Evaluating the Morality of the Shushan Slaughter

Esther 9 is a difficult chapter. Even though God is not mentioned in the book, His hand is evident throughout. Mordecai suggests that there might be divine design in Esther’s ascension to the throne. A series of events, coupled with Esther’s courage, leads to Mordecai’s ascension into a position of authority and the execution of Haman, who had sought to destroy the Jews in Persia. The king proclaims that the Jews are entitled to defend themselves against those who had planned their destruction. The Jews rejoice. All seems to be resolving as it should.

Then comes chapter 9. The Jews gather in all of the provinces. “No man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them” (Esther 9:2-3). Sounds like a moment to declare victory and exercise restraint, but the opposite happens. “Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them” (Esther 9:5).

Specifically in Shushan, the administrative capital of the empire, the Jews killed 500 men on the first day (Esther 9:6, 12). The king seems to have been surprised at the scale of the violence and wondered aloud how many people across the entire empire had died. The narrator tells us later in the chapter: 75,000 (Esther 9:16). When the king asked Esther what should happen next, she requested permission for the Jews in Shushan to continue the killing for one more day. The king granted her request, and the following day, they killed 300 more people (Esther 9:12-15).

The chapter relates these events without passing judgment. The narrator doesn’t tell us whether the violence was justified. But we do see the people’s reaction. After the mass killing, “they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness” (Esther 9:17-18).

While we don’t know enough about the circumstances to render a definitive judgment, the Book of Mormon teaches at least three principles which apply to this situation:

1. We should defend our families against violent threats (see Alma 43:46-47).
2. Even when violence is justified, we should never delight in it (see Alma 48:23).
3. We must draw the line at defensive action and not take the fight to the enemy (see Mormon 3:7-15).

How do these principles apply to Esther’s story?

First, it’s impossible to know how much danger the Jews still faced after the new decree. The chapter opens with the assertion that everyone was afraid of them, but it’s possible that there were still residual groups planning violence against them. The narrator implies that the violence was purely defensive, stating three times that the Jews didn’t lay their hands on the property of the deceased people, even though the decree specifically authorized them to do so (see Esther 9:10, 15-16; 8:11).

Second, the rejoicing at the end of the chapter, and perpetuated in the annual celebration of Purim, was surely focused on their deliverance from a mortal threat. Still, “feasting and gladness” (Esther 9:17) in the immediate aftermath of so much death stands in stark contrast with the ethic of Captain Moroni’s armies:

They were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God.

Alma 48:23

Finally, while the violence on the first day may have been justified, it’s hard to reconcile Esther’s request for a second day of killing with Mormon’s condemnation of vengeance, which was itself rooted in Israelite law (Mormon 3:14-15; compare Deuteronomy 32:35). As long as his armies were content to defend themselves, he was willing to lead them, but when they swore to “go up to battle against their enemies,” he refused to continue as their commander (Mormon 3:9-11).

So while the book of Esther provides an account of a miraculous preservation of God’s people, it leaves unevaluated the response of the people to their improved circumstances. Principles from the Book of Mormon help us recognize that some of the Jews’ actions were morally problematic and allow us to imagine a more appropriate ending to the story: with mourning for the dead instead of a second day of killing.

Today I will defend my positions with restraint and with proper respect for everyone involved in any disagreement.