ON ST. ESTHER.
CommentaryEsther the Queen (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
Bishop Equilino de Natalibus, so often praised by us above, far surpasses all our Martyrologists in heaping together Saints who preceded Christ the Savior, inasmuch as, running studiously through all the earlier ages of the world, Equilino, who collects very many Saints of the Old Testament, in book 3 from chapter 2 to 12, after Septuagesima Sunday, alluding to the time when in the ecclesiastical Office the reading of the book of Genesis is begun, he places the Patriarchs of the first age. Then from chapter 46 to 56, after Sexagesima Sunday, are enumerated other Patriarchs from Noah to Aram, brother of Abraham, whom he almost ascribes to the Martyrs, others meanwhile doubting whether he ever deserted his idols. After Quinquagesima Sunday, through another eleven chapters follows Abraham, whose progeny is led down as far as Ephraim and Manasseh. But to pass over here the rest scattered hither and thither, on the Kalends of September alone, or at the beginning of that month, in book 8 from chapter 1 to 16, you may find a handful of nearly sixteen Judges, with the Prophet Joshua as standard-bearer, Samson holding the fourteenth place, as far as Anna the prophetess. What reasoning or fittingness moved Peter to divide those classes thus, the curious reader will find in the prologues of the cited books. These things have been said here only that it may be more clearly known whence so great a multiplication of those ancient Saints was made, even in our very Martyrologies: rightly or wrongly, it is not for us to define. We collect all Saints, yet in such a way that nothing accrues thereby to their cult of any kind, that they obtain a place in this our work.
[2] On this day he marks Esther. In the aforesaid Peter, on the day before the Nones of September, by the usage received also in the ancient Martyrologies, is set down the lawgiver Moses, and thence about the middle of the month follow Tobias, Judith and Esther. Of the former there will be a place to speak elsewhere, but Esther we thought should be celebrated on this day, because we find her marked in the Usuardine supplements in Greven and Molanus, in these simple words, Of Esther the queen: why on this rather than another day, I forbear to ask, since I have already said above abundantly that this is plainly arbitrary. The manuscript Florarium of the Saints writes also on the same day, Likewise of Esther the queen; but Canisius added a brief elogium in German of the fair and faithful queen, who, by the help of Mardochaeus, snatched and freed the whole Jewish people from a most present peril. Thus far our Martyrologies which make mention of Esther. Someone will ask, why was not his honor preserved also to Mardochaeus? To this and similar questions, I reply once for all what I have already adduced more than once as an answer: that these things depended solely on the good pleasure of the first collector of such Saints, both as to the cult itself and as to determining the day of the cult.
[3] The compilers of the Coptic Fasti, no less confidently, concerning whom also the Copts and Greeks. arranging all things according to their genius, refer Esther to XX December, writing, Of Esther queen of the Persians; with no mention made of Mardochaeus, who is nowhere noted in that whole Calendar. In our other Oriental Fasti neither appears. As to the Greeks, the same, unless I am mistaken, must be said as above concerning Aaron; that Esther is, namely, commemorated, and no doubt Mardochaeus, under that general commemoration of all the ancient Fathers of the Old Testament. But among the ninety-five distichs, there also alleged, that which is third from the last in order refers to Esther: "Commemoration of the just Esther, who redeemed Israel from death." Quite the same is the sense of the whole distich: "Esther saved the Israelite men, who were about long ago to put on the helmet of Hades." You have the things which exhibit the memory of Esther recorded in some Fasti, drawn back to this day by the more recent Latins: there remains the longer elogium of Peter from the cited book 8, chapter 81, to be described concerning the holy Esther the queen.
[4] Esther the queen flourished in the city of Susa, which was afterward called Edessa, Longer in Peter in the time of Ahasuerus, or Artaxerxes king of the Persians: who reigned from India even to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. Who in the third year of his reign made a great banquet to all the princes and nobles of the provinces, which lasted 180 days in his wonderful house: whose columns were of silver, but the roof in the likeness of the firmament, having gems of various color, arranged in the figure of the stars and constellations. After these days of the banquet he invited all the people who were in Susa, and they reclined outside the house for seven days in the vestibule of the garden of delights, which was adorned with wonderful beauty. Vashti the queen also made a banquet of women in the palace where the king was wont to stay. But on the seventh day the king ordered seven eunuchs to bring in the queen in her array, that he might show all her beauty. Who disdained to come at the king's command. And the king, angered, by the counsel of seven wise men who always stood by him, ordered that Vashti should no longer enter to the king: but that another, better, should reign in her place: that by this all women might learn not to make little of the commands of their husbands. Therefore, at the suggestion of the king's nobles, virgins began to be sought throughout all his kingdom and to be handed over to Hegai the eunuch for keeping: and they received adornment and ornaments at their pleasure, that whoever should please the king's eyes, she should reign in place of Vashti.
[5] There was then in Susa a Jew by name Mardochaeus of the tribe of Benjamin: who had come down from the transmigration of Jechonias. He was the foster-father of the daughter of his brother of Edessa, who by another name was called Esther, whom, orphaned of both parents, Mardochaeus had adopted as a daughter. She among the other girls was handed over to the eunuch: who did not declare her people, as Mardochaeus had commanded her: and Esther found grace in the eyes of the eunuch, and he gave her fairer ornaments and seven girls to adorn her. Further, the virgins entered to the king in order, and she who had gone out from him could not return to him, unless he called her by name. But Mardochaeus walked about the king's house, having care of the welfare of his daughter. At length in order came the day on which Esther entered to the king in beautiful adornment, and found grace with the king, and he made her reign in place of Vashti, in the seventh year of his reign; and he celebrated the wedding a whole month, and bestowed gifts on the occasion of the wedding according to his royal magnificence.
[6] the history from the sacred Text At the same time two eunuchs, the king's doorkeepers, were angered, and plotted his death, which was not hidden from Mardochaeus. Who told Esther and she the king in the name of Mardochaeus: and it was sought and found, and both were hanged on the gibbet. And it was committed to writing in the Annals of the king, in which the kings registered the events of their time. After this Ahasuerus exalted Haman the Amalekite of the stock of Agag, and made him first after himself in all his kingdom, and all the king's servants adored him except Mardochaeus, who because of the laws of his fathers did not bend his knees before him. Observing which, Haman was indignant. And learning that he was a Hebrew, he thought to destroy all the Hebrews who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, moved by old hatred, because the Jews had destroyed the Amalekites. Therefore in the twelfth year of Ahasuerus a lot was cast into the urn before Haman; on what day and in what month the nation of the Jews should be killed: and the lot came out on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month. But Haman, suggesting to the king that the nation of the Jews used new laws and despised the king's commands, and disturbed the peace of the kingdom, the king decreed that that nation should utterly perish. And when Haman had promised to pay ten thousand talents of silver into the king's treasury from the goods of the Jews, the king granted Haman all that silver, and to do with that people as it pleased him. And the king took the ring which he used, and gave it to Haman, that he might seal letters written in the king's name with his ring.
[7] well enough known. Then Haman wrote letters in the name of the king, sealing with the king's ring, that the Jews should be killed from the little child even to the old man and their goods plundered on the 14th day of the 12th month: and immediately in Susa the edict was posted. When the Jews had heard this, they wept. Esther also hearing this, summoned Mardochaeus, who signified all to her through the eunuch, and sent her a copy of the edict, commanding that she should enter to the king and supplicate him for her people. And although Esther, according to the law of the king, did not dare to enter to him unless called, under penalty of death; yet, trusting in the Lord, she exposed herself to danger, and commanded Mardochaeus that all the Jews should pray for her and fast for three days. But on the third day, prayer being premised, clothed in royal garments she stood in the court before the king's basilica with two girls. Who when he had looked at her with grim countenance, Esther, fearing, fainted. Seeing which the king and pitying her, because he loved her above all, rising came to her, and began to exhort her not to fear, because she, as queen, was not bound by such a law, which had been made for subjects. But she, rising from her distress, having kissed the king, invited him and Haman that day with her to dinner. And when both had eaten with her, the king offered Esther to ask whatever she wished from him. Who again invited those two, namely the king and Haman only, for the following day to a banquet, and then she would ask of him what she desired.
[8] Haman therefore went out glad: and seeing Mardochaeus had not risen for him, was indignant, and calling his friends, told them all his glory, adding that Esther had invited him alone with the king to a banquet. Yet he thought he had nothing, while Mardochaeus lived. But his friends advising, he ordered a lofty beam to be prepared, that he might suggest to the king that he hang Mardochaeus on it, and thus enter the banquet glad. That night the king passed sleepless, and ordered the Annals to be brought to him and read. And it came to the place where it was written that Mardochaeus had announced to him the crime of the eunuchs. And when the king, asking, had heard that Mardochaeus had obtained no reward for this, he asked who was in the court; and they answered him, Haman. For he had entered to suggest to the king the death of Mardochaeus. And when, being called, he had entered, the King asked him what should be done for the man whom the king desired to honor. Who, thinking it was said of himself, answered that, clothed in royal garments and crowned, he should be led around the whole city upon the king's horse, the first of the king's princes holding the reins. And immediately the king ordered that whatever Haman had said, he should do in the morning to Mardochaeus, omitting nothing at all. Which when he had done, dismayed he returned home. And behold the king's messengers compelled him to come to the queen's banquet.
[9] And the banquet finished, the king said to Esther that she should ask whatever she wished, who asked that life be granted to her and to all her people, since through all the provinces they had been ordered by Haman to be killed. Which Haman hearing, feared. And the king, angered, rose and entered the garden: and when after an hour he had returned, he found Haman had fallen upon the queen's couch, on which she lay, that he might supplicate her for his life, and thinking that he wished to assault her, cried out; and when he had heard from the eunuchs that he had prepared a beam for the hanging of Mardochaeus, he ordered him to be hanged on it immediately, and gave Esther the property of Haman. And hearing from her that Mardochaeus was her uncle, he gave her his ring, which he had received from Haman. Who by the king's command wrote new letters, sealed with the king's ring, contrary to the former, to the princes of the provinces, that the Jews should not be killed, but rather those who were ready for their slaughter, the Jews should kill, and the hand of the princes should be with them; and the name of the Jews became renowned.
[10] Therefore on the preceding day before the day on which the Jews were to be killed, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the Jews struck their enemies with a great slaughter through all the provinces, to the number of seventy-five thousand. But in Susa they slew six hundred men. And on the fourteenth day, celebrating the solemnity of the Lord, they made great banquets. Then by the king's command the ten sons of Haman were hanged, and all his progeny was destroyed: and Mardochaeus was constituted in place of Haman, first prince after the king. Esther the queen also served the Lord all her days and bore to the king a son by name Artaxerxes, who succeeded after King Ahasuerus in the kingdom. And Ahasuerus also being dead, Queen Esther with her son held the empire for many years, and after this fell asleep in peace; buried in Susa in the royal tomb. These things from the book of Esther and other volumes as above.