And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
We are here told, I. How great and powerful king Ahasuerus was. He had a vast dominion, both in the continent and among the islands, from which he raised a vast revenue. Besides the usual customs which the kings of Persia exacted (Ezr 4:13), he laid an additional tribute upon his subjects, to serve for some great occasion he had for money (Est 10:1): The king laid a tribute.
Commenting on Esther 10:1-3
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto Ahasuerus,.... The second man in the kingdom, the principal of the counsellors, and prime minister of state: and great among the Jews; highly respected by them, in great honour and esteem with them, for which there was great reason: and accepted of the multitude of his brethren; or of many, of most, of the greatest part of them...
the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai--The experience of this pious and excellent Jew verified the statement, "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" [Mat 23:12; Luk 14:11; Luk 18:14]. From sitting contentedly at the king's gate, he was raised to the dignity of highest subject, the powerful ruler of the kingdom. Acting uniformly on the great principles of truth and righteousness, his greatness rested on a firm foundation.