Esther 9:16 - Exposition

Gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives . i.e. did as the edict directed them ( Esther 8:11 ). And had rest from their enemies . The idea of "rest" seems out of place when the subject of the narrative is slaughter, and the number of the slain has still to be told. Some suspect corruption, others an interpolation. And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand. The LXX . had in their copies fifteen for seventy-five, or one-fifth of the received number. The smaller number is more in harmony with the 500 killed at Susa than the larger one.