The genre of the book of esther is narrative history. The book ends with mordecai as the kings chief minister. Mar 30, 2008 we can use ahasuerus and the rest of the book of esther to learn some important lessons. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Nov 23, 2009 esther chapter 3 there are two main people in this chapter of the book of esther, mordicai and haman. The book of esther does not specifically name its author. Esther is read during the purim feast on 14th and 15th adar februarymarch.
She was a jewess named hadassah the myrtle, but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known esther 2. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press. But it is also a wonderful story of courage and faith. The main question is what significance do those elements have for you, in terms of what those stories mean to those cultures, or from a feminist critical angle, etc. In the jewish bible, esther follows ecclesiastes and lamentations and is read on the festival of purim, which commemorates the rescue of the jews from hamans plottings.
Sara esther crispe, a writer, inspirational speaker and mother of four, is the codirector of interinclusion, a nonprofit multilayered educational initiative celebrating the convergence between contemporary arts and sciences and timeless jewish wisdom. Tim challies tells of looking at a book that his uncle had used that gave stepbystep instructions on how to properly butcher a deer and prepare the meat. The book of esther intrigues positively, too, one reason being its containing rationale for the celebration of the feast of purim, the popularity of which can be accounted for in part by the fact that it constitutes the only worldly holiday in the jewish calendar for the expression of the lighthearted side of life harrison 10951096. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. Information and translations of book of esther in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it is possible to make some inferences about the author. The persians came into power throughout the ancient world under cyrus the great 560530 b. Purim derives its name from the word pur, meaning lot, as in the casting of lots. She sent clothes for mordecai to put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them. In other languages, the heart may be the emotional arena of the soul, and, in still others, heart may refer to the emotional part of the soul in reference to love.
Esther was placed in a royal position, not by chance, but for a purpose. The book of esther has served the jewish people as support of their national hope and especially so. But hamans plans include something horrible for mordecai and his people. The full significance of this reversal of fortune is not lost on zeresh, hamans wife.
In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. Add to that a flavor of steampunk youve likely never tried before, blend it all up but keep it kosher. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. Furthermore, the book of esther is fond of reversals of fortune that strike parity between the jews and their neighbors or foes, and eventually reveal the jews appointed destiny. The chiastic structure of esth 9 accentuates the significance of purim the name adopted by the jews to. Esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. Queen esther petitioned the sages to have it included in scripture. Intro to esther biblica the international bible society. This article is about esther in rabbinic literature. Public calamities, that oppress the church of god, should affect our hearts more than any private affliction, and it is peculiarly distressing to occasion sufferings to others. Significance, celebration of jewish deliverance as told in the book of esther megillah. The book of esther may remind you of a classic, once upon a time childrens story with a wealthy king, his beautiful queen, and an evil villain. God does have a special plan for your lifebut sometimes it will go against common sense. In this context, there is particular significance to the motifs and characters that.
Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. The miracle of esther by yoram hazony articles first things. It belongs to the third section of the judaic canon, known as the ketuvim, or writings. After the death of esthers parents, she was raised by mordecai, an older cousin, who served in the persian rulers palace. Esther starts by being an insignificant individual in the persian empire, but queen vashtis demotion is esther s promotion to the throne. A syriac peshitta text exists for the book of esther syr, which can be dated to c. The book of esther page 2languages the literal, physical heart in literature is a reference to the thinking portion of a persons soul. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. Childs notes the typology which the writer uses in identifying haman and mordecai through genealogies when he writes, haman, the enemy of the jews, is portrayed as the son of hammedatha, the agagite 3. When he learns of the edict against the jews, he encourages esther to confront the king.
The writer of the book of esther probably wanted his readers to realise that god is always in control. Esther 110 nkjv the king dethrones queen vashti now. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. The name esther is assigned only once in the bible. Mordicai was queen esther s cousin and also the gate keeper of king ahasuerus. The lesson here is that gods timing is always immaculate and the book of esther reminds the reader of this and esther s place on the throne at this exact time would save the jews from extermination. Introduction to esther on hidden reading of biblical narratives. The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. Esther 1 king james version 1 now it came to pass in the days of ahasuerus, this is ahasuerus which reigned, from india even unto ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces. Esther then ask the jews to fast about this for three days and three nights esther 4. Yet, strikingly, neither the messiah nor even god is mentioned at all in esther. The book of esther is one of the most problematic members of the biblical canon. It is up to mordecais niece esther to win the affection of the king, unmask hamans treachery and save the jewish people. T he story of esther reads like a novel and is full of great spiritual lessons.
Book of esther, book of the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus xerxes i. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it is possible to make some inferences about the author and the date of composition. The book of esther described part of the jewish diaspora that stayed behind in persia and did not return to jerusalem during the restoration. The christian churches of god observes gods original holy days calendar and is recognised as an authority on the ancient temple system calendar. We might even think that he does not care about us. The book of esther does not mention the name of god.
The book of esther provides one possible answer to that question, tough cookie though it is. The book of esther was likely written between 467 and 350 b. As the days of feasting draw to a close, he summons his wife, vashti, to show off her beauty by appearing wearing only her crown. The detailed descriptions of court life and traditions, as well as the events that occurred in the book, point to an eyewitness author.
We are not always willing to do the work that god has planned for us. The book of esther is well known among the jewish people. Esther chapter 3 there are two main people in this chapter of the book of esther, mordicai and haman. Esther is encouraged by mordicai to conceal her jewishness. How do you deal with someones insidious plot to murder you and everybody like you. I think that esther was chosen and set aside by god to do a work just like he still does today if we allow him to use us. Hence it belongs to the bestknown otbooks with the jews and it is also the book, which has the oldest copies.
Intertextual ripples of the book of esther vrije universiteit. Esther is ishtar, the femme fatale of mesopotamian goddesses, and marduk mordecai is the creator of the world and king of the gods according to babylonian myth. For believers today, the significance of the book of esther is that it coordinates with the rest of the old testament to foreshadow jesus as deliverer and mediator for gods people luke 24. The book of esther describes the jewish heroine esther, who saved the jewish people in persia from annihilation during the reign of king xerxes i ahasuerus of persia, who ruled from 486 to 465 bc. The book of esthers violent ending my jewish learning. Only a little while earlier, she had urged her husband to construct the gallows for. The book of esther would also encourage them to worship the god of israel, though he is not mentioned by name in it ibid.
The book of esther this book takes its name from queen esther, whose history is here recorded. Esther is written during the period of the captivity. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of esther. Mordecai learned of a plot to kill the king and continue reading summary of the book of esther. Based upon the book of esther, this delightful retelling emphasizes the value of courage, faith and obedience. The events detailed in the book of esther took place primarily in shushan, the capital of king ahasueraus empire. This unlikely contestant for a beauty pageant was crowned queen of persia and renamed esther, meaning star. I hope you find the rest of its lifechanging hidden gems. The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes.
The sovereignty of god in the book of esther introduction. The book of esther invites the reader into the world of the powerful and wealthy persian royal court. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. In fact, it is read by them every year during the feast of purim and has become to them a story of national pride. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. The book of esther is a hodgepodge of different genres. May 25, 2011 esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. What is the significance of the book of esther in the. This has special significance since haman is descended from agag, whom saul temporarily spared from death against gods wishes. Purim is a jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the jewish people from haman. It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. He may not always do it in the way we think he should, but the book of esther shows that he is in control even when we dont see him.
The book of esther is a beautiful story about the jews in the time of the diaspora. It is a short story similar to the book of ruth, starting in the palace of shushan susa, one out of the three capitals of the persian empire. The book of esther opens with a description of an enormous 180day party thrown by king achashverosh in his 3rd year as king of the persian empire, ruling over 127 provinces. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it.
Esther, theology of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Esther 4 niv bible when mordecai learned of all that had. The book of esther takes place in susa modern day iran in the court of a persian king, xerxes or ahasuerus. Haman had cast lots to find the best day to destroy the jews. A very important point to remember is that all of these events in the days of esther and mordecai, as well as the executions of the nazis, are really forerunners of the coming false. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esther a comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a. When mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
Another purpose of the book is to provide the historical grounds and cultic significance for the celebration of purim, a festival that is not mentioned in the. It seems that we know gods timing better than he does and are not willing to wait for god to give us the go ahead. But while the characters might resemble a fairy tale, the book of esther depicts actual events that shaped jewish history and instituted the festival of purim. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third section ketuvim, writings of the jewish tanakh the hebrew bible and in the christian old testament. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide. The book of esther has served the jewish people as support of their national hope and especially so in the days of persecution. The book of esther threw down the gauntlet, challenging jews to consider the limits of their tradition and how they could live as both faithful. Susa was in the area known as eilam, in what is now iran. Esther with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.
The significance of the numbers 127 provinces of the empire. The book of esther provides a reallife prognosis of how we as humans today should approach lifes obstacles and challenge ourselves on a daily basis. Numerical features of the book of esther the text of the book of. The book of esther was likely written between 460 and 350 b. Esther bible story summary what christians want to know.
Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus commonly identified as xerxes i, reigned 486465 bce. The bible offers us an answer in the story of esther, mordechais. He had banished his former wife and chose esther through a contest. The book of esther in the bible is a dramatic account which can give us insight into gods special and purposeful plan for our lives. Her story plays between the two waves of return to jerusalem but her bravery is still celebrated every year during the feast of purim esther 9. This and other important lessons you need to learn from the book of esther.
It is clear that the author was a jew, both from his emphasis on the origin of a jewish festival and from the jewish nationalism that permeates the story. The book of esther commands a unique perspective on israels history, taking a peep behind the scenes of the persian monarchy and giving insight into a particular historical event that is not mentioned elsewhere in the scriptures but. The book of esther begins with a sixmonth 180day drinking feast given by king ahasuerus for the army of persia and media and the. The bible offers a wealth of ironic situations, and esther is a prominent source in. Book of esther bible study chapter 4 if i perish, i perish book of esther bible study chapter 5 prayer and the power of the third day book of esther bible study chapter 6 the sleepless king and the providence of god book of esther bible study chapter 7 the downfall of haman the wicked. Esthers uncle, mordecai, appears first as an adoptive father, whose solicitude for esther leads him to the kings gate, where he foils a plot to assassinate the king.
This book had chapters on how to butcher cows, pigs, sheep, rabbits, raccoons and chickens. What was the purpose of queen esthers first banquet. What is the significance of the book of esther in the bible. This summary of the book of esther provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of esther. It has been celebrated by the jews ever since as a great day of deliverance and is known as the feast of purim.
The author of the book of esther is unknown, though some attribute the work to mordecai. The unknown author of the book of esther was most likely a jew very familiar with the royal persian court. Esther is the persian name of a hebrew girl named hadassah means myrtle, who was able to avert the genocide of the hebrews during the time of the babylonian exile see the book of esther. Read 4 important principles you need to learn from the book of esther by ron edmondson on christian blogs. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage, divine timing and gods supreme love. The general opinion of almost all commentators on the holy scriptures makes mardochai the writer of it. Summary of the book of esther genuine leather bible. It is a syroarabian modification of the persian word satarah, which means a star. Haman was an official whom the king had appointed to be over all of the other princes in the medopersian kingdom. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work.
Proper usage and audio pronunciation plus ipa phonetic transcription of the word book of esther. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. But he went only as far as the kings gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed. Esther 110 new king james version nkjv the king dethrones queen vashti. Jan 02, 2020 the book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. The most popular traditions are mordecai a major character in the book of esther, ezra and nehemiah who would have been familiar with persian customs. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. I have read the book esther but not with meaning, how to reread it again with gods understanding and meaning thank you for these 10 points.
515 811 1142 505 240 98 922 161 1342 787 412 710 480 334 1283 502 470 1053 1068 53 367 1005 386 1147 770 1021 308 1297 1301 1221 653 983 647