Mordecai

MORDECAI, Son of Jair, of the Race of Saul, and one of the Chief of the Tribe of Benjamin. He was carried Captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, with JehoiachinEsther ii. 5, 6. (or Jeconiah) King of Judah, in the Year of the World 3405, before Christ 595, and before the Vulgar Æra 599. He settled at Shushan, and there lived to the first Year of Cyrus¹, when ‘tis thought he returned to Jerusalem with several other Captives². But afterwards he returned to Shushan, seeing that the Temple remained unfinished, and that his Nation was without any Support in Judæa. There is great Probability that Mordecai was very young, when he was taken into Captivity. For from the Transportation of Jeconiah by Nebuchadnezzar, to the third Year of Darius Son of Hystaspes, or Abasuerus, who this Year took Esther to Wife, is above fourscore Years³.

Some believe that Mordecai came⁴ to Babylon or Shushan, only in the Person of his Father, and that as to himself, he was born in this Country; but there is no need of recurring to this Solution. For if we suppose Mordecai to be twelve Years old, for Example, at the Transportation of Jeconiah, then at the Time of Abasuerus’s Marriage with Esther he might be fourscore and twelve. At this Age he might well enough discharge the Duty of those Employments that the King gave him, and live still a long Time, supposing, as the Jews pretend, that he lived in all to be an Hundred fourscore and eighteen Years old; or even if he lived to be only an Hundred and ten, or an Hundred and twenty Years old. However this be as to his Age, Mordecai had with him a Niece called Edessa, or Esther, the Daughter of his Brother, whom he had adopted and brought up as his own Daughter, after the Death of his Brother.

Esther became the Spouse of Abasuerus⁵, in the Manner already related under the Article of ESTHER; and Mordecai not being willing to make known who he was, used to be very constant at the Gate of the Palace, that he might learn News of Queen Esther. One Day two of the King’s Eunuchs, having taken some Discontent against their Master, were conspiring to assassinate the King. Mordecai overhearing their Design, gave Notice of it to Queen Esther, who informed the King of it in the Name of Mordecai. Presently Enquiry was made into it, and the Information proving true, the two Eunuchs were hanged, and the Matter was registered in the Annals by Order of the King. After this Abasuerus took Occasion to raise one Haman (or Aman) to the Dignity of his chief Favourite, and to the highest Pitch of Fortune. He made him take Place above all the Princes that were about his Person⁶, and all the King’s Servants were forced to bend the Knee to this Courtier. Mordecai could never prevail with himself to pay him this Honour, because Haman pretended to the same Respects in Proportion, as Subjects pay to the Kings of Persia, that is, even to divine Honours⁷.

Esther vi. 1, 2, &c.Haman was so provoked at this Refusal, that he vowed the Destruction of all the Jews. He obtained a Decree from the King, that condemned them all to perish, and all their Goods to be confiscated to the King’s Use. As soon as this Decree was published, Mordecai acquainted Esther with it, and urged her to prevail with the King to revoke it. But in the mean Time there happened a Thing, that had like to have drove Haman to Despair. For the King not being able to sleep one Night, for Amusement he caused the Annals of the preceding Years to be read to him. There was read the Conspiracy of the two Eunuchs against the Life of the King, discovered by Mordecai. The King asked, if this Man had been rewarded for his Discovery, according to his Merits. And being told he was not, he asked who was in the Antichamber? To which he was answered, Haman. He was then coming to the King, to beg of him that Mordecai might be hanged on a Gallows that he had provided for him. Abasuerus caused him to come in, and presently asked him, What should be done to the Man that the King delighted to honour? Haman believing it to be himself that the King was desirous to pay this Distinction to, answered immediately, that he ought to be clothed in a Royal Habit, be set upon the King’s Horse, having a royal Diadem on his Head; that the Chief of the Nobles of the Court should lead the Horse by the Bridle, and walking before him through the publick Places of the City, should cry out, Thus shall it be done to the Man whom the King delighteth to honour. The King replied, Make haste then, take a Robe and a Horse, and do to Mordecai in the Manner you have spoken.

Esther vii. 1, 2, 3, &c. viii. 1, 2, 3, &c.Haman was forc’d then to find out Mordecai, and having cloathed him in a royal Garment, he sat him upon the King’s Horse, and conducted him through the City, in the Manner that he himself had suggested to Abasuerus. After this Haman return’d to his own House, full of Grief and Disappointment, and Mordecai comes again to the Gate of the Palace, as was his Custom. In the mean while Esther having prepared herself by Fasting and Prayer, presented herself before the King, in Hopes of diverting that Danger from her People; to which Haman had exposed them. She contented herself at first to beg the Favour of the King, that he and Haman would regale themselves with her in her Apartment. At the first Repast she made no Discovery of her Intentions to the King, but only pray’d him to do her the same Favour a second Time. Then she discovered to him the wicked Design of Haman, that Mordecai was her Uncle, that she was a Jewess by Birth, and that all her People were condemned to the Slaughter. Then Abasuerus revoked the Decree that he had made against the Jews, condemned Haman to be hanged on the Gallows that he had set up for Mordecai, gave the Confiscation of his Goods to the Queen, and raised Mordecai to the same Honours that Haman had enjoy’d. He suffer’d the Jews to revenge themselves on their Enemies throughout his whole Dominions, and to exercise this Revenge on the same Day that was appointed for their Destruction. This was the fourteenth Day of the Month Nisan, and this Day was a solemn Festival to the whole Nation for Ages afterwards. See ESTHER and PURIM.

The greatest part of Criticks and Commentators⁸ believe, that Mordecai was the Author of the Book of Esther. It was certainly he that in Conjunction with Esther writ the Letter, which ordains the Celebration of the Feast of Lots, or of Purim⁹. But this Letter is no other than the very Book of Esther, to which some slight Alterations have been made, to give it the Form of an History rather than of a Letter. The Reader may consider the ninth Chapter of this Book, and our Preface to it, p. 504, and the Article Esther.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages