Ester 10

VBL · Chapter 10/10

¹El rey Jerjes impuso impuestos en todo el imperio, incluso en sus costas más lejanas.

²Todo lo que logró con su poder y su fuerza, así como el relato completo de la alta posición a la que el rey ascendió a Mardoqueo, están escritos en el Libro de las Actas de los reyes de Media y Persia.

³Porque el judío Mardoqueo era el segundo al mando del rey Jerjes, líder de los judíos y muy respetado en la comunidad judía, trabajó para ayudar a su pueblo y para mejorar la seguridad de todos los judíos.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The book closes with a brief summary of King Ahasuerus's power and greatness, and highlights how Mordecai became a highly influential figure, respected for seeking the good of his people.

Explanation

The book's ending is short, almost like a historical postscript, situating Esther's story within the broader official records of the Persian empire. The final line about Mordecai—that he 'sought the good of his people and spoke peace to all his descendants'—sums up the legacy the story wants to leave behind: someone who used influence and closeness to power not for personal gain, but for the collective well-being of his community. It stands in direct contrast to Haman, whose closeness to power was used for personal revenge and destruction. The application for today is to consider how we use whatever position of influence we hold: to serve ourselves, or to seek the good of others.

Fun facts

The mention that Mordecai's deeds were recorded 'in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia' suggests that the narrative of Esther itself was meant to be seen as part of the officially documented history of that empire, reinforcing its historical plausibility.
Mordecai is described as someone who became 'next in rank to King Ahasuerus,' a position of the highest power that echoes other biblical figures who rose to prominence in foreign empires, such as Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon.

Verse-by-verse explanation

Ester 10:1The book shifts tone at the end, returning to the broader perspective of the empire, noting that Ahasuerus kept levying tribute across his vast territory, including the islands of the sea.
Ester 10:2The book ends like a summary of official chronicles, noting that Mordecai’s deeds were recorded in the annals of the kings of Media and Persia. It is a low-key ending, more concerned with placing Mordecai in the empire’s political history than with making any religious reflection.
Ester 10:3The book ends by describing Mordecai as the second most powerful man in the empire, but emphasizing that he used that position to seek the good of his own people, not just personal gain.