This verse highlights how God’s chosen deliverance through Esther and Mordecai led to a perpetual festival of rejoicing and remembrance for the Jewish people.
Esther 9:31 reads, “to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.” (v.31) This verse follows the dramatic victory over Haman’s evil plot, culminating in the Jewish people’s deliverance throughout the Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus (also known in history as Xerxes I, who reigned from 486-465 BC). The location of these events was primarily in Susa, an ancient city in the southwestern region of the empire, chosen by the king as his capital. Here, Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai established a lasting festival of gratitude and remembrance, which came to be known as Purim. Their decree called for ongoing commemoration to recognize God’s provision and protection of the Jewish people in their time of mortal danger.
In this verse, we see an official mandate for the Jewish community to commemorate Purim in a special way: “with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.” (v.31) This was not merely a celebration of victory, but also a solemn time of acknowledging past sorrow. The people were to pause and recall how close they came to destruction, and how divine favor, through the courageous effort of Queen Esther and the wisdom of Mordecai, preserved them. This purposeful blending of both rejoicing and lament highlights the importance of humility before God, a practice that resonates in other parts of Scripture where God’s people pause to confess sin or mourn tragedy, and then celebrate deliverance (see examples in Nehemiah 9 or Daniel 9). As with so many events throughout biblical history, these rhythms of fast and feast point readers forward to a God who rescues His people—a theme that Christians see ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who delivers from sin and death (Romans 5:8).
Furthermore, “just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them” (v.31) underlines the authority and influence these two individuals held. Mordecai and Esther, from the tribe of Benjamin (related to King Saul’s lineage, and historically at odds with the plotting Agagites), received providential favor. Their guidance ensured that this deliverance would not be forgotten by future generations. Though this royal edict was Persian in nature, it underscores a pattern found frequently in Scripture: when God’s people remember His acts of salvation, they grow stronger in faith and unity (Psalm 78). In Esther’s day, the instructions for “their times of fasting and their lamentations” also acknowledged that trials and tears must shape a faithful community, culminating in a season of joyful gratitude known forever as Purim.Purim remains for all time a testimony of God’s deliverance and the Jewish people’s gratitude and devotion: it holds both the sobering memory of near destruction and the celebration of rescue in a single observance.
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Esther 9:31 meaning
Esther 9:31 reads, “to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.” (v.31) This verse follows the dramatic victory over Haman’s evil plot, culminating in the Jewish people’s deliverance throughout the Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus (also known in history as Xerxes I, who reigned from 486-465 BC). The location of these events was primarily in Susa, an ancient city in the southwestern region of the empire, chosen by the king as his capital. Here, Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai established a lasting festival of gratitude and remembrance, which came to be known as Purim. Their decree called for ongoing commemoration to recognize God’s provision and protection of the Jewish people in their time of mortal danger.
In this verse, we see an official mandate for the Jewish community to commemorate Purim in a special way: “with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.” (v.31) This was not merely a celebration of victory, but also a solemn time of acknowledging past sorrow. The people were to pause and recall how close they came to destruction, and how divine favor, through the courageous effort of Queen Esther and the wisdom of Mordecai, preserved them. This purposeful blending of both rejoicing and lament highlights the importance of humility before God, a practice that resonates in other parts of Scripture where God’s people pause to confess sin or mourn tragedy, and then celebrate deliverance (see examples in Nehemiah 9 or Daniel 9). As with so many events throughout biblical history, these rhythms of fast and feast point readers forward to a God who rescues His people—a theme that Christians see ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who delivers from sin and death (Romans 5:8).
Furthermore, “just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them” (v.31) underlines the authority and influence these two individuals held. Mordecai and Esther, from the tribe of Benjamin (related to King Saul’s lineage, and historically at odds with the plotting Agagites), received providential favor. Their guidance ensured that this deliverance would not be forgotten by future generations. Though this royal edict was Persian in nature, it underscores a pattern found frequently in Scripture: when God’s people remember His acts of salvation, they grow stronger in faith and unity (Psalm 78). In Esther’s day, the instructions for “their times of fasting and their lamentations” also acknowledged that trials and tears must shape a faithful community, culminating in a season of joyful gratitude known forever as Purim.Purim remains for all time a testimony of God’s deliverance and the Jewish people’s gratitude and devotion: it holds both the sobering memory of near destruction and the celebration of rescue in a single observance.