Matthew Poole and continuators on Esther 4

1 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 bitter cry :

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 Queens ear.

2 And came, even before the kings gate; for none might enter into the kings gate clothed with sackcloth .

And therefore he might not sit there, as he had hitherto done.

Left is should give the King any occasion of grief or trouble.

4 So Esthers maids, and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved, and she sent raiment to cloth Mordecai , and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

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.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word].

8 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 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.

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.

11 All the kings servants, and the people of the kings 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 m, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king, these thirty days .

By common [illegible: 1+ letters]ame of this received custom and law.

Within which, the Kings residence and throne was in. This was decreed, partly to maintain both the Majesty, and the safety of the Kings 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 Kings Concubines, or wore any of his own clothes, or drunk of that water which he had appropriated to himself, and other such like things, he was punished with death.

Which gives me just cause to suspect and fear that the kings affections are alienated from me, and therefore that neither my person nor petition will be acceptable to him.

13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thy self that thou shalt escape in the kings house , more than all the Jews:

i. e. Being, or because thou art in the Kings house, and an eminent member of his family.

14 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 fathers house shall be destroyed : and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ?

From another land, and by another means; which God can, and I am fully persuaded, will raise up.

By the righteous and dreadful judgment of God, punishing thy cowardize, and self-seeking, and thy want of love to God, and to his and thy own people.

It is probable God hath raised thee to this honour for this very season: and therefore go on couragiously, and doubt not of the success.

Marginal references: Heb. respiration.

16 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 .

And pray; which was the main business, to which fasting was only an help and an handmaid.

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 meer necessity requires; that so you may give your selves to constant and servent 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, Act. 27. 33. where he saith, This is the fourteenth day that ye have continued fasting, having taken nothing.

Which she had chosen to attend upon her person, and were doubtless either of the Jewish nation, or proselyted by her, or others means to that Religion.

Which may belong, either 1. To the thing only, that as they did fast, 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 o[illegible: 1+ letters] 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 on Mat. 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 against the law now mentioned.

Although my danger be great and evident considering the expressness of that law, and the uncertainty of the Kings mind, and that severity which he shewed to my predecessor Vashti; yet rather than neglect my duty to God and to his people, I will go to the King, and cast my self chearfully, and resolutely upon Gods providence for my safety and success.

Marginal references: Heb. found.