Trapp's Complete Commentary · Esther Chapter 10

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and [upon] the isles of the sea.

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute, … — An extraordinary tribute to maintain war against the Grecians, who, uniting together, were then grown potent and formidable. To enable himself, therefore, the better against them, he gathered money, the sinews of war, but lost the affections of his subjects, the joints of peace. He became hereby ill-beloved of all sorts, and far a less king, by striving to be more than he was. And hence haply one letter of his name is lost here, for the Masorites tell us that in the ancient copies he is written, not Ahasuerus, but Ahasres, without a Vau (Drus. in loc.). Hebrew Text Note

And upon the isles of the sea — Judaea was an isle, Isaiah 20:6 (but not of the sea, for it was part of the continent), because media inseparabilis unda separated from other countries, and encircled with God’s powerful protection. It was, say some, by Mordecai’s means exempted from this great taxation. Herodotus saith that a country near unto Arabia was exempted (Herod. l. 3). He meaneth Judaea, saith Junius, though he name it not. It may be so. And it may be, saith an interpreter, that this is here inserted, as being intended only of the re-imposing of the tribute, whereof there was granted a release at Esther’s marriage, Esther 2:18 , yet it may be also added, to show how God punished the nations for their late greedy gaping after the lives and estates of God’s people.

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And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

And all the acts of his power and his might — Lyra and Rikelius observe that Ahasuerus had all this power and might given him by God, as a recompense of his courtesy to the Jews, and justice done upon their enemies. No man serveth God for nought. He is a liberal paymaster, Malachi 1:10 . See Trapp on " Malachi 1:10 "

And the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai — Heb. The exposition. Many make large commentaries upon their own greatness, which a right exposition would show to be rather belluine than genuine. Great men are not always wise, saith Elihu, Job 32:9 . But Mordecai was a great wise man, every way accomplished, one of God’s Rabbis, as Daniel calls them, fit to serve any prince in the world. "There is a spirit in man," a rational soul in an ordinary man; but "the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding," Job 32:8 .

Whereunto the king advanced him — Heb. Wherewith the king greatened him; wherein he showed himself a wise and politic prince; as did likewise Pharaoh in advancing Joseph; Darius, Daniel; Constantius Chlorus, Christian officers; our Henry VIII, the Lord Cromwell, whom he made his vicar-general. Jovianus, the emperor, was wont to wish that he might govern wise men, and that wise men might govern him. Justin Martyr praiseth this sentence of divine Plato, Commonwealths will then be happy, when either philosophers reign or kings study philosophy (Justin. Revelation 1:0 ). Jethro’s justitiary must be a wise man, fearing God, …, Exodus 18:14-26 , and that famous maxim of Constantius Chlorus, recorded by Eusebius, is very memorable: He cannot be faithful to me that is unfaithful to God, religion being the foundation of all true fidelity and loyalty to king and country.

Are they not written in the book of the chronicles — These chronicles of Media and Persia, if they were now to be had (as they are not), would far better acquaint us with the history of those times than the fragments of them, collected by Herodotus, Diodorus, Arrian, Justin, and Curtius. But better books than these chronicles are now wanting to the world; as the chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah, the book of the wars of the Lord, the book of Jasher, Origen’s Octapla (the loss of which work, saith a learned man, deplorare possumus, compensare non possumus, bewail we may, but make up we cannot), Chrysostom upon Matthew (when promotions were offered Thomas Aquinas, his usual answer was, Chrysostomi Commentarium in Matthaeum mallem, I had rather have Chrysostom’s commentary upon Matthew), and many other precious pieces, which learned men would gladly buy at as dear a rate as Plato did those three books that cost him thirty thousand florins. That we have the Holy Scriptures so perfect and entire, preserved safe from the injuries of time and rage of tyrants, who sought to burn them up and abolish them, is a sweet and singular providence; and must be so acknowledged.

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