CHAPTER I. VERSE 8.

And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

The Hebrew reads, vě-hashthiah kad-dath, ain onās, ki-kān yissad ham-melek al kahl-rahu baitho laäshoth kirtzon ish vah-ish, and the drinking (was) according to a decree none compelling, for so the king commanded to every officer of his house to fulfill the pleasures of man' (= every man).

The Lxx. rendering is ho de potos outos ou kata prokeimenon nomon egeneto, outōs de cetheleesen ho basileus, kai epetaxe tois oikonomois poieesai to theleema autou kai ton anthrõpōn, 'now the drinking was not according to the established law, for so the king wished; and he instructed those of his household to do the will of himself and of the men' (his guests).

The V. has nec erat qui nolentes cogeret ad bibendum; sed sicut rex statuerat, præponens mensis singulos de principibus suis ut sumeret unusquisque quod vellit, 'nor did any one force the unwilling to drink, but as the king had arranged, who set over each table one of his lords, that every one might partake of what he pleased.'

The Targum has 'and the drinking was regulated according to the bodily habit, and there was no one who compelled (another to drink); for the king had so issued an order binding upon every one connected with the royal house, that the drinking should be according to the will of each, whether Israelites or of any other nation and language.'

Josephus gives the following account :- And he enjoined upon his servants not to compel them to drink by constantly presenting the drink to them, as was a custom among the Persians, but to defer to them, and kindly attend to whatever each of the guests should desire' (kai pros ho bouletai tōn katakeimenōn hekastōs philophrenesthai).

The apparent contradiction between the Hebrew text and the Lxx. version, will disappear if we observe that the king, in fact, superseded pro tempore the common convivial law by a special arrangement for the occasion; but whether for the sake of increasing or diminishing the drinking is not clear. Josephus implies the latter; but while the abstemious would be protected by the freedom afforded, those of a different disposition might make it the means of unbounded license. Among the Greeks and Romans each banqueting party had its president (Greek, sumposiarchees-chief of the feast; Roman, arbiter sive rex bibendi-master or king of the drinking), and all the persons present were bound to follow his directions in the quaffing of cups in honor of gods and mortals. The rule was precise and peremptory-pithi ee apithi, 'drink or depart.' The Persians may have had a more familiar custom of toasting one another. Herodotus, who lived not long after Nehemiah, says of them, "They are very fond of wine, and drink it in large quantities. It is also their general practice to deliberate upon affairs of weight when they are drunk; and then on the morrow, when they are sober, the decision to which they came the night previous is put before them by the master of the house in which it was made: and if it is then approved of they act upon it; if not, they set

it aside. Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberations, but in this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine."-Book i., c. 133.) The Germans, according to Tacitus, adopted the first and better half of this curious method. They took counsel first when drunk, and then when sober. And the historian adds, “They deliberate when unable to devise anything, they decide when not able to go wrong."

CHAPTER I. VERSE 9.

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

A FEAST] Hebrew, mishteh, 'a drinking' a banquet. It is not to be sup posed that a mishteh comprised drinking only; it certainly included the more substantial delicacies of the season. Queen Vashti's mishteh would be composed of refreshments adapted to the taste of her ladies, and let us hope that the drinks, whatever else they were, were of a more innocent nature than those with which her royal consort and his nobles were regaled.

CHAPTER I. VERSE 10, II.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.

WHEN THE HEART OF THE KING WAS MERRY WITH WINE] Hebrew, kě-tov låv ham-melek hay-yayin, 'when good (was) the heart of the king with wine.' The Lxx. reads, heedeōs genomenos ho basileus, 'the king having got into a sweet con. dition' = a mellow humor. The V. amplifies, cum rex esset hilarior et post nimiam potationem incaluisset mero, when the king had become more jovial, and after an excessive indulgence had become heated with unmixed (wine).' The T. reads, when the king's heart was gladdened with wine, the Lord sent to him the angel of confusion to confound their feast.'

Subsequent events make apparent-1, how little of good judgment is joined with drinking-jollity; 2, how soon the blandness of temper that seems associated with the bottle turns to sourness when crossed by opposition. The free and easy spirits that spring from drink resemble the paws of the tiger, which conceal under a smooth and velvety fur the talons of violence and rapine. Where Bacchus rules, mirth may turn at any moment into murderous strife.

CHAPTER II. VERSE 18.

Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

A GREAT FEAST] Hebrew, mishteh gahdol, 'a great feast.'

EVEN ESTHER'S FEAST] Hebrew, eth-mishtā Estar, 'the feast of Esther'called Esther's because given in her honor, to signalize her elevation to the queenly state and dignity.

CHAPTER III. VERSE 15.

The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

SAT DOWN TO DRINK] Hebrew, yahshvu lishtosh, sat down to drink.' The Lxx. has ekōthōnizonto. 'were drinking deep' [from kōthōn, a Spartan drinking-cup; hence to kōthōnizein— to drink on and on]. The V. has celebrante convivium, 'keeping a feast.'

We are almost compelled to think that Ahasuerus was drunk when he fell so blindly into the snare laid for him by Haman. Matthew Henry remarks, "Haman was afraid lest the king's conscience should smite him; to prevent which he engrossed him to himself, and kept him drinking: this cursed method many take to drown their convictions and harden their own and others' hearts in sin."

CHAPTER V. VERSE 6.

And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

AT THE BANQUET OF WINE] Hebrew, bèmishtā hay-yayin, 'at the banquet of the wine.'

[Mishteh occurs in verses 4, 5, 12, and 14, and is in each place rendered 'banquet' in the A. V.]

CHAPTER VII. VERSE I.

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

CAME TO BANQUET] Hebrew, lishtoth, ‘to drink.' So the margin of A. V. The Lxx. has sumpiein, 'to drink with'; the V., ut biberent, that they might drink.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 2.

And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

AT THE BANQUET OF WINE] Hebrew, be-mishtā hay-yayin, at the drinking (=feast) of the wine.' The Lxx. has en tō potō, ‘at the drinking'; the V., postquam vino incaluerat, after he was heated with wine.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 7.

And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

FROM THE BANQUET of wine] Hebrew, mim-mishtä hay-yayin. The Lxx. has apo tou sumposiou, from the banquet'; the V., de loco convivii, 'from the place of feasting.'

CHAPTER IX. VERSE 22.

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

OF FEASTING] Hebrew, mishteh. [So also in verses 17, 18, and 19, where it is rendered 'feasting' in A. V.] If intoxicating liquors were freely used, the feast of Purim would prove in its results to many families a time of sorrow rather than of joy. The Jews both of the East and West have a general reputation for sobriety, but that Purim is not always soberly celebrated, even in the Holy City, may be gathered from an anecdote related by the teacher of the English school in Jerusalem, to the effect that a girl who was asked why she would be absent on account of Purim, as she alleged she must be, replied with much simplicity, 'We shall all be drunk.' It would be a relief to hope that the error was purely grammatical, and that the little Jewish maiden was confounding the active 'to drink' with the passive to be drunk'; but we can hardly please ourselves with this supposition when we recollect the teaching and testimony of the ancient Rabbins- "A man's duty with regard to this feast is that he should eat meat and drink wine

until he be drunk, and fall asleep in his drunkenness" (Hilkhoth Megillah, c. ii. 5). In fol. 7 the Talmud is even more precise :—“A man is bound to get so drunk with wine at Purim as not to know the difference between Cursed is Haman and Blessed is Mordecai." A curious story is appended. 66 'Rabba and Rabbi Zira made their Purim entertainment together. When Rabba got drunk he arose and killed Rabbi Zira. On the next day he prayed for mercy, and God restored Zira to life. The following year Rabba again proposed to Rabbi Zira to have their Purim entertainment together; but he answered, Miracles don't happen every day.'" This is only one out of a multitude of instances demonstrating the absurdity of Christian commentators and critics appealing to the 'opinions' of the Rabbins; only in matters of fact is their testimony of any real value.

THE BOOK OF JOB.

CHAPTER I. VERSE 4.

And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

=

AND FEASTED] Hebrew, vě-ahsu misteh, 'and made a drinking' feast. The Lxx. has epoiousan poton, 'they made a drinking'; the V., et faciebant convivium, and they made a feast.'

AND TO DRINK] Hebrew, vè-lishtoth, ‘and to drink.'

This 'drinking' or feast is not explained. The proceeding of the patriarch, as described in ver. 5, who, when the days of his sons' feasting were over, "rose up early, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all, lest they should have sinned in their hearts," may suggest, but does not necessarily imply, that their 'wine' was of the class described by the Wise man as 'a mocker.' The words, ‘thus did Job continually,' show that the previous account relates to the festivities which recurred on the birthday of each son and daughter.

CHAPTER I. VERSE 13.

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house.

DRINKING WINE] Hebrew, shothim yayin, 'drinking wine.' The Lxx. has epinon oinon, they drank wine'; the V., biberent vinum, '(when) they might drink wine.'

CHAPTER I. VERSE 18.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house.

AND DRINKING WINE] Hebrew, ve-shothim yayin, and drinking wine.' The Lxx. has pinontān, ‘drinking'; the V., bibentibus vinum, 'when drinking wine.' The Syriac omits all mention of wine in verses 13 and 18.