The Skeptics Annotated Bible (417 page)

(8.17b)
“Many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.”
God’s favorite way of making converts: Convert or be killed!

(9.1-16) The Jews kill everyone who ever had a bad thought toward them, along with their Jew-hating families.

9
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that
the Jews had rule over them that hated them
;)

(9.1)
“The Jews had rule over them that hated them.”

2
The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces
of the king Ahasuerus,
to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

(9.2) “The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces … to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.”

3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

5 Thus
the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

(9.5) “The Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.”

6 And
in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.

(9.6)
“In Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.”

7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,

10
The ten sons of Haman
the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews,
slew they
; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

(9.10) “The ten sons of Haman … slew they.”

11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

13
Then said Esther
, If it please the king,
let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged
upon the gallows.

(9.12-13)
“The king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman … what is thy request further? … Then said Esther … let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged.”
Esther asks the king to kill all those who planned to kill the Jews and hang the already dead bodies of Haman’s ten sons on trees.

14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan;
and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

(9.14)
“And they hanged Haman’s ten sons.”

15 For
the Jew
s that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and
slew three hundred men at Shushan
; but on the prey they laid not their hand.

(9.15) “The Jews … slew three hundred men at Shushan.”

16 But
the other Jews
that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and
slew of their foes seventy and five thousand
, but they laid not their hands on the prey,

(9.16) “The other Jews … slew of their foes seventy and five thousand.”

17 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.

(9.17) “On the fourteenth day … rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.” The day after killing all the Jew-haters and their families, the Jews took a day off to party. (This is the origin of the Jewish holiday of Purim.)

18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

(9.25) “When Esther came before the king, he commanded … that he [Haman]
and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.”