5.

The decree allows the Jews to defend themselves.

Here we are given the substance of the decree Esther and Mordecai wrote. The decree could not reverse the fact that the Jews�?enemies had been given permission to attack them, since the previous decree was irrevocable (v8). So the new decree gave the Jews the right to use force to defend and protect themselves against their enemies, and in fact, they could even kill and plun-der anyone who attacked them. The previous decree had granted the Jews�?enemies the right to kill and plunder the Jews. This decree gave the Jews the right to do the same to anyone who did choose to assault them

It is unclear to me whether this means that they could only act in strict self-defense, slaying only those who physically attacked them on this day, or whether it also granted them the right to take offensive action and attack any who had wronged them in time past or those who might have originally planned to attack them under the original decree (even if they now were to change their mind). It seems that they did the latter, though I am not sure. Such wars were fought at various times by the nation of Israel under the Old Testament. (Note: The latter course would have been as wrong on their part as Haman’s original decree had been, but for the fact that these enemies were known to be evil, opposing God’s will and His people.)

The day on which the Jews could do this was the same day that Haman had originally de-creed for people to destroy the Jews �?the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (cf. 3:13). All this, of course, did not technically reverse the original decree, but it had that effect in the end. The original decree had said nothing about whether or not the Jews would be allowed to defend themselves and even to attack those who attacked them. This decree defined that they could strike back against those who attacked them.

We will see, however, that the effect was much greater than that. The effect of the original decree would have been to put all the force of the empire behind those who would attack the Jews. Their enemies would have been openly and officially encouraged by the government of the empire to attack the Jews, and probably the empire’s armies and officials would have been en-couraged to join in. All who did so would receive the spoils. Now, however, this part would be ef-fectively reversed. It was now clear that the force of the empire was on the Jews�?side and against their enemies.

This decree was written and circulated throughout the empire, so the Jews could make ready for the appointed time.