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Boyd’s Bible Dictionary
:
(placed). Runners, messengers, on foot, on horses, or on dromedaries (
Esther 8:10-14
10
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
11
Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
12
Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14
So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace. (Esther 8:10‑14)
;
Job 9:25
25
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. (Job 9:25)
;
Jer. 51:31
31
One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, (Jeremiah 51:31)
).
Concise Bible Dictionary
:
The dispatch of letters with speed was of early date.
Job
said, “Now my days are swifter than a post” (
Job 9:25
25
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. (Job 9:25)
). When
Hezekiah
proclaimed a Passover for all
Israel
he sent letters of invitation by “runners” from city to city (
2 Chron. 30:6,10
6
So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. (2 Chronicles 30:6)
10
So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. (2 Chronicles 30:10)
). The posts sent with the decree from
Shushan
the
palace
went on horses, mules, camels, and young dromedaries, “being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment” (
Esther 3:13,15
13
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. (Esther 3:13)
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. (Esther 3:15)
;
Esther 8:10,14
10
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries: (Esther 8:10)
14
So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace. (Esther 8:14)
). In the
prophecy
of
God
’s judgments on
Babylon
it is said that the news should be carried to the king by one post running to meet another (
Jer. 51:31
31
One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, (Jeremiah 51:31)
). By dividing large districts into small departments with a post-
house
in each, in which “runners” and animals were always kept ready, dispatches could quickly be dispersed in various directions.
From
Manners and Customs of the Bible
:
Job
9: 25. My days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
Swift runners were often employed in ancient
times
to convey important messages. Kings kept a number of such in their service as a part of the royal
household
. When
Hezekiah
sent invitations to the solemn passover which he designed holding at
Jerusalem
, it is said that “the
posts
went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all
Israel
and
Judah
” (
2 Chron. 30:6
6
So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. (2 Chronicles 30:6)
). In the
time
of
Jeremiah
there seems to have been a regular postal service established, for he says, in prophesying the
destruction
of
Babylon
: “One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end” (
Jer. 51:31
31
One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, (Jeremiah 51:31)
). The
Persians
also made use of swift messengers. The order commanding the
murder
of all the Jews in the empire was sent by this means. See
Esther 3:13,15
13
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. (Esther 3:13)
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. (Esther 3:15)
. The order which neutralized the effect of this proclamation was sent by “posts that rode upon mules and camels” (
Esther 8:14
14
So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace. (Esther 8:14)
).
While there may have been no systematic communication of this sort in the time of Job, yet it is evident from the text that men fleet of foot were employed when occasion required. The
patriarch
compares the rapid flight of his days to a post; literally, a runner, a
man
hastening with news. This was the swiftest mode of communication with which he was familiar, and his days went swifter still.
See further the note on
Matthew 5:41
41
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Matthew 5:41)
(#642).
Related Books and Articles:
407. Primitive Mail Carriers
From:
Manners and Customs of the Bible
By:
James M. Freeman
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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