Esther 8

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Esther Saves the Jews	The Rise of Mordecai and the Revocation of the Edict	The Jews are Told to Fight Back	The Royal Favor Passes to the Jews
8:1-2	8:1-2	8:1-2	8:1-2
8:3-6	8:3-8	8:3-6	8:3-6
8:7-8		8:7-8	8:7-12
8:9-14	8:9-14	8:9-10
		8:11-14
			8:13-17
8:15-17	8:15-17	8:15-17

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:1-2
¹On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what he was to her. ²The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

8:1 "On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews" It was a common practice during the Persian period for the property of condemned people to revert to the crown (cf. Herodotus 3.128-129). The King gave Haman's property to Esther because he was her enemy also.

▣ "for Esther had disclosed what he was to her" This could refer to their racial connection (cf. 6:10 and 7:3-4) or Esther may have shared more about Mordecai with the king (cf. 2:5-7). The context implies the second option.

8:2 "the king took off his signet ring. . .and gave it to Mordecai" Mordecai assumed the role of the second-in-charge (like Joseph, cf. 10:3), which had once been assigned to Haman. This was symbolized by the king's own signet ring. There is significant parallelism between chapters 3 and 8.

▣ "Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman" This refers to his property, which must have been extensive. The king gave it to Esther (cf. v. 1) and she makes Mordecai its administrator.

The VERB (BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERFECT) is used several times in Esther:

1. The king set the crown on Esther's head, 2:17.

2. The king set Haman over all the princes, 3:1.

3. Esther set Mordecai over Haman's house.

4. The king (apparently through Mordecai) assesses taxes on all the land (which may have made up for the tribute lost in Haman's scheme).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:3-8
³Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. ⁵Then she said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. ⁶For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" ⁷So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews. ⁸Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked."

8:3 "spoke. . .fell. . .wept and implored" These are a series of IMPERFECT VERBS which describe Esther's continuing supplication of the king to stop the slaughter of her people.

▣ "Haman the Agagite" It is uncertain if "Agagite" is related to (1) Agag, the king of the Amalekites; (2) a family name; or (3) a geographical location or an unknown entity. See note at 3:1. The literary nature of the book suggests #1. Surprisingly, the phrase, "the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite" is missing from the Septuagint.

8:4 "the king extended the golden scepter to Esther" This was a common sign of welcome and graciousness extended by the court (cf. 4:11; 5:2).

8:5 "then she said" Esther wanted the king, in court language, to rescind the previous edict. However, this was impossible because the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed (cf. 1:19; Dan. 6:8,12,15). Therefore, the king gave Mordecai the authority to write a second law which, to some extent, would counteract Haman's first letter.

▣ Again the literary style of this author is seen in the threefold repetition:

1. If it pleases the king.

2. If I have found favor (twice).

3. The matter seems proper.

8:6 This verse has two parallel phrases using the same VERB "endure" (BDB 407, KB 410 Qal IMPERFECT). Esther is emotionally unable to experience the murder of her kinsmen.

The term "destruction" (BDB 2, cf. 8:6 and 9:5) spells out what "calamity" means.

8:7-8 The king recounts for Esther what he has done for her cause:

1. gave Haman's house to Esther

2. impaled Haman on his own gallows

3. allowed Mordecai to write another edict to counteract Haman's

8:7 "because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews" In 7:8, the king said that Haman was going to be executed because he violated the queen, but here the true reason for Haman's death is divulged.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:9-14
⁹So the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. ¹⁰He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. ¹¹In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, ¹²on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). ¹³A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. ¹⁴The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king's command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.

8:9-13 "it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded" This parallels 3:12-15.

8:9 "the month of Sivan" This would be our May or June. The listing of these specific dates in these last few chapters adds to the historicity of the book. See Special Topic: Ancient Near Eastern Calendars at Ezra 3:1.

8:10 "riding on steeds sired by the royal stud" This is another example of the importance of the king's horse (cf. 6:8).

8:11 This seems cruel but in context, it was an eye for eye and tooth for tooth response (cf. Exod. 21:23-25) to what Haman had planned to do to them. This is more a case of self defense than vengefulness. It possibly relates to the total judgment of holy war (cf. Josh. 10:13; I Sam. 14:24; 18:25). Enemies of God's people are enemies of God (cf. Gen. 12:3; 27:29; Num. 24:9).

Although this edict allows the Jews to plunder their enemies, they apparently did not do this (cf. 9:10,15,16). Possibly they also did not execute "holy war" on their enemies' families (i.e., women and children). They could have legally because this is what Haman wanted to do to the Jewish families (cf. 3:13).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:15-17
¹⁵Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. ¹⁶For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. ¹⁷In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.

8:15 "in the royal robes of blue and white" Ancient colors are hard to be specifically defined. Possibly, the blue is royal purple. However, it is obvious that these two colors were the royal colors of Persia.

There are many aspects of this book that remind one of Joseph (cf. Gen. 41:42) and Daniel (cf. Dan. 5:7,29).

▣ "with a large crown of gold" There is a distinction made between the large, royal crown and these lesser crowns of gold which were worn by the Persian nobles.

▣ "and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced" This seems to show the proper interpretation of 3:15 that, although the king reacted with such vengeful wrath against the Jews, the general population did not feel this way.

8:16 These four terms (possibly two sets of hendiadys) are an attempt to describe the emotional joy of the Jewish population of Persia (cf. v. 17).

The last term "honor" (BDB 430) implies a grant from the king. The king's support insured their victory! The Persian king's concern and care mimics the King of king's concern and care!

8:17

NASB, NKJV,
TEV, NJB"became Jews"
NRSV, JPSOA "professed to be Jews"
REB"professed Judaism"
NAB"embraced Judaism"
LB, NET"pretended to be Jews"

Whether this refers to circumcision, baptism, sacrifice and thereby full proselytism (cf. LXX), or simply that the populace supported the Jewish cause and pretended to become Jews is uncertain. The VERB (BDB 397, KB 393, Hithpael PARTICIPLE) is found only here in the OT. Haman's plot not only failed, but actually increased the power, prestige, and numbers of the Jewish population. The unseen hand of God was guiding all things!

Esther 9

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors	Destruction of the Enemies and Inauguration of the Feast of Purim	The Jews Destroy Their Enemies	The Great Day of Purim
9:1-10	9:1-10	9:1-5	9:1-4
			9:5-10
		9:6-12
9:11-14	9:11-15		9:11-15
		9:13-15
9:15
9:16-17	9:16-17	9:16-19	9:16-19
The Feast of Purim
9:18-19	9:18-19	The Festival of Purim	The Official Institution of the Feast of Purim
9:20-25	9:20-23	9:20-23	9:20-22
			9:23-28
	9:24-28	9:24-28
9:26-28
9:29-32	9:29-32	9:29-32	9:29-32

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:1-10
¹Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. ²The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. ³Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king's business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. ⁴Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. ⁵Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, ⁷and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, ¹⁰the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

9:1 Although Haman was dead, there was still a large, organized group of anti-Semites (or at least opportunists who wanted their possessions) in the empire.

▣ "the month Adar" See Special Topic: Ancient Near Eastern Calendars at Ezra 3:1.

▣ "on that day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them" This phrase shows that anti-Semitism was pervasive throughout the empire, not just Haman and his family. The reason is unsettled, but usually it is the exclusivism of YHWH and the "separation" from indigenous culture which generates anger, fear, suspicion, and lack of bonding.

▣ "it was turned to the contrary" The VERB (BDB 245, KB 253, Niphal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE) shows the unseen hand of God which abrogated (1) the king's command; (2) the hatred of Haman; and (3) the hostility of the attackers!

9:2 "The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus" This does not refer to separate cities manned by Jews, but simply to cities which had a Jewish population. The Jews gathered together to combine their strength on this day of calamity.

▣ "no one could stand before them" This was one of the promises of holy war in Joshua and Judges (e.g., Deut. 7:24; 11:25; Josh. 6:2; 10:23).

▣ "for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples" This is another aspect of holy war (e.g., Exod. 15:14-15; 23:27; Deut. 2:25; 11:25; Josh. 2:9).

9:3 Mordecai's place of influence and governmental power (cf. v. 4) even caused the Persian bureaucracy to be supportive of the Jewish issue! Can you imagine the problem these governmental officials faced with two conflicting royal decrees. They chose the latest one, which was supported by the current "second-in-command"—Mordecai.

The Anchor Bible, vol 7B, adds the comment that the author of Esther mentions unexpected help from Persian governmental officials, but purposely does not mention the help of God (p. 86). This is a purposeful literary technique which emphasizes the unseen hand of God in history. There is an eternal redemptive purpose, Israel is crucial to that purpose, she will surely survive.

9:7-10 The ten sons of Haman were killed on the set date of conflict! The will of God in the extermination of the Amalekites was finally complete (cf. Exod. 17:16; Deut. 25:17-19; I Sam. 15:3). The number ten symbolizes completeness!

9:10 "they did not lay hands on the plunder" There are three possible reasons: (1) they did not want their motives to be impugned; (2) this was to show that the enemies were enemies of the state and their property reverted to the crown; and (3) it possibly related to their relationship to Agag and Saul who was commanded not to spare any Amalekite nor take their property, but Saul did (cf. I Sam. 15:3,9).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:11-15
¹¹On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. ¹²The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done." ¹³Then said Esther, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." ¹⁴So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged. ¹⁵The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

9:11 "those who were killed at the citadel of Susa" The VERB (BDB 246, KB 255) is a Qal PARTICIPLE. The term "citadel" (BDB 108) can be understood in two ways.:

1. the whole walled city, vv. 13-15

2. the inner fortress, vv. 6,11,12

If #2 is correct then these 500 men were part of Xerxes' administration. The second day was granted to eliminate the enemies of the Jews in the larger city itself.

9:13, 14 "if it please the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews" Many have assumed, because of this request, that Esther was a vindictive person, but this seems to be totally out of character with the book of Esther. We do not know the extent of Jewish casualties nor the extent of the battle that raged. Until further evidence is found it seems preferable to give Esther the benefit of the doubt.

The two days of slaughter correspond to the two day feast/fast which later developed.

▣ "let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows" They were already dead as is obvious from vv. 6-10. Therefore, they were to be publicly humiliated by being impaled (possibly on the same gallows as their father). This was not so much vindictive, but a public deterrent to anti-Semitism. The number ten can refer (1) symbolically to all of them or (2) to the literal number.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:16-17
¹⁶ Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75, 000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. ¹⁷This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

9:16-18 There is a cluster of seven INFINITIVE ABSOLUTES in these verses.

9:16 "seventy-five thousand" Although the Septuagint changes this number to fifteen thousand, the MT, Josephus, and the Peshitta have the larger number. This large number is possible in a country as large as Persia (cf. 1:1; 8:9). However, this large number, like so many numbers in Esther, may be exaggerated for literary effect (e.g., 1:4; 2:12; 3:6,9; 5:14; 8:10).

9:17 "This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing." This seems to be the purpose of the book of Esther, which is to document the origin of the Feast of Purim (cf. vv. 23-28; Josephus Antiq. 11.6.13). Verses 18 and 19 explain the two-day feast which later developed into a one day fast (usually the 13^th of Adar) followed by a two-day feast. In later Judaism most walled cities observed Purim on the fourteenth of Adar, but in Jerusalem on the fifteenth.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:18-19
¹⁸But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. ¹⁹Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.

9:18-19 Because of the extra day of violence in Susa, Jews observed different days of rest (i.e., rural on the 14^th and urban on the 15th).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:20-22
²⁰Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, ²¹obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, ²²because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

9:20-22 The UBS, A Handbook on the Book of Esther, p. 239, gives a good explanation of the seeming contradiction or confusion over which day to celebrate in chapter 9:

1. Some Jews observed one day, some another (cf. vv. 17-19).

2. Mordecai wanted all Jews to observe both days (cf. vv. 20-23, 26-28).

9:22 "and it was a month which was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday" This reversal is the recurrent theme of many OT characters (e.g., Job, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Naomi, David, Solomon, Daniel, Jesus, Paul). God's unseen hand is involved in this fallen world; choices result in consequences, but God's eternal redemptive plan sets the course of human history. Individuals are caught up in the playing out play of God's ultimate triumph over sin, evil, and suffering (e.g., vv. 1,25).

▣ "gifts to the poor" This was an emphasis of almsgiving which was such an important theological, as well as social, act to the rabbis.

SPECIAL TOPIC: Almsgiving

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:23-28
²³Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. ²⁴For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. ²⁵But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. ²⁶Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, ₂₇the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. ²⁸So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

9:24 "and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them" The term "pur" is Akkadian which means "the lot" or "the destiny." Haman cast "lots" to find the best day to destroy Mordecai and his people (cf. 3:7).

Haman's hatred is clearly seen in this verse:

1. "The adversary (BDB 856 III, KB 1058, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) of all the Jews"

2. "Had schemed (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal PERFECT) against the Jews to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"

3. "Had cast Pur. . ."

a. "to destroy (BDB 243, KB 251, Qal, INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"

b. "to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"

Number 3a, is often translated "confuse" and is a metaphor for "holy war" (e.g., Exod. 14:24; 23:27; Deut. 2:15; Josh. 10:10; Jdgs. 4:15; I Sam. 7:10; II Sam. 22:15; Ps. 18:14; 144:6).

9:25 The UBS, A Handbook on the Book of Esther, pp. 241-242, makes an interesting point about the FEMININE PARTICIPLE (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT), "but when she came," which they assert refers to the FEMININE NOUN "plot" (BDB 364, cf. NIV), not to Esther (since she is not mentioned in this paragraph, really not since v. 13).

9:26 "And because of the instructions in this letter" Mordecai possibly wrote the book of Esther (cf. Introduction), but this phrase refers specifically to his letter (cf. v. 20), which instructed the standardization of the observance of the feast/fast of Purim.

9:27 "all those who allied themselves" This could refer to

1. the people mentioned in 8:17

2. the governmental official of v. 3

3. those who aided the Jews when they were attacked

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:29-32
²⁹Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abigail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. ³⁰He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, ³¹to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. ³²The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.

9:29-31 These verses seem to refer to a second letter from Mordecai which specifies that preceding the two days of feasting there should be a day of fasting. This would commemorate the fast of Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jews preceding the unseen hand of God in reversing the fortunes of Haman and the Jews. Most Jews fast on the 13^th day of Adar and feast on the 14^th and 15^th.

9:29 "wrote" This is a FEMININE SINGULAR (BDB 507, KB 503, Qal IMPERFECT), yet two people are mentioned. Possibly Esther wrote to Mordecai who passed it on. This may refer to Esther's royal authority (and influence with the king) behind Mordecai's letter (cf. 9:20-22,23).

Another possibility is that Esther was adopted by Mordecai and Abigail.

9:30

NASB"namely, words of peace and truth"
NKJV"with words of peace and truth"
NRSV"wishing peace and security"
TEV"it wished the Jews peace and security"
NJB"in terms of peace and loyalty"
JPSOA"with an ordinance of 'equity and honesty'"
NET"—words of true peace—"

These are two theologically significant terms:

1. Peace (BDB 1022, KB 1536), which denotes the presence of all good things and the absence of all evil things.

2. Truth (BDB 54, KB 68), which usually means faithfulness or loyalty, can mean faithful trust.

It is possible that the discussion of fast days in Zech. 8:19 has a parallel phrase "so love truth and peace," which is connected to Jewish "joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts." So it might be a standardized greeting/conclusion (like Shalom).

Esther 10

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Mordecai's Advancement	Conclusion	The Greatness of Xerxes and Mordecai	Praise of Mordecai
10:1-3	10:1-3	10:1-3	10:1-2
			10:3

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 10:1-3
¹Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. ²And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? ³For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.

10:1 "laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea" Xerxes I lost the Aegean islands in his Greek campaign, but apparently retained some islands off of the coast of Europe and some off of the coast of Egypt and Palestine. However, this verse is meant to show the greatness of Ahasuerus in his taxing program (only here, later meaning of "tribute" [BDB 586 I], which originally meant "forced labor," e.g., Gen. 49:15; Josh. 16:10; 17:13; I Kgs. 4:6; 5:13-14; 12:18; II Chr. 10:18, cf. TEV, NET), which was desperately needed after the Persian wars. It is a closing comment on Mordecai as a good administrator (cf. v. 2). Mordecai helped his people, but also was a faithful servant of Xerxes (cf. v. 3) and helped the whole nation (like Daniel and his three friends).

In II Maccabees the feast of Purim is known as the feast of Mordecai (cf. II Macc. 15:36), which shows the historicity of the book of Esther and the greatness of Mordecai in Jewish tradition.

Mordecai was not second in command for an extended period of time (possibly only 8 years), if secular history is to be trusted.

10:2 "the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia" This does not refer to the biblical books of I & II Chronicles, but could refer to

1. the official court documents which were kept and archived ("Media and Persia" gives credence to this view)

2. a personal diary of Xerxes (cf. 2:23; 6:1)

3. a Jewish account of Jewish life in Persia (easier access to a Jewish leader)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the purpose of the king's signet ring?

2. Does 8:17 describe a large scale conversion to Judaism?

3. Why did the Jews not seize the plunder of those who hated them (cf. 9:10)?

4. How many people did the Jews kill? What was the Jewish loss?

5. What is the purpose of the chapters 9 and 10?

OCTOBER 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER

COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD

Are you aware of the many happenings here and there; embassies bombed, money markets crashing, angry protestors, illnesses that are grave, a recently surfaced papyrus text [See Dr. Bock’s thoughts after his interview with the New York Times, Boston Globe, NPR and CNN.] Yes, the world is “a-changin’.” Jesus spoke plainly about these occurrences in the book of Matthew; but He also spoke these words: John 16:33 “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.”

Courage and Confidence walk hand in hand. Therefore we can know that He is in control of not only today but also the future.

Some people say it takes a leap of faith to step out in times of change and times of uncertainty. Listen to the words of Kay Daigle, on this topic from her lecture: “Take a Leap of Faith!” Using the fictional character of Indiana Jones she shares a principle which is contrary to the way the world thinks and responds in times of uncertainty. She writes: “Just like Indiana Jones who tried to reach the Holy Grail over a deep chasm onto what appeared to be thin air… we are called to make leaps of faith, but we don’t have to step out into thin air uncertain of what is ahead. We jump, knowing that we step into the arms of Jesus. He is the steady ledge upon which we walk. His strength is sure, and his hold upon us is certain...To take a leap of faith means that you must trust the one who will catch you! Faith has an object; it is in something or someone who will protect you when you leap!” This not only requires courage but also confidence. Here at Bible.org we are confident when winds of change come our way because we know the One who controls the wind and the waves. We are confident that He can speak a word “Be still” to calm our storms. Do you know Him?

Translator News: The past month’s first newsletter was a smashing success! Thank you to those of you who not only read it but pursued the invitation to join in this marvelous volunteer work. Our Translator Admin has now posted an article entitled “Translation Priorities” to assist those who are wanting to minister in this way.

Social Networking

The numbers tell the story! We have17, 271 followers on the Facebook.com/bible.org page. Thank you for sharing and “liking” the topics and pictures. Want a quick retweet? Check out the twitter.com/bibleorg page. If you want to share the link, the picture or a thought just click “share” and it will allow you to share on Facebook, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, Mixx, LinkedIn, FriendFeed. If you click the forward arrow you will see even more sharing social sites. Enjoy! Tell us what you like or do not like about our pages. We are listening!

BLOG NEWS: Welcome to Melissa Miller as a new Heartprints Blogger. Melissa holds a

Bachelor’s degree in English, a Masters in Library Science and is currently enrolled in the Th.M. program at DTS. As part of her program, Melissa is currently an intern at bible.org. Check out Melissa’s blogs!

AUTHORS

Bible.org welcomes John Walsh as a new author to the site. He is best known for his book “The Art of Storytelling.” We are pleased to share his newest book: “All the Stories of the Bible,” in a free downloadable PDF. These are adaptable to any age level. If you are interested in knowing more about the age old craft of storytelling you can contact John.

Our theme this month is confidence. Here are two more articles that will encourage you to walk and trust in the One who calms the storms of life and inform you of the changes that are abreast everywhere: “Final Confidences in God’s Grace Expressed—(2Thess 3:1-5) by J. Hampton Keathley III and “Who Does God Say That I Am” by Kenneth Boa.

Dallas Theological Seminary Women of Influence Conference

Just a few weeks left to register for the Women of Influence Conference at Dallas Theological Seminary on November 12, 2012. For further information you can contact them at: Email: [email protected] OR Phone: 214-841-3699

Kay Daigle has just finished and published her new book “From Ordinary Woman to Spiritual Leader: Grow Your Influence” . She will be at the booth for a book signing. You won’t want to miss it!

BIBLE.ORG SEPTEMBER 2012 NEWSLETTER

LET OUR FOCUS FOR THIS MONTH BE: FOR HIS GLORY!

Read below about the email we received this month!!!!!!

It is always exciting when we can share with our faithful readers news that only God could bring about! We call these “God-incidents.” Where do we begin? As can be heard around our office…”do you have your seat belts fastened 'cause God has an incredible ride planned for us” The prophet Jeremiah wrote: Jer 33:3 ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’ We are claiming this verse. Will you join us?

Now for our email news this past month:

Our office is abuzz with excitement and we were all humbled by an email that came to us this month. It was from a generous sponsor who will match every gift you donate from Sept 3, 2012 (Labor Day in the USA) through October 31, 2012 at the rate of $2 for each new donor dollar and $1 for each current donor dollar. He is making available to us $500,000 in matching funds! Join us in praising the LORD and praying that God will touch the hearts of our users to donate during this 2 month period, so their gift will be multiplied by 2 or 3 times. This means:

a gift of $1 becomes $3 so 1,000 becomes a 3,000 gift for new donors
a gift of $1 becomes $2 so 1,000 becomes a 2,000 gift for current donors.

Fasten your seat belts and join us as God moves in each of our hearts to take advantage of this matching gift. We collectively have the opportunity to raise between $750,000 and one million dollars for the ministry here at Bible.org and see it used to Impact lives around the world for Christ.

NEWS - TRANSLATORS

We are increasing our translation efforts here at Bible.org. If you are fluent in English and another language and would like to volunteer and help make articles available in other languages we would love to hear from you. Also, if you know someone who you think might be able to use their abilities in this way encourage them to contact us. Or let us know and we would be delighted to invite them to join us. To encourage this endeavor we have a new Translator's Newsletter, and a new translator appreciation program just for you. Check it out and please consider if the Lord would have you be involved. We highly appreciate your prayers as we continue to expand the reach of our articles to believers throughout the world! Tony Tucci is here to assist you.

Bible.org Mailbox: Once again your notes of encouragement came across our desk as we worked on the September edition of the Newsletter. Thank you for taking time to encourage the staff and contributors who share the Good News of God’s glory with all.

Lynn writes: I just wanted to send a quick message to thank you all for your awesome Bible commentaries; I have been referring to them in my studies for a while now. Finally, the thought came to my mind -- "who are these people??" So I quickly looked up your information. I really do love what you write and what you are doing in serving the Lord with your Bible knowledge online. I LOVE IT!! Also, if I can do anything to help in your endeavor, please let me know. (We have a volunteer application for those who are interested in helping).

NEWS ABOUT STUDY ENVIRONMENT: Recently we added another Bible tab that gives all the ability to see 2 translations in parallel. We are in the process of asking for permission to show you multiple translations in the NET Bible Study Environment. If you click on the drop down next to the word Bible in the right hand pane it will open some drop down menus for NASB, ISV, MSG, CNET_s, CNET_t. This allows you to view 2 English translations or our Chinese users to view the Chinese NET alongside the English NET.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook is on a roll! We thank all of you who are “liking,” “sharing,” and “commenting.” As our numbers continue to climb, (as of 9/4/12 - 17,176) we want to remember that this is a tool that we are using to connect with people for God’s glory! As you wander over to Facebook/bible.org please stop and pray that what is said and written will honor God and bring Him Glory. Pray that all are humble, considerate, truthful, and powerfully used by God to share from His Word.

Twitter: Welcome encouragement from God’s Word or quotes from trustworthy Christian authors. Have you tweeted today? If not, try retweeting what is posted on our Twitter page. If you have suggestions or prayer needs; send in your tweet.

Blog News: We welcome Dr. Wayne Stiles to the Men’s Impact Blog roster. Dr. Stiles is executive vice president and chief content officer at Insight for Living, where he oversees the creation of content for the ministry’s various publications. His first post “The Walls of Jerusalem through the Centuries—A Timeline” includes a visual timeline. Check it out!

Dr. Darrell Bock is back from his trip “down under.” His blog post is news about a conference to be held at DTS on Sept 17^th on “Recovering Our Creative Calling.” The lead speaker will be Andy Crouch. Darrell will be interviewing him at the conclusion of this one day conference. The details are in Darrell’s blog post: Cultural Engagement Conference Coming to DTS.

Two blogs this month target our new focus of Discipleship. Sara Bowler’s Four Topics for Conversation Starters has helpful hints for building relationships and sharing the gospel as we care for others. She suggests that instead of thinking in terms of “specific questions” think in terms of topics. Sara’s suggestions are worthwhile for any person of any age but in particular Sunday School teachers, Helpers, and Parents. Melanie Newton’s blog “Are You Ready to Be A Disciple Maker?” also offers suggestions for “Disciple Making” in the local church. It especially challenges women to engage their culture with the claims of Christ.

WELCOME NEW BIBLE.ORG TEAM MEMBERS: Dr. James Davis, Pete Smith, Scott Stanley, Peter Xu. Each brings to the organization their skills and talents to help us provide even better resources for you. Dr. Davis comes to us from Capital Bible Seminary where he served as the Associate Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis. He is in the development stages of building an online curriculum for discipleship. Pete Smith has a Th.M. from DTS and is working on article formatting and editing of manuscripts. Scott Stanley is working as a team member on development of our mobile Apps for the iPad and iPhone with Darren Ehlers. Peter Xu is a programmer and will be working with Brian Seagraves on several technical projects. We give God glory for each one.

AUTHORS OF THE MONTH

We introduced you to Dr. Wayne Stiles as a new Impact blogger but you will also be seeing him as a new author on Bible.org as he shares “Connecting the Bible and its Lands to Life.” His first article is titled “The Garden Tomb-- Contemplating the Resurrection of Jesus” We look forward to reading more of Dr. Stiles' articles as he teaches us about the land of Israel through words and pictures. When you finish with his first article take a trip around Israel with Dr. Arlandson as he teaches us about the “Historical Reliability of the Gospels. “

Heads up Gals/Ladies. November 12th is just a heartbeat away.

Consider meeting us at the Bible.org booth at the DTS Women of Influence Conference in Dallas TX.

AUGUST 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER

Recently in the Chronological Bible Daily reading selection we came across the prophet Hosea. His claim to fame? Husband of an adulteress wife, [Gomer] and becoming the voice of God to God's own adulterous Israel. Hosea's real life experiences opened his eyes to how God views our spiritual adultery, and the mercy of God in redeeming His people from the marketplace, as Hosea was commanded to redeem his wife. The book of Hosea portrays faithfulness and infidelity both in the physical and the spiritual realm. With his own marriage as backdrop, Hosea contrasts Israel's fickleness: “for your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist…” [Hosea 6:4] with God's heart “I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice;” [Hosea 6:6]. In pondering these words several thoughts come to mind such as integrity, faithfulness, righteousness, blamelessness, Fruit of the Spirit, holiness, fidelity, keeping a vow, being constant in one’s affections, truth, veracity, confidentiality. Throughout the OT and NT we are given examples of those who pondered and lived by these words; people like Hannah, Esther, Noah, Elijah, Zechariah and Elizabeth and scores of others. Our hearts are stirred to realize that as new creatures in Christ, God has actually given us to be partakers of the divine nature allowing us to escape the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. 2 Peter 1:4. Ponder with us what it means to be "partakers of the divine nature" . James reminds us to look in God’s mirror of scripture and to check our reflection. What do we see when we gaze into God’s mirror? How does the fact that as a Christian we are "partakers of the divine nature allowing us to escape the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire" ?. These words should impact our daily lives and people should be impacted by our testimony? Pray with us that Bible.org and its million users are faithful to the call God has given to us and that we demonstrate that we are partakers of God's divine nature.

Speaking of the Bible Reading Program: Did you know that Bible.org offers five (5) different daily Bible reading plans? Each one has a different focus with the single goal of helping you to read God’s Word each day in order to better know and worship Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If you choose the Chronological Reading Plan you can also “like” Bible.org’s Facebook page as you read and share your own ideas and thoughts about the passage of the day.

OUT AND ABOUT:

Bible.org, attended the ICRS International Christian Retail Show, which was held in Orlando. The convention center was so huge that it took a good 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the hall where the ICRS was being held, and that was the indoor walk! At a convention of this size it is exciting to make some wonderful new friends and meet some very nice people. We were able to present the NET Bible and the NET Bible study tool to many people who were looking for a new translation with which to work. Meeting with many different ministries, from Christian Comics to Christian Coffee, gave a fresh view and vision. A new nugget of information: finding ministries that we never even knew existed! It is exciting and refreshing to get out and see what other ministries are doing and how we are all working together to make Jesus Christ known. This week will be spent contacting all the new people and friends and looking forward to seeing how these relationships will grow. Will you pray with us for these interactions and for God's blessing upon each renewed contact?

Gabe Smith is the man behind our Facebook pages/Twitter pages, NET Bible Facebook pages. This past week Gabe attended the ECHO Conference, which is a conference for artists, techies, and all around geeks who serve in churches or non-profits. This was his third year to attend ECHO, and it's always a wonderful experience. The most significant part for him was getting to share ideas with other people who work in social media and helping to illustrate the important role that Facebook and Twitter play in connecting with people. A few people he spoke with said their ministry had a Facebook page, but they weren't using it much and others told him some amazing stories about how they were able to minister to people through social media. As the influence of Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks grow, their importance as key components to ministry will continue to increase. ECHO rekindles Gabe's desire to use the tools to God's glory to increase His fame throughout the world.

NEWS

Christmas in July? Check out the new selections in the store with the new pew Bibles and the Paperbacks just in time for your next fund raiser.

MAILBOX LETTERS

From Timothy Thank you so much for the resources your great team has posted on the net for the use of believers all over the world. This has especially made my work a lot easier and saved me the near fruitless efforts of having to run around looking for materials such as sample wedding vows, wedding order of service among other relevant Bible resources.
God bless you abundantly and keep you up in this good work!
Again, THANK YOU!

From Hannah I read your article on Exodus 16 (Boot Camp and "C" Rations) recently and found your comments on "grumbling" to be very convicting —and thought-provoking —and helpful. Thank you for making your labors in the Scriptures available to us in the wide, wide world :O)

From Gia First of all I'd like to thank your tech support for the very prompt response to my question this morning. Most of all I praise God for your ministry. It has been a blessing as I utilize the "Studies By Author." Bob Deffinbaugh and Ken Boa have helped me tremendously in leading my small group in the study of John.
Thank you again.
Your sister in Christ

SOCIAL NETWORKING "EYE-OPENERS"

Don’t have the time to sit and read several chapters but need a verse to boost you throughout the day? Try the NET Bible Facebook page where verses are updated every few hours to encourage and lead you for every moment of the day.

Or maybe you have become a Twitter fan. Join us where ideas are shared!

And now that you have gleaned ideas and thoughts you can share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, and of course always on Users where you can blog or share an article of interest.

Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Bible.org has it all. If you haven’t been following Dr. Bock’s travels “down under” you might want to go and check out his thoughts about atheists and agnostics in “On to Sydney and Teaching Luke” and then from Sydney to New Zealand. Wow what an eye opening trip!

Ever feel like you wanted to crawl in a hole when God presented a divine opportunity – not me God, not me! You will really relate to Tiffany Stein’s marvelous "eye--opening" summer experience where God revealed what really lay at the core in “The Power of the Gospel.”

Puns and Humor101! Brian Webster’s newest post: ‘Anak, ’Anak. Who’s There? Did God put “tin,” a “plumb line,” or something else in Israel?”

Nate Leigh reminds us that much of our pain is delivered to us by the person in the mirror! OUCH! Read his post: Some Chess Matches are not a game!

Sunday School Teachers

If you are teacher using the LifeWay SS materials be sure to check out two new resources for your Fall preparation: LifeWay- Southern Baptist Sunday School Resources – Summer 2012 on the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth as well as the accompanying series of study questions in the forum under SonShine’s Corner’s titled Books of the Bible Study Guides . If you want the answer keys email SonShine

Are you a SS teacher for children? Jodi Hooper has her new series on Esther ready to be used and can be found under Children’s Curriculum.

JULY 2012 NEWSLETTER

As we move into the second half of 2012 we ask ourselves, How are we redeeming the time because the Bible tells us “ Eph 5:15-17 “Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is.”(NET)

As we read our Bibles, God teaches us wise and important principles that will guide us through the remainder of this year. In Psalms 33:20-22 we read that “We wait for the Lord; he is our deliverer and shield. For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name. May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, for we wait for you.” Those words resonate with us and we hope with you as well. God wants to prove Himself faithful to His followers, as He said in Malachi 3:10: “Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.” He wants to bless each one of us who proclaim to be Christians and obey Him for one reason: that He gets the glory! Would you pray specifically that each of us be wise in 2012 and that God’s glory shine through us to those around us? Would you pray that we be fearless, faithful, obedient, courageous and most importantly holy as He is holy? (1 Pet 1:16)

MAILBOX NEWS or NOTES FROM OUR BARNABAS BASKET

Wilma shared with us this terrific note of encouragement about one of our Bible.org authors: “I have the privilege of teaching a group of seniors at a local assisted living facility. I am so humbled and thankful that God is still using me as I, too, am a senior citizen. I want to thank Vicki Kraft for all the help she has been to me in preparing our lesson on the life of David. It has delighted me to see even the faces of these folks in their nineties light up when they "see" something that they had never known before. THANK YOU, VICKI!!!!!”

Jesse shared as well: "I have been very blessed by the NET Bible. I read it online, listen to it, and carry it to church. Thank you for providing this very valuable translation and ministry!"

From Cheryl who “won” a NET Bible for finishing the course on Bible Study Methods: She writes
"Dear SonShine, I received the Net Bible and I love it. Thank you and Bible.org so very much for the gift of this Bible."

More News

Recently this article surfaced from shelboese.org praising the NET Bible and for that we are so very thankful! Thought you might enjoy reading it and praising God with us!

Promise Keepers newest page is celebrating the NEW Promise Keeper’s co-brand edition of the NET Bible Study Environment. We are thankful for their partnership with us and supporting Bible.org with its new web page. Check it out!

Bible.org Visits the Cowboy Fellowship Church in Jourdanton, Texas

Despite the 6 hours of driving and the heat and humidity this promised to be an awesome experience. In a county with a population of 50,000 people, a thousand of them go to this church. Cowboy Fellowship in Jourdanton, Texas, is located on 18 acres of land with two large buildings. One is the church itself which holds over a thousand people with additional space for an office and classrooms. The other is a fully covered outdoor arena where you can find people roping and doing rodeo. A few smaller buildings are also used as classrooms depending on what events are taking place.

Bible.org had the opportunity to meet Pastor Pete and Pastor Scotty and enjoy a morning of "Cowboy" church. Their praise band played a variety of songs that sounded like a Who's Who of country music. It had to be the best Christian country music heard in a church, and YES--they used a horse trough for their baptisms.

After church Bible.org gave a presentation on how to use the NET Bible Online Study Tool. (A.K.A. The Environment) and showed the congregation how to use all the Bible.org resources that are available. The people were "happier than a pig in mud"

Cowboy Fellowship is a fully "NET Bible Church." Pastor Pete preaches from the NET Bible and you can find NET Bibles in their book store. If your church is interested in becoming a NET Bible church, or would like more information on all the resources available from Bible.org please feel free to contact us.

Last month we asked you to take part in a survey regarding the recent decision by the US president to “come out of the closet” and sanction same-sex marriage. We asked if your pastor had preached on this topic. The responses were 50-50.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Facebook: Each month we see an increase in our reach to the world. It is interesting to see those who come and read our posts. There are those in far off places such as Africa and Indonesia, and others close to "home," but wherever you are, know that our posts are geared for you the reader as a blessing from us to you! June’s “like” status: 16,915.

Twitter: Be sure to follow along. This month’s focus was on service to others. One post noted: "Love one another well. Be a picture of Jesus to the people around you. How can we do that practically?"

Our Facebook.com/netbible thoughts have centered around the Son of God with verses to encourage us as we go about our daily tasks. Posts such as: 1 Corinthians 15:54b-55 “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” or John 5:21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.” These are our helps for you!

June seems to have been a month to write about our current culture discussions on the topic of roles and how people are responding. Several of our authors challenged us to move out of our comfort zone and reconsider some “out of the box” ideas in light of today’s issues.

Stephen Drain wrote “Insights and Ideas to Enlighten and/or Offend Everyone…”

Nate Leigh wrote about how Deborah rose to the occasion when everyone else had decided to let the world dictate their walk. Go here and read: “Being what you are, no matter what everyone else is doing…”

Brian Holt adds his voice to another side of this discussion by speaking to parents. Brian notes: “Parents all over the world are making a horrible mistake…”. Find out what Brian means by that statement in: “God’s – Priorities of Parenting Plan (POPP).

AUTHOR CORNER: Focus on Discipleship

In keeping with our new focus on discipleship, Alice Fryling’s article “In His Steps: Following God’s Lead in Helping People Grow” will give you some ideas for stepping out of your comfort zone and living the discipleship life for real. Alice is a freelance writer and homemaker in Wisconsin. She speaks to many groups offering advice on how to better live life God's way. Listen to Alice as she wisely guides the reader: “What does it mean to participate with God in another’s life? We find a pattern to follow in the way Jesus related to others. In the Gospels we see that Jesus met people where they were—in their sadness, in their needs, in their illnesses. He rarely barreled His way in. He nudged them toward obedience.”

Jene Hanna, a freelance writer in Colorado Springs who has been writing and encouraging others in their disciple relationships, explores how we may reflect God to others who are also made “in His image”. She shares how we devalue the image of God in those who are different from us in her article: “Reflecting God in Our Relationships”.

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER

FATHER'S DAY

In May we celebrated Mother’s Day, and now in June we stop to honor Father’s. Much is written and said about fathers in scripture. Proverbs gives us insights into God's Plan: Pro 23:24 “The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly; whoever fathers a wise child will have joy in him;” Pro 20:7 “The righteous person behaves in integrity; blessed are his children after him;” Pro 21:21 “ The one who pursues righteousness and love finds life, bounty, and honor” and lastly a promise in Pro 15:29 “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” As we stop to honor fathers, may we remember to pray for each one as they lead and guide their families into righteousness. God calls each father, and others as well, to “walk before Him,” “walk with Him;” “walk beside Him;” and “walk/follow after Him”. Thank you fathers for the challenge you have to not only live righteously but model it for us.

Building on the topic of fathers who model righteousness, we would like to share with you one mini-devotional written by a Bible.org staff person who has been working on our discipleship projects.

Being Intentional:

Not too long ago a man shared with me how he and his wife took extra effort to be "intentional" in their walk with God. He said that; along with their regular routines in God's Word and prayer, twice a year he and his wife would take a Saturday together and spend the whole day in prayer both individually and together. They would seek the Lord for guidance and just talk to Him about everything in their lives. This intentional time would help them to think through where they were in their lives, where God wanted them to go, or what He wanted them to do. Doing this helped them draw closer to God and to each other. It helped clarify the goals God wanted them to have, and helped them work together spending their lives for God's glory. In other words, It helped them to see what really mattered. What are we doing to be intentional about our walk with God?

Bible.org Store Gets a New Look

Starting today you will see a new look to the Bible.org store. We upgraded our store to add some of the new features that some of our visitors have been asking for, such as:

Multiple address so you can store your friends and families address

Wish list
Gift vouchers
Affiliates
and more...

However, in order to get all these new features we had to reset our databases and start over.(sigh) If you have not ordered from our new store as of yet, you will be required to register again. You store account is not linked to your Bible.org account. You are encouraged to make it the same user name and password as your Bible.org account but they are two different sites and logging into one doesn't log you into the other (another sigh).

Feel free to register, login and explore our new store, and as always we welcome feedback and suggestions.

Two New NET Bible editions and Two Ways to Buy Them

We would like to announce that we now have two new NET Bibles editions for sale. Our new sized Pew Bible and our very first smyth sewn Paperback.

The Pew Bible was redesigned with a smaller size than our old Pew Bible so that it fits easier in the back of pew or under chairs. Still has a larger print, still durable and still smyth sewn so it will last longer than most Pew Bibles. Now priced to buy in bulk. The Pew Bibles are available at $6 each when bought in cases of 16. Slightly higher when bought individually.

The Paperback follows the same design as our compact Bible. All the same features in a durable paperback cover. Our paperback is also symth sewn which will make it last a long time without falling apart. The Paperback was created for churches to give to new believers or visitors. The Paperback Bibles are available at $3 each when bought in cases of 32. Slightly higher when bought individually.

Both of these Bibles can be found in our new store. By the case or individually. Both a great deal.

New Feature Added to the NET Bible Study Environment

Today we will be adding a new feature to our NET Bible Study Environment. When you click on the search tab you will see 6 icons on the right side of the results section. When you enter a search term or mouse over these icons the will slide out to the left. The 6 icons represent The Bible, Bible.org, The NET Notes, The Journals, Your Books and the Web. Next to each of these sections will also be the number of results available for each.

This is very handy if you ever wanted to know how many times a word is used in the Bible or how many articles are on Bible.org for a certian topic.

As you can see we are constantly adding new features to help you improve your studies.

MAILBOX NEWS!

In our May newsletter we sought submissions from others about “A Mother is…”. Your notes were heartwarming and insightful. We have summarized them here: “A Mother is a very special figure; possessing others feelings and problems as if they were her own; she is immeasurable and worth “far more than jewels”; she gives birth and carries; protects with love and care. One letter ended with these words which sum up the thoughts we gleaned from the many letters: "May the grace and love of our Father in heaven be sufficient for each mother.” Thank you, once again, for sharing your thoughts.

A note from a follower on the Bible.org Facebook page: Memucan wrote: Thank you very much for your website, it is awesome. God really blessed me with your teaching here. In fact I get more of your teaching and use it in preaching to our brethren in the Philippines. You play a great part blessing the souls saved here in our city. Keep up the good work. May the Lord bless you.

From the main site: Bryan wrote: I was visiting a blog today where the blogger was relating a story of a friend who is wondering which translation to use when using the KJV as their main Bible. The person mentioned the NET Bible and of course I had to extol the virtues of the NET Bible. I gave the website to go to and my apologies but I boasted of the 60,932 translation notes. (Ex Director wrote back: Bryan, thanks for doing that. We need thousands of folks doing that to get the word out.)

Teresa wrote: This is a fabulous site! I love that the format is written in outline form, which is my way of note-taking,etc. It is clear & concise…. Thank you so much for all your hard work & effort.

'Bible.org welcomes your comments. We reserve the right to edit any received in order to fit the needs of our newsletter format.'

Has your Pastor preached on President Obama's announcement supporting same sex marriage? You can listen or watch what how one Pastor in South Florida USA changed his sermon preached on the topic. Listen here watch it here

I would like to take a survey on this question and i will report the results next month. It is just one question so take the survey here

CHINESE NET BIBLE NEWS:

We have uploaded the Chinese NET project briefing slides on slideshare.com; Click here to watch the slide show. Please contact us if you are interested in any part of our Chinese project or have missions and burdens to serve the people with the world's largest population.

SOCIAL NETWORKING:

Bible.org has several avenues that will assist you in sharing the good news of Christ to a lost and dying world. We have forums & blogs written by fellow believers in ministry, service, those in education and in pastoral roles. We have the social media outlets of Facebook and Twitter. And lastly we have the users page where many who are novice authors are able to try their skill at writing. God has graciously given Bible.org the avenues for you as a reader or participant to share, so there is no excuse to not be involved! Come join us on this journey.

UPDATES:

Facebook: reaching beyond we are thankful for the 16,722 “likes”.

On the Twitter side: Let’s get the word out about this easy and viable tool for sharing snippets of God’s truth. Here’s a sample tweet from Lelio....:" Did devotions differently today w/ @bibleorg http://bit.ly/MN8dCJ . A super difficult challenge w/ an incredible outcome. Let's do it!"

Please also do NOT forget the Facebook page for the NET Bible snippets verses as well!

BLOGS: Summer is just around the corner and it is time to gear up for that marvelous time of Vacation Bible School! Check out the Heartprints Blog posts by Sarah Bowlers about making your VBS evangelistic. Then, when VBS is over and you are ready to drop, read Susan Greenwood’s blog on the value of attending a conference and use it as your mini-retreat getaway where you can make new friendships and rejuvenate and share your wealth of ideas with others.

Tapestry has gained two new women bloggers: Melanie Newton and Sara Alexander. Check out their posts just up this month.

Impact: The media would have us to believe that monogamous marriage is null and void. Is it really? Read Stephen Drain’s post in his book review “Our Dance Has Turned to Death”. Stephen shares from Carl W. Wilson’s book with this opening statement: ““[The main thesis of this book] is that the family, with traditional religious roles for men and women in a life-long monogamous marriage relationship, is the abiding natural foundation for social order, happiness and stability. When that view is abandoned for selfish individualism the society will collapse and die.” – Carl W. Wilson.

AUTHORS OF THE MONTH: NEW ARTICLES/STUDIES JUST UPLOADED

Dr. Keith Krell is one of Bible.org's favorite authors. Keith and his family reside in Olympia, Washington where Keith is Sr. Pastor at Emmanuel Bible Fellowship. His newest series on Romans is now uploaded.

Interested in the topic of Man’s Religions? Patrick Zukeran’s article will give you some ideas on this topic and man’s views. His article entitled: The Origin of Man’s Religions.

MAY 2012 NEWSLETTER

MOTHER'S DAY FOCUS:

God’s Word reveres women and this month we want to stop, look back and take time to honor those we honor with the title "Mother." Many of us have had the privilege of a mother or grandmother who influenced us to love and follow Jesus by her actions, words, and deeds. Each was an example to us in some way of faithfulness, love and devotion. The pages of scripture, from beginning to end, are filled with stories of joy, tragedy, hope and despair. In the OT, we have mothers such as Hannah who prayed for a child and then offered him to the Lord for His service. In the NT, we have an example of love, devotion and servanthood as seen in the mother of Christ. Her servant spirit brought us the greatest story ever told of the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This year, Mother’s Day falls on May 13, 2012. Who in your life will you honor on this special day? Send us a note using this webform that we may rejoice with you.

The Women’s Ministries of Bible.org celebrates women of all walks and stages of life. Many of you are familiar with the Tapestry Blog. We are privileged to have a group of women who have trained women’s leaders, written articles, books or Bible studies. Take time to browse the women’s page for personal and/or ministry helps.

Partnership News

Bible.org would like to announce a new partnership with Tony Evans. Bible.org recently created a new "Co-Brand" site for Dr. Evans. The new site can be found at http://tonyevans.netbible.org. Tony Evans Ministries is the newest of several Co-Brand sites that Bible.org has created. If your organization has a national or global reach and you think a Co-Brand that we supply free for your use would benefit your ministry please contact us at [email protected]

Major Revision to our Study Environment

On May 1st, when you wake up and you go to the NET Bible Study Environment (http://netbible.org), you will see a new tab on the left side called "Library" . On this tab you will have access to Books and Journals. You can subscribe to the Thelogical Journals on a Monthly or yearly basis and you can subscribe or purchase the Church HIstory and Commentaries Collection. The Jouranls are added to your search function and the book collection is added to your "My Books" tab under the Library tab. With both options you can search the Environment and look up words. An wonderful addition to your daily studies

FROM THE BIBLE.ORG MAILBOX:

In our April newsletter we asked why Easter is a blessing to you. We thank you for your responses and your notes of encouragement to us. May we all remember and take time to bless our Risen Resurrected Lord. For a Christian, Easter or Resurrection Day is every day! Here is a sample of the responses as well as a letter from a grateful reader.

From Chuk: It was at Easter that I surrendered my life to Jesus.

From Prince Emeka: Of a truth, Easter is the period we Commemorate the Death and Resurrection of our Savior who …. said: "it is finished"….

From Derick: Your articles are always so well written, informative and well thought out. I am grateful to have found such a welcoming and comforting site as this one, and will certainly attend/visit it weekly Thank you for all the work and love that you put into each page and each post. God Bless You.

We are looking for people who have a heart for ministry, people who want to impact the world for Christ and are team players, not afraid of hard work.

1- Praise! We filled our Drupal needs and are now looking for a Python programmer. We are looking to build a Khan Academy clone for discipleship training on the Google app engine GAE.

2-Android App Developer (full or part time)
3- Are You a Graphics/User Interface Designer? We need your skills part-time to help us design our mobile app and make a consistent interface from it and the site.
For additional information on these jobs click here

OTHER QUESTIONS Are you involved in distance learning either as a course developer or a technologist? If so, we would like to talk to you and interact with you.

FACEBOOK: You are probably wondering how all of our social networking sites harmonize and work. Short explanation: Facebook is the page where we post news items, daily devotionals, pictures of events and happenings, spiritually uplifting articles. The NET Bible Facebook page is just scripture alone. The Twitter account shares short sayings to inspire and also for you to share with others.

When we began this extended journey in May of 2010 our “like” numbers were at 10,000. Two years later we are up at 16,622. We thank you for sharing, for choosing “like” and for commenting on the posts on the Bible.org Facebook page. The more you share, the more you like, the more you comment, the more we are able to connect and let others hear about Bible.org and learn about its vital link to sharing Christ.

TWITTER: Have a twitter account? You can let others know all about your status or what is even better is that you can “tweet” news from and about Bible.org. This month alone 100+ people have decided to follow us! Come check us out, come follow us this month @bibleorg

In need of a spiritual uplift throughout the day? Find it at the NET Bible Facebook page! Ps 42:1 As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God!

CHINESE NET BIBLE.ORG PROJECT NEWS

The Chinese NET page on Sina Blog and Weibo (the most popular social media in China) is online. Please visit blog.sina.com.cn and weibo.com for details. If you speak Chinese, please "follow" us to get the most updated news on Chinese NET project and help us spread the Good News to the Chinese population.

The Chinese NET study environment is being constructed. If you have a burden and talent in Bible names translation and want to join the translation ministry team, please contact us.

FORUM

If you are interested in evolution discussions, you will surely love the interactions on the forum at this link where Mike is the moderator and guide of the discussion.

Interested in the question: “Who was Theophilus?” then this forum interaction is for you! Join Gideon as he guides this discussion as well as the discussion on 390 yrs and 40 yrs in Ezekiel 4.

BLOG NEWS

Gather your thinking caps and read this blog post to find excellent and wise analysis of learning styles in the blog written by Susan Greenwood called: “Does Your Lesson Cross Learning Style Borders?

News

from the “NET Bible Revolution” Blog Posts: There is a new face on this posting as Dr Brian Webster (OT editor) has taken over. He has been discussing forms of translation and inserting explanations about translation. His last post is on the word “sojourner”. Come along and learn about how Brian derives his conclusions.

AUTHORS OF THE MONTH

In continuing our new focus on Discipleship, we encourage you to view the video series of Dr. Bill Lawrence as he teaches: “Forming Davids for the 21^st Century: From Discipleship to Leadership. In this series Dr. Lawrence challenges us with two very important questions: Are we aware of how God is forming us? More importantly, are you engaged with Him as He is forming you even now? We thank Dr. Bill for sharing his insights with us and with you!

Interested in learning more about the Glory of God through the study of Revelation? Then Bob Deffinbaugh’s series will interest you: “The Lord’s Letter to the Seven Churches of Asia”.

Are you a teacher using the Lifeway Curriculum? We have uploaded resources for Teachers preparing lessons for the book of Joshua: Southern Baptist Sunday School Resources

APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER

All through the book of Deuteronomy Moses reminds the Israelites to “remember”. Remember is defined as “bring back into one's thoughts, call to mind”. The Israelites were to remember what God did for them in Egypt; they were to remember to keep the Sabbath holy; they were to remember the Covenant that He had made with them and to remember to keep His commandments. In the NT and specifically on the last night Christ was with His disciples He told them to “remember”. (1Cor 11:25). Prior to His ascension Jesus told them to remember that He would always be with them, until the end of the age. Paul told Timothy in 2Ti 2:8 “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,” So what will you remember on Easter? It is hoped that you will remember that Jesus came to earth for one reason: to pay the penalty for your sin and my sin. As Paul wrote: in 1Cor 15: 3-4 “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures” Take time this Easter to “remember”. Share your ideas with us.

NEWS FROM THE CHINESE/ENGLISH DESK

1. The Chinese NET Bible project is well underway. See the new Group for Chinese Testers and join this new group.

2. We released Chinese NET Bible modules for: Sword, e-Sword and TheWord. Please visit the Chinese NET Bible project website to download free modules and buy premium ones.

3. We are pleased to release Rev. Danny Ma’s (馬有藻牧師) Bible commentaries on Isaiah, Zechariah, John, Acts,Romans, Paul’s thirteen letters and 1-3 John

4. We are currently looking for volunteer translators to help us work on the development of Chinese NET Bible study environment. If you are interested and have previous experience in English/Chinese translation, please contact us.

NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

We want you to praise the Lord with us: Bob Deffinbaugh, one of Bible.org’s most popular authors, has changed hats and transitioned his teaching elder role to Tom Wright. As part of his retirement, Bob will be working with 3 ministries, one of which will be Bible.org. After 35 years as a teaching elder, Bob will now help us add quality authors and work with them to put their life’s work on Bible.org as a life-time legacy. In addition, he will help us develop an effective training program for churches and individuals. Our first effort is Effective Discipleship. He will be using his God-given talents to lead the effort. We praise God for Bob and his wife Jeannette as they seek to serve the kingdom in their “retirement” years.

SOCIAL NETWORKING NEWS:

New opportunities to Connect with the World via Social Media

In the past two months, Bible.org has started some exciting, new social initiatives aimed at connecting God's people both to God and each other. Ryan Baltrip and Gabe Smith have been leading these new efforts for Bible.org. Here are some of the things we have been up to: 1) we have made the Bible.org Facebook page a place to receive regular inspiration and devotional content. You can find the page at https://www.facebook.com/bible.org 2) we are actively using Twitter to engage and connect with others. You can find us at https://twitter.com/#!/bibleorg also check out https://www.facebook.com/netbible 3) We are developing a faith-based social environment that will allow people to connect with God and with others on deeper levels. We have other exciting plans and further social integrations in the works as well, so stay tuned...or better yet, get connected. Watch us grow! 15,315 in February: 15, 835 in March:. Who will be number 20,000? Get ready!

INTRODUCING GABE AND RYAN!

Gabe’s passion is to use the framework of Facebook and Twitter to connect with the global community and provide challenging and engaging content through social media in order to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, and to raise awareness of the variety of Bible study tools and information available from Bible.org.

Ryan’s passion is to develop a faith-based social environment and an online learning platform that helps the church meet the needs of their flock to be successful Christ followers. As the creator of Faithbook and the Jesus Page, Ryan comes to Bible.org with his considerable skills and passion

FORUM

Have you been to the forum lately? If not check out the sub-forum titled Current Events from the Christian Perspective

BLOG NEWS

We welcome a new Heartprints Blogger: Brian Holt. Brian is a children’s pastor and brings with him twelve years worth of experiences in this position where he has served for over 12 years. Brian has worked in children's ministries ranging from mega-church to plant church size. Brian’s first post is called “Children’s Ministers have to be crazy!”

Need a Job? Are you a programmer familiar with Drupal? Bible.org is seeking a Drupal Programmer. If you have a heart for ministry and have the qualifications for this position, please email the Director .

Are You A Graphics/User Interface Designer? We need your skills part-time to help us design our mobile app and make a consistent interface from it and the site

Ministry Opportunity: Are you a children’s pastor/ministry worker who loves to blog or write about your passion? Have you written curriculum? Have you written training articles or articles that would encourage others in Children’s Ministry? We are looking for people currently working in Children’s Ministry and/or people who have authored articles, training modules, or have blogged, and whose passion is to train others. See the Children’s Ministry Page for more information on what is there and ideas for the future. Please pray with us as contacts are made. May God send Bible.org the ones He has chosen that we may fulfill Ps 78: 4ff. Send sample blogs or articles to SonShine to be considered

AUTHORS OF THE MONTH: Bible.org now has an excellent resource for Parents, Teachers, and Children’s Workers authored by Kurt Jarvis entitled: The Chronological Story of God: Beginning Devotional . These stories are also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Interested in geology and the age of the earth? Read Ray Bohlin’s newest article titled: The Grand Canyon and the Age of the Earth. Ray often shares his thoughts and research on creation/evolution debate as well as other science-related issues.

Is your church or Sunday School walking through the books of Corinthians? You might want to consider the newest commentary by Dr. Bob Utley “Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians”. Dr. Utley brings new insights into these NT letters that you have not seen before as you look along in depth with him six different ways.

Is your fellowship a Southern Baptist church that uses the LifeWay Explore the Book? Check out the articles and study guide resources for the Spring Quarter of 2012 here: Southern Baptist Sunday School Resources.

Are you using another Sunday School Curriculum? We are also open to highlighting your curriculum and articles and/or study guides to assist you in your Sunday School Program. We will work with you from the scope and sequence and help locate articles that will supplement your curriculum! Contact marketing if you are interested in our help in this endeavor!

NEWS AROUND TOWN: On the Internet Evangelism Page for this month Tony Whittaker noted: “The soul never thinks without a picture” –Aristotle. To help you remember that April 29^th is Internet Evangelism Day, Tony has put some video ideas together for your church.

Where the world comes to study the Bible

Latest Articles

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Esther 8

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Esther 9

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Esther 10

From the series: The Post-Exilic Period: Ezra, Nehemiah, And Esther PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

OCTOBER 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER

BIBLE.ORG SEPTEMBER 2012 NEWSLETTER

Now for our email news this past month:

AUGUST 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER

Sunday School Teachers

JULY 2012 NEWSLETTER

Bible.org Visits the Cowboy Fellowship Church in Jourdanton, Texas

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER

Bible.org Store Gets a New Look

Two New NET Bible editions and Two Ways to Buy Them

New Feature Added to the NET Bible Study Environment