knee before Aman and worshipped him. Mardochai alone did not bend the knee[1] before Aman, as he would not give to man the honour due to God alone. Aman, perceiving this, and learning that Mardochai was a Jew, became very angry. To be revenged on Mardochai, he told Assuerus that the Jews were planning a revolt, and prevailed upon the king to publish an edict[2] commanding all the Jews in •his empire to be put to death, and their property to be taken away.
The Jews were terrified and began to weep and lament. But Mardochai told Esther of the edict, so that she might intercede with the king for her own people.
Then Esther said: “All the provinces know whosoever cometh into the king’s inner court, who is not called for, is immediately put to death. How then can I go in to the king, not being called?” To these words Mardochai replied: “Who knoweth whether thou art not therefore come to the kingdom that thou
- ↑ Bend the knee. It was not, therefore, pride which made him refuse to bow the knee before Aman, but a religious sense of duty, which forbade him to render divine homage to any man.
- ↑ An edict. The edict was issued in April, 474 B. C., that on a certain day in March, 473, every Jew was to be massacred. The day of this general massacre was decided by lot, and the order was made known by messengers throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom. What terror must have seized all the Jews! It is written in the Book of Esther (chapter 4) : “ In all the provinces, towns and places to which the king’s cruel edict was come, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, wailing and weeping, many using sackcloth and ashes for their bed.” They tried by these severe penances to avert the calamity.
