The verse shows how God’s rescue of the Jews led to a widespread celebration and compelled many to join themselves to God’s covenant community.
In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them. (v.17)
This verse describes the joyous outcome for the Jews throughout the Persian Empire after King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) issued the new decree allowing them to defend themselves. For centuries, the Jews had lived in exile, and by the time of Esther, they were spread across 127 provinces of Persia from India to Ethiopia. The capital city of Susa (also called Shushan) was located in what is now southwestern Iran, and King Xerxes reigned from 485 to 465 BC.During this period, Queen Esther’s courageous intervention thwarted Haman’s wicked plan, bringing relief and protection to God’s covenant people.
The text emphasizes that the Jews’ response was not merely relief but “gladness and joy,” marked by a “feast and a holiday.” Such language recalls other celebrations in Scripture, where God’s chosen people commemorate deliverances that affirm His steadfast protection (as in Exodus 15 or Nehemiah 8). Here, the celebration spread across the empire, signifying the unity of Jewish communities in distant lands. Even more striking is that “many among the peoples of the land became Jews,” revealing both the profound respect and fear that came upon the non-Jewish inhabitants. This dread arose because they witnessed God’s favor toward the Jews and recognized His sovereignty in reversing Haman’s deadly decree.
Moreover, this moment foreshadows later instances in biblical history where Gentiles join themselves to God’s people and reap the benefits of His covenant blessings (see Ruth 1:16 and Isaiah 56:6). In Esther’s time, the Persian subjects who converted to Judaism were turning away from the uncertainty of pagan deities to align with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The verse thus highlights the Lord’s faithfulness to keep His promises, protect His people, and draw even outsiders to Him.
Many people across the empire recognized God’s hand at work in these events, and their awe at the Jews’ deliverance changed fear into reverence.
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Esther 8:17 meaning
In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them. (v.17)
This verse describes the joyous outcome for the Jews throughout the Persian Empire after King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) issued the new decree allowing them to defend themselves. For centuries, the Jews had lived in exile, and by the time of Esther, they were spread across 127 provinces of Persia from India to Ethiopia. The capital city of Susa (also called Shushan) was located in what is now southwestern Iran, and King Xerxes reigned from 485 to 465 BC.During this period, Queen Esther’s courageous intervention thwarted Haman’s wicked plan, bringing relief and protection to God’s covenant people.
The text emphasizes that the Jews’ response was not merely relief but “gladness and joy,” marked by a “feast and a holiday.” Such language recalls other celebrations in Scripture, where God’s chosen people commemorate deliverances that affirm His steadfast protection (as in Exodus 15 or Nehemiah 8). Here, the celebration spread across the empire, signifying the unity of Jewish communities in distant lands. Even more striking is that “many among the peoples of the land became Jews,” revealing both the profound respect and fear that came upon the non-Jewish inhabitants. This dread arose because they witnessed God’s favor toward the Jews and recognized His sovereignty in reversing Haman’s deadly decree.
Moreover, this moment foreshadows later instances in biblical history where Gentiles join themselves to God’s people and reap the benefits of His covenant blessings (see Ruth 1:16 and Isaiah 56:6). In Esther’s time, the Persian subjects who converted to Judaism were turning away from the uncertainty of pagan deities to align with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The verse thus highlights the Lord’s faithfulness to keep His promises, protect His people, and draw even outsiders to Him.
Many people across the empire recognized God’s hand at work in these events, and their awe at the Jews’ deliverance changed fear into reverence.