Esther 9:28

Est 9:28 And [that] these days [should be] remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and [that] these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

Ver. 28. And that these days should be remembered] That the memory of them might be kept afoot in the Church to all perpetuity. Nothing is sooner forgotten than a good turn received. David found himself faulty this way, and, therefore, sets the thorn to the breast, Psa 103:2. Other holy men kept catalogues (see one of God’s own making, Jdg 10:11-12). They also had their μνημοσυνα, or memorials, as is before noted. The very heathens had their triumphal arches, pillars, trophies, tables, histories, annals, ephemerides, &c. A foul shame for us to fall short of them, and not to wish, as Job in another case, Oh that God’s works of wonder for us were now written. "Oh that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" Job 19:23-24. That famous fifth of November especially, which drowns in a manner the memory of all former deliverances; as the return out of Babylon did the departure out of Egypt, Jer 23:7. This happy day, too much slighted, alas, in many places already, should never be put out of the English calendar while the sun courseth about the earth; but be registered for the generation to come, that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord, Psa 102:8. (This was written Nov. 5, 1653.)

Every family, every province, and every city] They should all recognize their late danger, and thereby the better relish their deliverance, as Samson did his honeycomb, which he found by turning aside to see the lion he had escaped. Every man was to consider his own share in the public safety, as the people did at Solomon’s coronation, and to be particularly thankful. This would fortify his faith, feed his hope, nourish his joy, further his obedience.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Est 9:28. That these days should be remembered and kept — That the memorial of these great things, which God had done for his church, might never perish. For if God work wonders for a day, it is that they may be had in everlasting remembrance. Every family, every province, every city — Accordingly, even the women and little children, nay, such as were base- born and servants, were bound to keep this feast.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he sent letters unto all the Jews,.... That is, Mordecai did, signed in the queen's name, and his own:

to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus; among which was Judea, that was become a province, first of the Chaldean, now of the Persian empire, see Ezr 5:8 to whom also these letters were sent, directing and ordering the Jews there to observe these days, who were also concerned in the deliverance wrought:

with words of peace and truth exhorting them to live in peace with one another, and their neighbours, and to constancy in the true religion; or wishing them all peace and prosperity in the most loving and sincere manner.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ceremonies. The king also enjoined (chap. xvi. 22.) all his subjects (Tirinus) to keep a day of rejoicing, (Haydock) as the death of Aman was deemed a public benefit. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

28. Nor the memorial of them perish — Great events are appropriately commemorated by significant monuments or institutions. Such memorials were the monumental stones and great altar at Jordan. Jos_4:7-8; Jos_22:10. But memorials of wood and stone will sooner or later perish, and those erected by the Jordan have long since disappeared. More permanent are such memorials as the Jewish Passover and Purim, and the Christian Eucharist. The continued observance of Purim to this day is a monumental proof of the truth of this history.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, etc. The universal adoption of the Purina feast by the Jewish nation, originating as it did at Susa, among the Persian Jews, never a very important part of the nation, is a curious fact, and is certainly not satisfactorily accounted for by the beauty and popularity of the Book of Esther (Ewald), nor by the dignity and power of Mordecai. Mordecai had no ecclesiastical authority; and it might have been expected that the Jews of Jerusalem would have demurred to the imposition of a fresh religious obligation upon them by a Jew of the Dispersion, who was neither a prophet, nor a priest, nor even a Levite. The Jews of Jerusalem, in their strongly-situated city, which was wholly theirs, and with their temple-fortress complete, (Ezr_6:15) can scarcely have felt themselves in much danger from an attack which was to have begun and ended in a day. But Joiakim, the high priest of the time, (Neh_12:10-12) to whom, as we have seen ("Introduction," the Book of Esther was attributed by some, must have given his approval to the feast from the first, and have adopted it into the ceremonial of the nation, or it would scarcely have become universal. Hooker ("Eccl. Pol.," 5:71, rightly makes the establishment of the feast an argument in favour of the Church"s power to prescribe festival days; and it must certainly have been by ecclesiastical, and not by civil, command that it became obligatory. That these days should not fail, nor the memorial of them perish. As a commemoration of human, and not of Divine, appointment, the feast of Purim was liable to abrogation or discontinuance. The Jews of the time resolved that the observance should be perpetual; and in point of fact the feast has continued up to the present date, and is likely to continue, though they could not bind their successors.

A holy memorial.

Memory is a Divine gift, to be used for the glory of the Giver. Every individual has his memories; for his past life has been marked by events important to himself, and worthy of being now and again recalled to awaken gratitude, humility, confidence. Every family has its memories; and domestic anniversaries may be observed with advantage, especially to the young. Every nation has its memories of great reigns, great deliverances, great conquests, etc. Every religion has its memories of its founder, its fundamental facts, its triumphs. The Jews had reason to remember Purim.

I WHAT IS SPECIALLY WORTHY TO BE REMEMBERED? Our deliverances. God"s mercies.

II WHY SHOULD SUCH THINGS BE REMEMBERED? To encourage us to the exercise of devout gratitude. To foster our trust and faith in him whose mercies we call to mind. To honour God. "Forget not all his benefits.

III How SHOULD HOLY MEMORIALS BE OBSERVED?

1. With sacrifices of praise. "Let us exalt his name together." "The Lordbath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

2. With gatherings of fellowship. Where mercies have been experienced incommon they should be acknowledged in common. There is something inspiring and elevating in the celebration, by a multitude, of a great event, a signal mercy. So with the observance of the Lord"s Supper.

3. With tokens of practical kindness. Festivals are holy in proportion asthose who take part in them are unselfish, disinterested, and kind.

4. With especial reference to the young. In youth public observancesimpress themselves upon the memory. The Jews took pains to instruct their children in the meaning of the passover and the other national festivals. Thus the perpetuity of the memorial is secured. We should celebrate God"s loving-kindness, and "tell it to the generation following."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and these days of Purim are not to pass away among the Jews, nor their remembrance to cease among their seed. The participles ונעשׂים נזכּרים still depend on להיות, Est 9:27. Not till the last clause does the construction change in להיות לא to the temp. finit. יעבור ולא is a periphrasis of the adverb: imperishably, inviolably. כּכתבם, secundum scriptum eorum, i.e., as Mordochai had written concerning them (Est 9:23). כּזמנּם, as he had appointed their time. מן סוּף, to come to an end from, i.e., to cease among their descendants.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

remembered with the reading of the Scroll [of Esther].

and celebrated feasting and rejoicing and a festive day, to give portions [of food to friends] and gifts [to the poor].

every family gather together and feast and drink together, and so they took upon themselves that the Purim days would not be revoked.

shall not cease Heb. לֹא יָסוּף. This is the Aramaic translation of יִתֹּם, will end, for the Targum of (Deut. 2:14) “עַד תֹּם” is עַד דְסַף, until it finished, and it is impossible to say that it is derived from the same root as (Gen. 19:15): “lest you perish (תִּסָפֶה),” or from the same root as (I Sam. 27:1): “Now I shall perish (אֶסָפֶה) one day,” for if that were so, Scripture should have written: לֹא יִסָפֶה מִזַרְעָם.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.