Tyndale Open Study NotesEsther 8

Haman had promised the wealth of the Jews to those who would kill them (Esther 3:13). In contrast, King Xerxes gave Haman's property, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther.

The signet ring Haman used to seal the decree to destroy the Jewish people (Esther 3:10) was now given to the Jewish person he most wanted to destroy.

Esther likely thought the king would cancel Haman’s decree immediately after Haman died, but that did not occur. This time, she was more determined to address Haman’s plan against her people.

• Esther asked for the unusual favor of reversing a law signed with the king’s seal.

• the letters that the scheming Haman: Esther diplomatically avoided implying that the king was responsible for Haman's orders.

According to Persian law, once something is written, it cannot be revoked (see Esther 1:19; Daniel 6:8, 12; compare Psalm 148:6). However, a new decree with the king’s royal seal could provide different or competing instructions.

on the twenty-third day of the third month: The process of writing and sending the new decree intentionally mirrors the account of sending the original decree in Esther 3:12.

• The king's decree allowed the Jewish people to defend themselves and take the property of their attackers. This reversed the earlier decree in Esther 3:13.

• The phrase destroy, kill, and annihilate ironically repeats the words from Haman's original order (Esther 3:13; see also 9:5).

the thirteenth day of the twelfth month: This date was almost a year after Haman's first decree was announced (Esther 3:12).

The Hebrew word translated as avenge can also mean to establish justice. When civil government could not control all parties in a conflict, this law allowed those attacked to establish justice by addressing the wrongs done to them.

Just as the city of Susa was in chaos after Haman's first decree (Esther 3:15), now everyone celebrated. They understood the unfairness of the first decree and the fairness of the new one.

many of the people of the land themselves became Jews: They converted to Judaism.