Esther 9:17 · Bible study
Esther 9:17 Commentary: From Rest to Feast, The Birth of Purim
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover how the Jews' rest after their deliverance led to the institution of Purim, a festival of joy and remembrance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: After defending themselves on the thirteenth of Adar, the Jews rested on the fourteenth and celebrated with a feast of joy, establishing the pattern for Purim.
- Key words: nuach (rest, H5117), a cessation of struggle; mishteh (feast, H4960), a banquet; simchah (joy, H8057), gladness with a celebratory tone.
- Main debate: Whether the fourteenth day was celebrated only by provincial Jews, while Susa Jews celebrated on the fifteenth, and what this means for the uniformity of Purim observance.
- Theological theme: God’s hidden providence turning intended destruction into deliverance and joy, with human response of rest and communal celebration.
- Best use: A sermon on divine reversal, the theology of rest after spiritual conflict, or the establishment of Christian traditions of remembrance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy.
WEB World English Bible 2000
This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of that month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
KJV King James Version 1769
On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
This was doneon the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, even to rest on the fourteenth of it, and to make it a day of banquet and of joy.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and joy.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
En el día trece del mes de Adar fué esto; y reposaron en el día catorce del mismo, é hiciéronlo día de banquete y de alegría.
Sucedeu isto no dia treze do mês de Adar; e repousaram no dia catorze do mesmo, e fizeram dele um dia de banquetes e de alegria.
Ces choses arrivèrent le treizième jour du mois d’Adar. Les Juifs se reposèrent le quatorzième, et ils en firent un jour de festin et de joie.
Das geschah am dreizehnten Tage des Monats Adar, und sie ruhten am vierzehnten Tage desselben Monats; den machte man zum Tage des Wohllebens und der Freude.
Dit geschiedde op den dertienden dag der maand Adar; en op de veertienden derzelve rustten zij, en zij maakten denzelven een dag der maaltijden en der vreugde.
Questo avvenne il tredicesimo giorno del mese d’Adar; il quattordicesimo giorno si riposarono, e ne fecero un giorno di convito e di gioia.
Poczęli dnia trzynastego miesiąca Adar, a przestali dnia czternastego tegoż miesiąca, a sprawowali tegoż dnia uczty i wesela.
Это было в тринадцатый день месяца Адара; а в четырнадцатый день сего же месяца они успокоились и сделали его днем пиршества и веселья.
亞達 月 十 三 日，行了這事；十 四 日 安息，以這日 為 設筵 歡樂 的日子。
This they did on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same month they took their rest, and made it a day of feasting and joy.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Esther 9:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse records the immediate aftermath of the Jewish defense on the thirteenth of Adar. On that day, Jews in the provinces fought their enemies; on the fourteenth they rested. Gill notes the rejoicing “that they were delivered out of the hand of their enemies, who hoped…to have made an utter end of them.” Keil and Delitzsch point to the infinitive absolute forms (noach and asoh) used in place of finite verbs, which they describe as emphasizing the nature of the activities: resting and making a feast. Lange similarly highlights the infinitive construction as indicating a definitive, ongoing reality. The rest was not empty, it was filled with feasting (mishteh) and gladness (simchah). This day later became the first day of Purim for most Jews, with Mordecai’s letters prescribing its annual observance. The shift from slaughter to celebration, from fear to joy, is central to understanding how the festival was born. For the Jewish community, the fourteenth of Adar stands as a marker of God’s unseen hand turning sorrow into joy.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Jews rested from their enemies on the fourteenth day of Adar and celebrated with feasting and joy, establishing the pattern for the festival of Purim.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Celebration date (14th vs 15th) | All agree that provincial Jews celebrated on the fourteenth and Susa Jews on the fifteenth, creating two days of Purim. | Some argue that the difference shows a regional variation; others see it as reflecting different military actions, with both dates being equally valid for the feast. |
| Nature of the rest | Most commentators see the rest as a cessation of hostilities and relief from threat. | A few suggest the rest also has a spiritual dimension, rest from fear or rest in God’s protection, while others keep it purely practical. |
| Institution of Purim | All agree that the feast was established by Mordecai’s letters (Esther 9:20-21) based on the events of these days. | Christians disagree on whether Purim is obligatory for believers: Jewish tradition treats it as binding; many Christian traditions see it as a historical precedent but not a command for the Church. |
| Fasting and mourning before the feast | Gill mentions that Jewish canons forbid mourning and fasting on Purim, emphasizing joy. | Some note that Esther herself fasted (Esther 4:16), and a fast on the 13th of Adar (the Fast of Esther) developed in later Judaism, while others see no connection to this verse. |
| Inclusion of gifts to the poor | Verse 19 and 22 mention sending portions and gifts to the poor, which is central to Purim observance. | Some see this as an integral part of the feast commanded by Mordecai; others view it as a later custom not inherent to the original celebration in verse 17. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Esther 9 unfold against a backdrop of two competing royal decrees. The first, issued at Haman’s instigation on the thirteenth day of the first month (Nisan, Esther 3:12), called for the annihilation of all Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar. The second, prompted by Mordecai and Esther (Esther 8:9), permitted the Jews to defend themselves on that same day. The date, Adar 13, was originally chosen by Haman through the casting of lots (purim) to find a favorable day (Esther 3:7). Ellicott’s Commentary notes that the notion of lucky and unlucky days was prevalent in the ancient East, adding dramatic irony: the day Haman deemed lucky became the day of his own people’s ruin.
When the thirteenth of Adar arrived, the Jews in the provinces defended themselves, killing 75,000 of their enemies but taking no plunder (Esther 9:16). The next day, they rested. This rest was not merely physical; it signaled a final cessation of the threat. In Susa, where fighting extended an extra day (Esther 9:18), the rest came on the fifteenth. Mordecai later codified these dates, the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, as annual days of feasting and gladness, called Purim (Esther 9:20, 21). The shift from mourning to celebration, from fear to relief, became the heart of the festival. Gifts of food to one another and to the poor were commanded (Esther 9:22), ensuring the joy was shared widely. The book of Esther presents this as a human institution, yet one that flows from divine providence working through ordinary events. The historical context shows a community that turned a day of potential destruction into a lasting memorial of deliverance.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for Esther 9:17. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The minor variations in English translations (e.g., “feasting and gladness” vs. “banquet and joy”) reflect different lexical choices for the same Hebrew words (mishteh and simchah). The infinitive absolute forms in the Hebrew (וְנ֗וֹחַ, וְעָשֹׂה) are well-attested and create a descriptive, almost stative sense for the rest and the making of the feast, but these reflect grammar rather than text-critical issues.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, Esther 9:17 anchors the observance of Purim, celebrated on the fourteenth of Adar (and the fifteenth in walled cities like Susa). The day is characterized by the reading of the Megillah (the scroll of Esther), festive meals, sending food gifts, and charity to the poor, all drawn from the surrounding verses. Early Christian interpreters, such as Clement of Alexandria and Origen, referenced Purim as a historical festival but did not adopt it into the Christian calendar. During the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry read the verse as an example of God’s providence and the joy that follows deliverance. The Geneva Bible notes simply explain the chronology. In many Christian churches today, Esther is read as a narrative of God’s hidden hand, and this verse is preached as a model for turning sorrow into joy through corporate worship and celebration.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The day of battle becomes a day of rest. After defending themselves on the thirteenth, the Jews stopped and rested on the fourteenth. The fight was over. God gave them peace.
- Rest leads to celebration. They did not just rest, they made the day a feast. Rest without joy is incomplete. Their gladness sprang from deliverance and relief.
- Celebration establishes a memorial. This one-day feast grew into the annual festival of Purim, a tradition that kept the story alive for generations.
Five-point outline
- God’s timing: The thirteenth of Adar, the date set for destruction, became the date of deliverance.
- Unexpected turn: Haman’s plan was reversed. The Jews’ enemies fell; the Jews survived.
- Deliberate rest: The rest on the fourteenth was intentional, a pause to acknowledge the end of danger.
- Feasting and joy: They turned rest into a party, with food and gladness. This was not passive rest but active celebration.
- Institutionalized feast: What began as one spontaneous day became a commanded annual observance, showing that joy needs structure to last.
Illustration hooks
- A family receives a clear medical diagnosis after months of fear. The day they get the good news, they set aside work and gather for a special meal. That day becomes an anniversary they celebrate every year.
- A community that faced a natural disaster, like a flood, works together to save homes. After the waters recede, they hold a block party to mark survival and solidarity.
- A student who feared failing an exam studies hard, takes the test, and then deliberately takes the next day off to rest and celebrate. That rest feels earned and sweet.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Should Christians celebrate Purim? Many churches do not, but the themes of deliverance and joy apply to any believer’s life.
- How do we commemorate God’s deliverances in our own lives? This verse gives a pattern: rest, feast, tell the story.
- What does it mean to rest from our enemies? Enemies can be spiritual, fear, sin, oppression. Rest comes after the battle, and celebration follows.
Leading a Discussion
Esther 9:17 captures a turning point: the Jews moved from fighting for their lives to resting and celebrating. This small group study focuses on how deliverance shapes community practices and how we remember God’s faithfulness today. Read Esther 9:17 along with verses 20, 22 to see how this one day became an annual festival.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the sequence of events: battle, rest, feasting? Why is the rest mentioned separately from the victory?
- The Jews did not rest until the fighting was over. In what areas of your life do you need to recognize that a battle has ended before you can truly rest?
- Why did they make the fourteenth day a day of feasting and gladness? What does this tell you about how God’s people process deliverance?
- Compare this verse with Esther 9:18, where Susa Jews rested on the fifteenth. Why do you think the dates differ? How does this affect the way we understand the festival?
- Mordecai later sent letters making the feast official (Esther 9:20, 21). When should a spontaneous celebration become a structured tradition? Why is structure helpful for remembering God’s work?
- The feast included sending presents of food and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22). How does sharing resources turn a personal celebration into a community event?
- What “days of feasting and gladness” do you have in your own spiritual journey? How can you keep those days alive as a reminder of God’s deliverance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Esther 3:12 | Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring. |
| Esther 8:9 | Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language. |
| Esther 9:1 | Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king’s commandment and his decree came near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it turned out that the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them), |
| Esther 9:18 | But the Jews who were in Susa assembled together on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth days of the month; and on the fifteenth day of that month, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. |
| Esther 9:21 | to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that on the thirteenth day of month Adar they performed this action and then rested on the fourteenth day. They celebrated that day as a time for feasting and joy.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that the Jews' gladness was intensified because their enemies had expected to destroy them on that very day. Jewish tradition after this event forbade mourning and fasting on the fourteenth of Adar, requiring instead increased feasting and joy over their deliverance.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observes that the phrase "rest from their enemies" appears before the slaughter is described, which seems out of order. They explain the narrator placed it early to immediately signal the outcome, and note the unusual grammatical form is a stylistic choice, not evidence the text was altered.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the dramatic reversal: the Persian empire that once feasted in triumph now suffers defeat, while the Jews whom Haman hoped to destroy instead celebrate. Mordecai's measures proved fully sufficient, so the Jews' rest and feasting mark the complete and joyous turn of events.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Mordecai’s growing influence caused all officials to help the Jews. He also says the Jews killed their enemies with swords and made them suffer as they desired.