely disturbs; and yet nothing is more celebrated among wretched mortals.\"

Jussit excelsam parari crucem, habentem

He ordered a high cross to be built — but the cross you prepared for Mordecai, O Haman, you fixed for yourself. For on it you yourself will soon be hanged, according to Ecclus. 26:29: \"He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and he who sets a stone for his neighbor shall stumble on it; and he who lays a snare for others shall perish in it.\" Moreover, a cross rather than fire, sword, or other instrument was ordered to be built because the cross was customary among the Persians and was most ignominious. The cross was made fifty cubits high so that he who had sought the highest place would be hung highest and visible to all.