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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Esther: Introduction].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC17001.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+3>Esther</FONT></P>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD VALIGN=TOP>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17001.HTM">Chapter 1</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17002.HTM">Chapter 2</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17003.HTM">Chapter 3</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17004.HTM">Chapter 4</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17005.HTM">Chapter 5</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17006.HTM">Chapter 6</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17007.HTM">Chapter 7</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17008.HTM">Chapter 8</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17009.HTM">Chapter 9</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC17010.HTM">Chapter 10</A>
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<A NAME="Page1121"> </A>
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<CENTER>
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<P><B>AN</B></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+2>EXPOSITION,</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+1>W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N S,</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=-1>OF THE BOOK OF</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+3><B>E S T H E R.</B></FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=75>
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</P></CENTER>
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<P>
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How the providence of God watched over the Jews that had returned out
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of captivity to their own land, and what great and kind things were
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done for them, we read in the two foregoing books; but there were many
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who staid behind, having not zeal enough for God's house, and the holy
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land and city, to carry them through the difficulties of a removal
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thither. These, one would think, should have been excluded the special
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protection of Providence, as unworthy the name of Israelites; but our
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God deals not with us according to our folly and weakness. We find in
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this book that even those Jews who were scattered in the provinces of
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the heathen were taken care of, as well as those who were gathered in
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the land of Judea, and were wonderfully preserved, when doomed to
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destruction and appointed as sheep for the slaughter. Who drew up this
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story is uncertain. Mordecai was as able as any man to relate, on his
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own knowledge, the several passages of it; <I>quorum pars magna
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fuit--for he bore a conspicuous part in it;</I> and that he wrote such
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an account of them as was necessary to inform his people of the grounds
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of their observing the feast of Purim we are told
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+9:20"><I>ch.</I> ix. 20</A>,
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<I>Mordecai wrote these things,</I> and sent them enclosed in letters
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to all the Jews), and therefore we have reason to think he was the
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penman of the whole book. It is the narrative of a plot laid against
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the Jews to cut them all off, and which was wonderfully disappointed by
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a concurrence of providences. The most compendious exposition of it
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will be to read it deliberately all together at one time, for the
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latter events expound the former and show what providence intended in
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them. The name of God is not found in this book; but the apocryphal
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addition to it (which is not in the Hebrew, nor was ever received by
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the Jews into the can on), containing six chapters, begins thus,
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<I>Then Mordecai said, God has done these things.</I> But, though the
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name of God be not in it, the finger of God is, directing many minute
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events for the bringing about of his people's deliverance. The
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particulars are not only surprising and very entertaining, but edifying
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and very encouraging to the faith and hope of God's people in the most
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difficult and dangerous times. We cannot now expect such miracles to be
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wrought for us as were for Israel when they were brought out of Egypt,
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but we may expect that in such ways as God here took to defeat Haman's
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plot he will still protect his people. We are told,
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I. How Esther came to be queen and Mordecai to be great at court, who
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were to be the instruments of the intended deliverance,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+1:1-2:23"><I>ch.</I> i., ii.</A>
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II. Upon what provocation, and by what arts, Haman the Amalekite
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obtained an order for the destruction of all the Jews,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+3:1-15"><I>ch.</I> iii.</A>
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III. The great distress the Jews, and their patriots especially, were
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in thereupon,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+4:1-17"><I>ch.</I> iv.</A>
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IV. The defeating of Haman's particular plot against Mordecai's life,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+5:1-7:10"><I>ch.</I> v.-vii.</A>
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V. The defeating of his general plot against the Jews,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+8:1-17"><I>ch.</I> viii.</A>
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VI. The care that was taken to perpetuate the remembrance of this,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Es+9:1-10:3"><I>ch.</I> ix., x.</A>
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The whole story confirms the Psalmist's observation
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+37:12,13">Ps. xxxvii. 12, 13</A>),
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<I>The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his
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teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him; he sees that his day is
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coming.</I></P>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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