PURAH

(Puʹrah) [branch].

The attendant, probably armor-bearer, of Gideon who went with him during the night to spy on the Midianite camp.—Judg. 7:9-15.

PURCHASE

As early as Abraham’s day people were formally buying and selling goods, properties or services, using a medium of exchange such as money, much the same as today. Abraham “purchased with money” male slaves. (Gen. 17:12, 13) Upon Sarah’s death Abraham formally purchased a family burial plot from Ephron, one of the sons of Heth. (Gen. 23:3-20; 49:29-32) The details of that first Scripturally recorded legal contract of history are interesting.

In a true display of courtesy Abraham bowed down when making his offer. Not the field, but only the cave “which is at the extremity of [Ephron’s] field” is what Abraham wanted to buy. Ephron made a counter offer. Whether he was feigning Oriental liberality by saying he would give the property to Abraham (Gen. 23:11), or, as some think, he was merely expressing willingness to part with it, that is ‘give it up’ for a price, is not certain. What is certain is his insistence that both the cave and the field be included in the deal. Final agreement was reached, the price was named, the bargain was made and the money carefully weighed out, “four hundred silver shekels current with the merchants” ($190). (Vs. 16) In those days money was not minted into coins but was weighed on scales. Thus “the field and the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its boundaries round about, became confirmed to Abraham as his purchased property.” All this legal transaction took place in the presence of both parties and witnesses, yes, “before the eyes of the sons of Heth among all those entering the gate of his city.” (Gen. 23:17, 18) Similarly, Jacob later purchased a tract of land from the Shechemites.—Gen. 33:18, 19.

During a seven-year famine, Joseph, as the prime minister of Egypt, sold grain at first for money, and, when that was exhausted, he accepted their domestic animals, next the land in payment, and finally the people themselves.—Gen. 42:2-25; 47:13-23.

The Law of Moses strictly forbade buying and selling on the sabbath, as it also prohibited unfair business dealings. During Israel’s apostasy these laws were often violated.—Lev. 25:14-17; Neh. 10:31; 13:15-18; Amos 8:4-6.

When King David wanted to purchase the threshing floor of Araunah (or Ornan), the man graciously tried to give it to the king. However, David insisted on paying a sum of fifty silver shekels ($24) for the immediate altar site plus the necessary sacrificial materials. Later, it appears, more of the surrounding property was added to include an area large enough for the whole temple site, the purchase price being 600 gold shekels by weight ($7,732). (2 Sam. 24:21-24; 1 Chron. 21:22-25) During both the reigns of Kings Jehoash and Josiah, purchases of materials and labor for the repair of the temple were made.—2 Ki. 12:9-12; 22:3-7.

Jeremiah purchased a field in his hometown of Anathoth, describing the legal transaction this way: “I wrote in a deed and affixed the seal and took witnesses as I went weighing the money in the scales.”—Jer. 32:9-16, 25, 44.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures there are also a number of references made to purchasing goods and materials—foodstuffs, oil, garments, pearls, fields, houses, gold, eyesalve, merchandise in general, animals and even humans. (Matt. 13:44-46; 25:8-10; 27:7; Mark 6:37; John 4:8; 13:29; Acts 1:18; 4:34-37; 5:1-3; Rev. 3:18; 13:17; 18:11-13; see BANK, BANKER.) “The congregation of God” Jehovah “purchased with the blood of his own Son.”—Acts 20:28.

PURIFICATION

See CLEAN, CLEANNESS.

PURIM

The festival celebrated on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, the last month of the Jewish year, corresponding to late February and early March. (Esther 9:21) The name comes from the act of Haman in casting pur (lot) to determine the auspicious day for an extermination plot against the Jews to be carried out. Being an Agagite, perhaps a royal Amalekite, and a worshiper of pagan deities, he was resorting to this as “a species of divination.” (Esther 3:7, Le, 7th ed., ftn.; see DIVINATION.) In King Ahasuerus’ (Xerxes I) twelfth year, on Nisan 13, 475 B.C.E., the official extermination decree that Haman had induced the king to approve was sent out to all the Persian provinces, commanding the destruction of the Jews.

COMMEMORATION OF DELIVERANCE

The festival commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from destruction through Haman’s plot. Consequently, the name Purim was probably given by the Jews in irony. (Esther 9:24-26) It is also called in the Apocryphal book of Maccabees “Mordecai’s day,” since Mordecai played an important part in the events pertaining to the festival. (2 Maccabees 15:36, AT) Through the efforts of Queen Esther, at the risk of her life and as directed by her older cousin Mordecai, the Jews were delivered. Esther fasted for three days before seeking an audience with the king, to invite him to a banquet, and then to a second banquet where her petition could be presented. (Esther 4:6–5:8) The petition was favorably heard and, since the original decree could not be changed on account of the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians (Dan. 6:8), another decree was issued on the twenty-third day of Sivan. This document granted the Jews the right to defend themselves and enabled them to prepare. It was written by Mordecai and translated into many languages for various districts of the Persian Empire. The Jews fought, with the help of the princes, satraps and governors, and turned the tables on the anti-Jewish enemies. A great slaughter took place on Adar 13, not of the Jews, but of their enemies. It continued in the royal city of Shushan through the fourteenth. On the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews in the jurisdictional districts rested, and those in Shushan on the fifteenth day, with banqueting and rejoicing.—Esther 8:3–9:19.

To commemorate this deliverance, Mordecai. imposed upon the Jews the obligation to observe Adar fourteenth and fifteenth each year with banqueting and rejoicing and sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor people. (Esther 9:20-22) Later, another letter was written with the confirmation of Esther the queen commanding this festival. It was to be held in each generation, family, jurisdictional district and city at the appointed time each year.—Esther 9:28-31.

The festival, first observed Adar 14-15, 474 B.C.E., is celebrated by the Jews to this day in a detailed way, with many additions. One of the traditional enlargements that came in the process of time was the setting aside of the thirteenth day of Adar as a day of fasting, called the Fast of Esther. Trade or labor is not prohibited during this festival.

A QUESTION ON JOHN 5:1

There is no direct mention of the Festival of Purim in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Some have claimed that there is a reference to it at John 5:1: “After these things there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The application of this verse to the Festival of Purim is unsubstantiated. Certain manuscripts have the definite article, reading: “the festival of the Jews.” This would indicate that it must have been one of the three solemn seasonal festivals listed at Deuteronomy 16:16, especially when we note that Jesus went up to Jerusalem, which he would not be required to do to keep the Festival of Purim. Purim was connected more with the local synagogue and the local area than with the temple;