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mordecai

mordecai

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Mordecai 
  the  son  of  Jair,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  It  has  been  alleged 
  that  he  was  carried  into  captivity  with  Jeconiah,  and  hence  that 
  he  must  have  been  at  least  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years  old 
  in  the  twelfth  year  of  Ahasuerus  (Xerxes).  But  the  words  of 
  Esther  do  not  necessarily  lead  to  this  conclusion.  It  was 
  probably  Kish  of  whom  it  is  said  (ver.  6)  that  he  "had  been 
  carried  away  with  the  captivity." 
 
  He  resided  at  Susa,  the  metropolis  of  Persia.  He  adopted  his 
  cousin  Hadassah  (Esther),  an  orphan  child,  whom  he  tenderly 
  brought  up  as  his  own  daughter.  When  she  was  brought  into  the 
  king's  harem  and  made  queen  in  the  room  of  the  deposed  queen 
  Vashti,  he  was  promoted  to  some  office  in  the  court  of 
  Ahasuerus,  and  was  one  of  those  who  "sat  in  the  king's  gate" 
  (Esther  2:21).  While  holding  this  office,  he  discovered  a  plot 
  of  the  eunuchs  to  put  the  king  to  death,  which  by  his 
  vigilance,  was  defeated.  His  services  to  the  king  in  this  matter 
  were  duly  recorded  in  the  royal  chronicles. 
 
  Haman  (q.v.)  the  Agagite  had  been  raised  to  the  highest 
  position  at  court.  Mordecai  refused  to  bow  down  before  him  and 
  Haman,  being  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  conduct  of  Mordecai, 
  resolved  to  accomplish  his  death  in  a  wholesale  destruction  of 
  the  Jewish  exiles  throughout  the  Persian  empire  (Esther  3:8-15). 
  Tidings  of  this  cruel  scheme  soon  reached  the  ears  of  Mordecai, 
  who  communicated  with  Queen  Esther  regarding  it  and  by  her  wise 
  and  bold  intervention  the  scheme  was  frustrated.  The  Jews  were 
  delivered  from  destruction,  Mordecai  was  raised  to  a  high  rank, 
  and  Haman  was  executed  on  the  gallows  he  had  by  anticipation 
  erected  for  Mordecai  (6:2-7:10).  In  memory  of  the  signal 
  deliverance  thus  wrought  for  them  the  Jews  to  this  day 
  celebrate  the  feast  (9:26-32)  of  Purim  (q.v.). 
 
 
  From  Hitchcock's  Bible  Names  Dictionary  (late  1800's)  [hitchcock]: 
 
  Mordecai,  contrition;  bitter;  bruising