Esther #71

Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah, is the heroine of the Book of Esther. An orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, she lived among the Jews who remained in the Persian empire after the exile, and she became queen to King Ahasuerus, generally identified with Xerxes I, who ruled from 486 to 465 BC (Esther 2:5-7, 16-17). The story is set in the capital of Susa and takes place among the Jews who chose not to return to Judah.

Biblical Significance

After Queen Vashti refused the king’s summons, Esther was chosen from among many young women to replace her, and at Mordecai’s instruction she did not reveal her Jewish identity (Esther 2:1-20). Meanwhile, Haman, whom the king had promoted above all the officials, was enraged that Mordecai would not bow to him, and he persuaded the king to issue a decree that all Jews in the empire be killed on a set day, chosen by casting lots, or pur (Esther 3:1-15).

Mordecai urged Esther to appeal to the king, but she reminded him that approaching the king uninvited could mean death. Mordecai’s reply is the best known passage in the book: if she remained silent, relief would come from another quarter, but she and her father’s house would perish, and who knew whether she had come to the kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:12-14). Esther asked the Jews of Susa to fast for three days on her behalf, then declared that she would go to the king, and if she perished, she perished (Esther 4:15-17).

She invited the king and Haman to two banquets, and at the second she revealed her identity and named Haman as the enemy who plotted against her people. Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 5 through 7). Because a royal decree could not be revoked, the king allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and they prevailed (Esther 8 through 9). Mordecai and Esther then established an annual festival, Purim, to mark the deliverance (Esther 9:20-32).

The book is unusual in that it never mentions God by name, which has led interpreters to read God’s activity in the remarkable timing of events, in what is sometimes called hidden providence. Scholars also note that the book’s ancient Greek translation contains additions, including prayers, that are not in the Hebrew text.

Legacy

Purim is still celebrated in Jewish communities with the public reading of the Scroll of Esther, gifts to the poor, and festive meals. Esther is admired for courage that grows out of a reluctant beginning, and the phrase “for such a time as this” is widely cited in discussions of calling and of how a person’s position may carry responsibility for others. She is one of only two women, along with Ruth, to have a book of the Bible named for her.