Matthew Poole's Commentary When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; The great mourning of Mordecai and the Jews, Esther 4:1-3. He showeth Esther the cause of it, and adviseth her to petition the king for her people, Esther 4:4-9. She, excusing herself, is threatened by Mordecai, Esther 4:10-14. She appoints a general fast, and resolves to go in to the king, Esther 4:15-17. Partly, to express his deep sense of the mischief coming upon his people; partly, to move the pity of others to do what they could to prevent it; and partly, that by this means it might come to the queen’s ear. And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. None might enter into the king’s gate; and therefore he might not sit there, as he had hitherto done. Clothed with sackcloth, lest it should give the king any occasion of grief or trouble. And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. No text from Poole on this verse. So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not. She sent raiment to clothe Mordecai; that so he might be capable of returning to his former place, if not of coming to her to acquaint her with the cause of that unusual sorrow. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was. No text from Poole on this verse. So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate. No text from Poole on this verse. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. No text from Poole on this verse. Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. To charge her; not only in his own name, to whom she manifested a singular respect, though his relation to her was yet unknown, but also in the name of the great God. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. No text from Poole on this verse. Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; No text from Poole on this verse. All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. The king’s servants and the people do know, by common fame, of this received custom and law. Into the inner court, within which the king’s residence and throne was. There is one law of his to put him to death: this was decreed, partly to maintain both the majesty and the safety of the king’s person; and partly by the contrivance of the greater officers of state, that few or none might have access to the king but themselves and their friends. And many such severe laws there were in the Persian court, which profane historians relate, as that if any person looked upon one of the king’s concubines, or wore any of his own clothes, or drink of that water which he had appropriated to himself; and other such-like things, he was punished with death. I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days; which gives me just cause to suspect and fear that the king’s affections are alienated from me, and therefore that neither my person nor petition will be acceptable to him. And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. No text from Poole on this verse. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. i.e. Being, or because thou art, in the king’s house, and an eminent member of his family. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? From another place; from another hand, and by another means; which God can, and I am fully persuaded will, raise up. Thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed, by the righteous and dreadful judgment of God, punishing thy cowardice and self-seeking, and thy want of love to God, and to his and thy own people. Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? It is probable God hath raised thee to this honour for this very season; and therefore go on courageously, and doubt not of the success. Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, No text from Poole on this verse. Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. Fast ye, and pray; which was the main business, to which fasting was only a help and a handmaid. Neither eat nor drink, to wit, so as you use to do, either deliciously or plentifully. Leave off your common meals, dinners by day, and suppers at night, and eat and drink no more than mere necessity requires; that so you may give yourselves to constant and fervent prayers, for which your ordinary repasts will unfit you. For it is not likely that she would impose the burden of absolute fasting so long upon all the Jews, which very few of them were able to endure. And so the like phrase is taken Acts 27:33, where he saith, This is the fourteenth day that ye have continued fasting, having taking nothing. I also and my maidens; which she had chosen to attend upon her person, and were doubtless either of the Jewish nation, or proselyted by hers or others’ means to that religion. Will fast likewise; which may belong, either, 1. To the thing only, that as they did first, so she would. Or rather, 2. To the time of three days and three nights; for so she might do, though she went to the king on the third day. For the fast began at evening; and so she might continue her fast three whole nights, and two, whole days, and the greatest part of the third; a part of a day being reputed a day in the account of Scripture, and other authors; of which See Poole "Matthew 12:40". Yea, she might fast all that day too; for it is probable she went not to the king till he had dined, when she supposed she might find him in the most mild and pleasant humour, and then returned to her apartment, where she fasted till the evening. Which is not according to the law; which is against the law now mentioned. If I perish, I perish: although my danger be great and evident, considering the expressness of that law, and the uncertainty of the king’s mind, and that severity which he showed to my predecessor Vashti; yet rather than neglect my duty to God, and to his people, I will go to the king, and cast myself cheerfully and resolutely upon God’s providence for my safety and success. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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