What is the meaning of Esther 9:31? To confirm these days of Purim • Esther 9:31 opens with the purpose clause: “to confirm these days of Purim.” Confirmation means putting something beyond doubt—moving it from a joyful, spontaneous celebration (Esther 9:17-19) to a fixed ordinance. Just as God had Israel memorialize the Passover “as a perpetual statute” (Exodus 12:14), so Mordecai and Esther secure Purim as an enduring testimony of divine rescue. • The act of confirmation also echoes Joshua 4:7, where memorial stones were set up “so that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD.” By locking Purim into place, the Jews ensure that every future generation will revisit God’s saving power. At their appointed time • The verse continues: “at their appointed time,” emphasizing order and precision. God’s redemptive works are never haphazard; they unfold on His calendar (Leviticus 23:4). • Appointed times anchor the memory. Celebrating Purim on the same dates every year—13-15 Adar—prevents distortion of the story and keeps the community synchronized in gratitude, much as believers today mark Resurrection Sunday to remember the empty tomb (Luke 24:1-6). Just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established them • By naming both leaders, Scripture highlights a united front. Mordecai drafts the edict (Esther 9:20), and Esther’s royal authority seals it (Esther 9:29). Their partnership models godly leadership: humble courage under God’s providence. • Their establishment carries legal weight similar to Daniel’s decree-proof that God can use His people, even in exile, to set laws that honor Him (Daniel 6:26-27). And had committed themselves • “Committed” speaks of a voluntary, wholehearted pledge. Psalm 119:106 reflects a similar vow: “I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.” • The commitment is personal first—Mordecai and Esther lead by example before they instruct others. Leadership rooted in obedience invites others to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1). And their descendants • Purim is not merely for contemporaries; it is for “their descendants.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 commands parents to impress God’s works upon their children. • Passing the feast down the family line guarantees that identity is preserved. Romans 15:4 reminds us, “For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction,” making Purim a living classroom of God’s faithfulness. To the times of fasting and lamentation • The verse ends by tying Purim to “times of fasting and lamentation,” recalling Esther 4:3 and 4:16 when sackcloth, ashes, and prayer preceded deliverance. Deliverance and mourning are forever linked: remembering the sorrow makes the celebration sweeter. • Zechariah 8:19 shows how fasts connected to past tragedies can become “joyful and glad occasions.” Purim embodies that transformation: tears turned to laughter, doom reversed to triumph (Esther 9:22). summary Esther 9:31 records the formal ratification of Purim so that God’s dramatic rescue of His people will be remembered on specific days, under the authority of faithful leaders, embraced personally and generationally, and always rooted in the sobering memory of the fasting that birthed it. The verse teaches that God’s acts deserve lasting memorials, orderly observance, and wholehearted commitment—ensuring that future generations see, celebrate, and trust the faithful hand of the LORD. |
    |