Purim is a joyful reminder that what was meant for evil can become a cause for celebration and deep remembrance.
Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them. (v.26) This verse highlights the moment in which the Jewish people name their commemorative feast “Purim,” a title derived from the lots (“Pur”) that Haman cast to determine the day of their destruction (Esther 3:7). By referring to the lots, the verse underscores the theme of reversal that permeates the Book of Esther: what was intended for harm is turned by God into a time of joy and remembrance. Both the instructions found in Mordecai’s letter (Esther 9:20) and the experiences of divine deliverance shape how the people will recognize these days for generations to come.
The specific designation of these days as Purim reminds believers of the importance of naming and remembering God’s saving work. Historically, this feast is set during the latter years of King Ahasuerus’s reign (486-465 BC), soon after the Jews in Persia were delivered from certain doom. Around this time, Esther served as Queen (likely from about 479 BC onward), placing her in a pivotal position of influence that allowed God’s plan for rescue to unfold. Though not explicitly mentioned in the text surrounding this verse, Susa (in modern-day southwestern Iran) was the scene of these dramatic events, a city serving as the royal capital where Esther found favor in the eyes of the king (Esther 2:17).
Even after the immediate threat to Israel subsided, the longer view of the verse showcases the legacy of Purim as a celebration of faith, gratitude, and identity. It marks how the community collectively documented what happened to them and agreed to honor it annually with feasting and rejoicing (Esther 9:28). Looking ahead to the New Testament, such acts of remembering God’s faithfulness resonate with Jesus’s own traditions of celebrating and fulfilling Jewish feasts (Luke 2:41-42), reminding believers even today to recount and rejoice over God’s acts of deliverance.
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Esther 9:26 meaning
Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them. (v.26) This verse highlights the moment in which the Jewish people name their commemorative feast “Purim,” a title derived from the lots (“Pur”) that Haman cast to determine the day of their destruction (Esther 3:7). By referring to the lots, the verse underscores the theme of reversal that permeates the Book of Esther: what was intended for harm is turned by God into a time of joy and remembrance. Both the instructions found in Mordecai’s letter (Esther 9:20) and the experiences of divine deliverance shape how the people will recognize these days for generations to come.
The specific designation of these days as Purim reminds believers of the importance of naming and remembering God’s saving work. Historically, this feast is set during the latter years of King Ahasuerus’s reign (486-465 BC), soon after the Jews in Persia were delivered from certain doom. Around this time, Esther served as Queen (likely from about 479 BC onward), placing her in a pivotal position of influence that allowed God’s plan for rescue to unfold. Though not explicitly mentioned in the text surrounding this verse, Susa (in modern-day southwestern Iran) was the scene of these dramatic events, a city serving as the royal capital where Esther found favor in the eyes of the king (Esther 2:17).
Even after the immediate threat to Israel subsided, the longer view of the verse showcases the legacy of Purim as a celebration of faith, gratitude, and identity. It marks how the community collectively documented what happened to them and agreed to honor it annually with feasting and rejoicing (Esther 9:28). Looking ahead to the New Testament, such acts of remembering God’s faithfulness resonate with Jesus’s own traditions of celebrating and fulfilling Jewish feasts (Luke 2:41-42), reminding believers even today to recount and rejoice over God’s acts of deliverance.