Esther (Esther 2:5–7; Esther 2:8–18; Esther 2:19–23; Esther 3:1–15; Esther 4:1–17; Esther 5:1–8; Esther 5:9–6:14; Esther 7:1–10; Esther 8:1–17; Esther 9:1–32; Esther 10:1–3)

Hadassah, Queen Instead of Vashti

Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of Mordecai's uncle, whom he brought up when her father and mother were dead; made queen instead of Vashti, she went in to the king unbidden when a decree was given out against the Jews, named Haman as the adversary, and joined Mordecai in confirming the days of Purim.

The book of Esther first names her through her guardian: “There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai” (Esther 2:5), and “he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother” (Esther 2:7). When king Ahasuerus put Vashti away, maidens were gathered to Shushan, and Esther was taken into the king's house. “Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known” (Esther 2:10). The king “set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17).

After Haman the Agagite was advanced above all the princes and Mordecai would not bow, Haman sought “to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:6). When word of the decree reached her, Esther told Mordecai that to come to the king unbidden meant death unless he held out the golden sceptre (Esther 4:11). Mordecai asked, “who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14), and she answered, “so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). The king held out the scepter; she asked the king and Haman to a banquet, and at the second banquet she said, “let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request” (Esther 7:3). Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

The king gave Haman's house to Esther, and she besought him with tears to put away Haman's device; new letters went out in the king's name. The Jews gathered in their cities and had rest from their enemies, and the days were named Purim. “And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book” (Esther 9:32). The book never names God; it records her call to fast (Esther 4:16) but no prayer. It does not record her death, and it closes with the greatness of Mordecai (Esther 10:1-3). Esther is named in no other book.

Strengths

• Favor in the sight of all
• Required nothing but what was appointed
• Did the commandment of Mordecai
• If I perish, I perish
• Concern for her people and kindred
• Besought the king with tears

Themes

• A people marked for destruction
• For such a time as this
• The king's scepter
• Fasting before going in
• Turned from sorrow to gladness
• The days of Purim

Hadassah raised by Mordecai (Esther 2:5–7)

Mordecai, a certain Jew in Shushan, brings up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, and takes her for his own daughter when her father and mother are dead.

Taken into the king's house and made queen (Esther 2:8–18)

Esther is taken to the custody of Hegai, does not make known her people at Mordecai's charge, obtains favor, and is made queen instead of Vashti.

Taken into the king's house and made queen

Vashti the queen had refused to come at the king's commandment (Esther 1:12), and the king's servants said, “let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:4). “Esther was taken into the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women” (Esther 2:8).

“Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her” (Esther 2:10-11). The text gives no reason for the charge.

“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her” (Esther 2:15).

“And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast” (Esther 2:17-18).

Tells the king of the plot in Mordecai's name (Esther 2:19–23)

Mordecai, sitting in the king's gate, learns of two chamberlains who sought to lay hands on the king and shows it to Esther, who tells the king in Mordecai's name.

Haman's decree against the Jews (Esther 3:1–15)

Haman, advanced above the princes, is full of wrath when Mordecai will not bow; Pur is cast before him, and letters are sent into all the provinces to destroy all the Jews in one day.

Mordecai's mourning and Esther's resolve (Esther 4:1–17)

Esther is exceedingly grieved at Mordecai's sackcloth, sends Hathach to him, learns of the decree, answers that none may come in unbidden, and then asks for a three-day fast and says she will go in.

Mordecai's mourning and Esther's resolve

“Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes” (Esther 4:1). “And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved” (Esther 4:4). She called Hathach, and Mordecai sent word “to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people” (Esther 4:8).

Esther's message was that “whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days” (Esther 4:11).

Mordecai answered, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14).

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him” (Esther 4:16-17).

Before the king; the first banquet (Esther 5:1–8)

On the third day Esther stands in the inner court in her royal apparel, the king holds out the golden sceptre, and she asks the king and Haman to a banquet she has prepared.

Haman's gallows; Mordecai honored (Esther 5:9–6:14)

Haman, filled with wrath at Mordecai, has gallows made on the advice of Zeresh and his friends; the king, unable to sleep, has the chronicles read and Haman is made to honor Mordecai before he is brought to Esther's banquet.

The second banquet; Haman hanged (Esther 7:1–10)

At the second banquet Esther asks for her life and her people, names Haman as the adversary and enemy, and Haman is hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

The second banquet; Haman hanged

“And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed” (Esther 7:2).

“Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage” (Esther 7:3-4).

“Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen” (Esther 7:5-6).

Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, spoke of the gallows at Haman's house. The king said, “Hang him thereon.” (Esther 7:9) “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified” (Esther 7:10).

Esther's petition to reverse the decree (Esther 8:1–17)

The king gives Haman's house to Esther; she falls at his feet with tears and asks that Haman's letters be reversed, and new letters are written in the king's name so that the Jews have light and gladness.

Esther's petition to reverse the decree

“On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her” (Esther 8:1). “And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman” (Esther 8:2).

“And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. Then the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre” (Esther 8:3-4).

“If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman … for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” (Esther 8:5-6).

The king answered that “the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse” (Esther 8:8), and bade them write to the Jews as it pleased them. Then “the Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor” (Esther 8:16).

The Jews' deliverance and the days of Purim (Esther 9:1–32)

The Jews gather and have rest from their enemies; Esther asks the king for a second day in Shushan and for Haman's ten sons to be hanged, and she and Mordecai write to confirm Purim.

The Jews' deliverance and the days of Purim

On the thirteenth day of Adar the Jews “gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt” (Esther 9:2). In Shushan the palace the Jews slew five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman (Esther 9:6-10).

The king said to Esther, “Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.” (Esther 9:12) “Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows” (Esther 9:13). The king commanded it so to be done (Esther 9:14).

“Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur” (Esther 9:26). “Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim” (Esther 9:29).

“And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book” (Esther 9:32).

Mordecai (Esther 2:5–7; Esther 2:10; Esther 4:8; Esther 9:29)

A certain Jew in Shushan who brought up Hadassah, his uncle's daughter, charged her not to make known her people, sent word that she go in to the king, and wrote with her to confirm Purim.

Abihail (Esther 2:7; Esther 2:15; Esther 9:29)

Her father, the uncle of Mordecai; he was dead when Mordecai took her for his own daughter, and she is called the daughter of Abihail.

King Ahasuerus (Esther 2:17; Esther 5:2; Esther 8:1)

Made her queen instead of Vashti, held out the golden sceptre when she stood in the inner court, and gave her Haman's house.

Hegai (Esther 2:8–9; Esther 2:15)

The king's chamberlain, keeper of the women, in whose custody she was placed; she obtained kindness of him and required nothing but what he appointed.

Hathach (Esther 4:5–10)

One of the king's chamberlains appointed to attend upon her, who carried her words and Mordecai's between them.

Haman (Esther 3:1–6; Esther 7:3–6; Esther 7:10)

The Agagite who sought to destroy all the Jews; Esther named him before the king as an adversary and an enemy.

Her people (Esther 4:16; Esther 7:3–4; Esther 8:6)

She bade the Jews in Shushan fast for her, and pleaded with the king for her people and her kindred.

Major sections

• Esther 2
• Esther 4–5
• Esther 7–9

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