10b…But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
The Jews have been saved from annihilation through a very unlikely person. The plot to kill them was made known to the king and the king let the Jews write their own ticket for protection. The Jews were allowed to defend themselves from the coming attacks. What is interesting is that the order sent to all the provinces stated that they were allowed to plunder the wealth of their attackers. And yet three times in this chapter it states that when they did protect themselves and defeat their enemies, they did not plunder their enemies. I personally think it was because the Jews recognized that these men they were killing had families, and that their families did not deserve to be thrust into poverty because their husbands were attacking the Jews. The text doesn’t give a reason for the Jews not plundering, but my mind wants to know. The order that allowed them to protect themselves was written for maximum effect. It wanted to weed out those who were just along for the ride and those who were consumed with hatred of the Jews. By threatening total economic ruin for the families of those fighting, some would think twice about their involvement. So perhaps the threat accomplished its purpose. The compassionate side of the Jewish people shows through in their response. They could have plundered, like they had been plundered, but they chose compassion instead. Revenge is an ugly beast, devouring much more than planned or anticipated.
The Arnold Journey 