Esther
Book Type
Book of Wisdom; the seventeenth book of the Old Testament; the seventeenth book of the Bible.Introduction to the Book of Esther
The book of Esther shows us that God is present even when He seems distant. In the course of the story, Esther—a Jew living during the time of the exile—becomes the queen of Persia. However, an official named Haman plots to kill the Jews throughout the empire. Esther and Mordecai, her cousin, expose the attempted genocide. Mordecai’s cunning, Esther’s bravery, and God’s unseen hand unite to save the Jewish exiles from destruction.Esther’s rags-to-riches drama illustrates how a woman with wisdom, courage, and willingness can affect the lives of thousands. With a praying community of supporters, and with God providentially working in the background, Esther accepted her role and put her life on the line to save others.Esther is a unique book. It is the only book in the Bible that never mentions God, although his presence is implied due to Mordecai’s allusion to divine providence (4:14). At times the book seems rather secular; historically this has contributed to questions regarding its place in the canon of the synagogue and the church. Esther is tightly connected with specific historical events, yet it is also a piece of literature, a narrative with all of the literary features necessary to make it a great story. It is a book in which its purposes are not always explicitly stated but are derived from the story as a whole.Theme & Overview
The book of Esther describes how the Jews of Persia are saved from certain destruction through divine providence. Have you ever wondered if God is really involved in the circumstances of your life? Do personal or political crises make you question God’s role in human events? The NIV Quest Study Bible says the book of Esther, like much of the Bible, tells the story of God’s involvement with his people. Unlike the rest of the Bible, however, this book shows God’s work indirectly. In fact, God’s name is not mentioned once, nor is there any explicit reference to God, though his influence permeates the narrative. The book demonstrates how God worked in the lives of his people, and it will encourage you to trust him to work in your life today.In the book of Esther, God’s people are suffering in a foreign land. God is never mentioned in the story, yet He is quietly there all along—which seems to be the point. The narrative cleverly reveals Haman’s folly, the royal court’s greed, and the Persian law’s failure. This is in direct contrast to the bravery of Esther, the wisdom of Mordecai, and the courage of the Jewish people—all of which, in a way, show who God is. In addition, the unlikely turns of events in Esther suggest that God is intervening to protect His people. Esther is unexpectedly placed in a position of influence to guide the benevolent responses of the world’s most powerful king.The book of Esther also shows the interrelated nature of relationships. It gives us hope that our lives are part of an unfolding story that is infinitely greater than any one of our stories on its own. Esther embraces risks for the sake of what’s right—and we are called to do the same, for the unseen God and the betterment of humanity.The Book of Esther tells how a Jewish girl became the queen of Persia and saved her people from a plot to destroy them. She is assisted in this by Mordecai, her cousin and guardian. It also explains how a special festival, called Purim, was established to recall and celebrate the deliverance that the Jews had experienced.Author
The author is unknown. Mordecai, Ezra, or Nehemiah are the most common traditional possibilities.Recipients
Esther was written for the Jewish people, to display the providence of God, in relation to the Feast of Purim. This book was to be read by the Jewish people during this Feast as a remembrance of the great deliverance from their enemies, which God provided through Esther. Observant Jews continue to read the book of Esther during Purim, celebrated on Adar 14 on the Jewish calendar, and usually occurring in March.Date
Most likely between 465 and 425 BC.Background
Esther is set about 55–65 years after the end of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. The narrative occurs in Susa, in the court of King Ahasuerus—better known as Xerxes, who ruled the Persian Empire from 486–465 BC. Susa was located about 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf, near the western border of modern-day Iran. Cyrus took Susa from the Elamites probably not long before he conquered Babylon in 539 BC. Darius I, father of Ahasuerus, made Susa the main capital of the Persian Empire. The book was likely composed sometime between 400–200 BC, primarily to explain the origins of the Jewish festival Purim.The book of Esther describes events during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia (486–465 BC). In a previous generation (538 BC), Sheshbazzar had led about 50,000 people back from captivity in Babylonia (Ezra 1:1–5; 2:64–67). But many Jewish families, including Esther’s, had stayed behind.During Xerxes’ reign, the Persian empire was near its peak. Xerxes and his military had accomplished great things, such as conquering Egypt. Wealth from taxes poured into the Persian capital of Susa, and Xerxes oversaw the construction of a luxurious new palace at Persepolis. However, Xerxes was a cruel king who ruled with tyrannical force. Esther entered Xerxes’ court and was chosen to be his queen. Her challenge was to serve God and her people in time of crisis while being the faithful wife of a pagan king.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
The book of Esther was written to explain to a Jewish audience how the festival of Purim originated. Purim was to be an annual remembrance of how God delivered his people from death (9:20–22), similar to their deliverance during the exodus from Egypt.The principle message of the book of Esther called all Jews to celebrate Purim. The purposes of Esther can be distinguished into two types: those purposes that pertain to the original audience of the book during the Persian period, and the broader, theological purposes that transcend the book’s original readers.HOPE: For the Jewish people scattered around the Persian Empire, the book of Esther was a story that gave encouragement and hope. It provided a model of how Jewish people could not merely survive but also thrive in a Gentile environment. It showed how Jewish people could effectively serve in positions of high responsibility while maintaining their Jewish identity and their commitment to the God of Israel. It showed how Jewish leaders could be used to bring blessing to their Gentile rulers and neighbors. And for a people far from the land of their forefathers, it demonstrated that the God of Israel was still able to redeem his people in their oppression, whether they were in Egypt, Israel, or Persia.DIVINE PROVIDENCE: It is unlikely the lack of any mention of God in the book is accidental. It leaves the reader to ponder the work of God, evident but unseen, in the unfolding story of deliverance and redemption. This is fitting since Jews in exile would be tempted to find lack of evidence for God’s overt presence to be evidence for his actual absence. The book of Esther counters this notion, depicting God’s providence as ruling even the events of foreign lands during the Jews’ exile.GOD’S UNLIKELY INSTRUMENTS: Part of the mystery of God’s providence in the book is how God can use such unlikely people to help accomplish his plans. Who would ever guess that a young Jewish woman named Hadassah (Esther), an orphan, would end up the queen of the greatest empire the world had ever known? Who but God could bring about such a powerful reversal through the “weakness” of a young woman?CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLEWithout ever mentioning God directly, the book of Esther underscores the providence of God. God’s promise to give the Jews an eternal ruler remained in place, even in the face of threatened annihilation. Esther shows us that many Jews remained faithful to their God even in exile. They kept their identity as God’s people through the synagogues that developed as the centers of the Jewish community wherever Jews settled. The synagogues would later play a significant role as the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire, for these served as natural starting places for the deliverance of the gospel in the towns visited by the apostles (e.g., Ac 9:20; 17:1–2; 18:19; 19:8).Key Verses (ESV)
Esther 2:15: "When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her." Esther 4:14: "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"Esther 6:13: "And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, 'If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.'"Esther 7:3: "Then Queen Esther answered, 'If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request.'"Key Passages (NLT)
Es 4:14–16 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all…Es 9:31–10:3These letters established the Festival of Purim—an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of…Structure & Outline 1
Esther functions like a play, using irony, tragedy, and comedy. It can be divided into two acts: In the first half of the book (Esth 1–5), the danger to the Jews escalates, while in the second half (chs. 6–10), they are delivered.At the beginning of the book, King Ahasuerus sends for his wife, but she refuses to come (ch. 1). He decides to find a different wife, which leads to Esther becoming queen. Soon after, Mordecai thwarts an assassination plot against the king (ch. 2). But when Mordecai refuses to bow before Haman, a high-ranking government official, Haman is infuriated and convinces the king to sign an edict decreeing death for all Jews—claiming that they are disloyal to the crown. Haman does this slyly without naming the Jews directly (ch. 3). Learning of the plot, Mordecai pleads with Esther to speak to the king on the Jews’ behalf. She initially hesitates, fearing for her life, but she ultimately agrees to approach the king (ch. 4). Esther risks her life by entering the king’s inner court uninvited (4:11), but King Ahasuerus responds favorably. Esther invites both him and Haman to a banquet (ch. 5). The two men attend the banquet, but Esther chooses not to reveal her request, instead inviting the men to a second banquet. The first act ends with Haman plotting the death of Mordecai.At the beginning of the second act, the king realizes that Mordecai has not been rewarded for saving his life. Through a comical turnabout, Haman himself is forced to honor Mordecai in the public square (ch. 6). The second banquet then takes place, where Esther asks the king to save the Jews—including herself—from annihilation. When the king asks who is behind the threat, Esther identifies Haman, who is executed on the same gallows that he had built to kill Mordecai (ch. 7).The king then gives Haman’s estate to Esther and gives Mordecai the king’s own signet ring, effectively allowing the Jews to strike down their enemies, who had since arisen in droves due to the genocidal edict (9:1). The entire city celebrates, and many people openly declare their Jewishness. Mordecai gains power throughout the empire, and he instructs the Jews to remember these events with an annual celebration called Purim (chs. 8–9). The book concludes with a notation that Mordecai had assumed the place of highest-ranking official to the king—Haman’s former role (ch. 10).Outline • The rise of Esther and Mordecai (1:1–2:23) • The Jews are threatened (3:1–4:17) • The plot is reversed (5:1–7:10) • The Jews triumph (8:1–10:3)Outline 2
This book consists of 10 chapters and includes three main sections. The first section includes the narrative of Queen Vashti's fall from her position (Esther 1) and Esther's promotion to queen in Vashti's place (Esther 2:1–18). The second section focuses on Mordecai's struggle with wicked Haman (Esther 2:19—7:10). Mordecai's loyalty is noted (Esther 2:19–23), in contrast to Haman's actions (Esther 3). In chapters 4—5, Esther fasts and prepares to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people, whom Haman had conspired against to destroy. In a providential event, the king has his historical records read to him and is reminded of Mordecai's loyalty to save his life. The king rewards Mordecai in a way that shames Haman, and Haman is ultimately hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (chapters 6—7).The third section then emphasizes Israel's efforts to overcome Haman's attempt at genocide (Esther 8—10). Esther and Mordecai manage to provide a means for the Jews to defend themselves (Esther 8). The king's scribes are summoned to write an edict allowing the Jews the right to self-defense against their enemies. This leads to the victory of the Jews against those who would wipe them out (Esther 9:1–19).As a result, Purim is instituted, as an ongoing feast of celebration and remembrance (Esther 9:20–23). The book concludes with a brief note on Mordecai's fame (Esther 10). Mordecai is described as second in rank to the King, as "great" among the Jews, and one who sought the welfare of the people, speaking peace to them (Esther 10:1–3).