Esther 9:11-19
They Did Not Lay a Hand on the Plunder
Read the passage
11On that day the number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king,
12who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”
13Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, may the Jews in Susa also have tomorrow to carry out today’s edict, and may the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”
14So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
15On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa came together again and put to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
17This 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.
18The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy.
19This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Xerxes hears that five hundred men, including Haman's sons, have died in Susa. He asks Esther what further request she has. She asks for another day for the Jews in Susa to carry out the edict, and for the bodies of Haman's ten sons to be hanged. They have already been killed; this request concerns the display of their bodies.
The king agrees. On the fourteenth of Adar, three hundred more men are killed in Susa. In the other provinces, where the fighting took place on the thirteenth, the Jews have killed 75,000 who hated them. Neither group takes plunder.
The account describes the provincial Jews as assembling to defend themselves and gain relief from their enemies. It does not give Esther's reasons for seeking an additional day in Susa. We should not invent a specific remaining plot to explain her request, or pretend the violence is easy to read. The refusal of plunder matters, but it does not answer every question about the events.
The last verses explain the dates of celebration. The provincial Jews rest on the fourteenth; Susa rests on the fifteenth after two days of fighting. Those days become times of feasting, joy, and gifts. The relief being remembered is a people surviving a threat against their lives and finally having rest.
Questions
1 What two requests does Esther make?
AnswerAnother day for the Jews in Susa to carry out the edict, and the hanging of the bodies of Haman's ten sons. The passage does not explain her reasons for the extra day.
2 What does the account say about plunder?
AnswerThe Jews in Susa and in the other provinces do not take it, despite the decree's permission.
3 Why do the provinces and Susa rest on different days?
AnswerThe provinces fight on the thirteenth and rest on the fourteenth. Susa fights on the thirteenth and fourteenth, then rests on the fifteenth.
4 How is the day of rest observed?
AnswerWith feasting and joy. The village celebration also includes sending gifts to one another.
What This Means for Us
Difficult passages deserve honest questions. Read what the text actually says, notice what it leaves unexplained, and avoid making up a detail just to settle the discomfort. We can thank God that threatened families survived while grieving the reality of violence. Pray for people who still wait for a day when danger ends and ordinary life can resume.
Prayer
Father, give us humility as we read about violence and deliverance. Protect families living in fear, bring an end to bloodshed, and help us receive your word honestly. Amen.