Haman himself had been disgraced and executed, but the edict he had established was still in force: the date had been set, and announced throughout the empire, when the people of all the provinces would have the right to attack the Jews and plunder their property (Esther 8:3-6). In an additional plea to the king, Queen Esther obtained for her people the right to defend themselves against “any armed force … that might attack them” (8:7-12).

In the capital city of Susa, this turned out to be about 800 of their enemies who were slain (9:6, 15), including the ten sons of Haman, listed by name (9:7-10). Out across the provinces this added up to some 75,000 deaths (9:16). We can perhaps see some gloating – “the Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them” (9:5). At the very least, we see no lament over this loss of life.

Haman’s original order had given to the Jews’ enemies the additional motivation – beyond hatred – of being permitted to plunder their property once the Jews were dead (3:13). Yet the text emphasizes that in killing their enemies the Jews were only defending their own lives; “they did not touch the plunder” (9:10, 15, 16).

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In life and in death we belong to you, O Lord. Teach us that you are our defender, whenever we survive in the midst of warfare and enemies; and teach us to mourn and not gloat over the death of those who set themselves as our enemies.