Esther 10

Why is the book called Esther?

The Greek version of Esther has 6 additional chapters. Catholic Bibles today place these chapters in a separate section after the Book of Esther. Most European Christians used the additional chapters until the Reformation. Protestant and Jewish Bibles use only the 10 Hebrew chapters.

The Reformers didn’t generally like Esther.

Neither Luther nor Calvin wrote commentaries on Esther. Luther criticized the books of 2 Maccabees and Esther this way:

Structure: 10 banquets and a Chiasm.

Fasting

Chiasm X

Ahasuerus aka Achashverosh aka Xerxes

Purpose of Esther

Explain why we Jews celebrate Purim.

Show God working where we don’t expect him.

Esther 1: Queen Vashti Deposed

King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) holds a lavish banquet for his nobles in Susa.

On the final day, he commands Queen Vashti to appear to display her beauty.

Vashti refuses, and the king, advised by his counselors, deposes her to prevent other women from disobeying their husbands.

A decree is issued that every man should be ruler of his own household.

Esther 2: Esther Becomes Queen

A search begins for a new queen.

Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman raised by her cousin Mordecai, is taken to the palace.

She keeps her Jewish identity secret, as instructed by Mordecai.

Esther wins favor with everyone, including the king, and is crowned queen.

Mordecai later discovers a plot to assassinate the king and reports it through Esther. The conspirators are executed, and the event is recorded in the royal chronicles.

Esther 3: Haman’s Plot Against the Jews

The king promotes Haman to a high position.

Everyone bows to Haman, but Mordecai refuses.

Haman is enraged and plots not just to punish Mordecai but to destroy all Jews in the empire.

He convinces the king to issue a decree for their extermination, and the date is set by casting lots (“Purim”).

Esther 4: Esther’s Decision to Act

Mordecai mourns publicly and urges Esther to plead with the king.

Initially hesitant, Esther fears approaching the king uninvited (a capital offense).

Mordecai challenges her, saying, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther agrees to act and asks the Jews to fast for three days as she prepares to approach the king.

Esther 5:

Esther bravely approaches the king and invites him and Haman to two banquets, while Haman, consumed by pride and anger at Mordecai, plots to have him executed.

summarize

Esther 6:

The king can’t sleep and learns that Mordecai was never honored for saving his life. Haman, thinking the honor is for himself, suggests a grand reward—only to be told to give it to Mordecai. Haman is humiliated and warned that his downfall is coming.

Esther 7:

Queen Esther reveals to King Xerxes that Haman is plotting to destroy her people. The king is furious, and when he sees Haman begging Esther for mercy, he misinterprets it as an assault. Haman is then executed on the gallows he built for Mordecai.

Esther 8:

After Haman’s death, King Xerxes gives his estate to Esther and promotes Mordecai. Esther pleads with the king to save the Jews from Haman’s decree. The king allows Mordecai to write a new decree, permitting the Jews to defend themselves. That decree is sent throughout the empire. The Jews rejoice, and many people begin to support them out of fear.

Esther 9:

On the day the Jews were supposed to be destroyed, they defend themselves and defeat their enemies across the Persian Empire. In Susa alone, they kill 500 men and later hang Haman’s ten sons. Esther requests an extra day of defense in the capital. Altogether, 75,000 enemies are killed, but the Jews take no plunder. To celebrate their deliverance, the feast of Purim is established—a yearly reminder of God’s protection and their victory.

Esther 9:29–32 CSB

Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote this second letter with full authority to confirm the letter about Purim. He sent letters with assurances of peace and security to all the Jews who were in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in order to confirm these days of Purim at their proper time just as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had established them and just as they had committed themselves and their descendants to the practices of fasting and lamentation. So Esther’s command confirmed these customs of Purim, which were then written into the record.

Esther 10:1–3 CSB

King Ahasuerus imposed a tax throughout the land even to the farthest shores. All of his powerful and magnificent accomplishments and the detailed account of Mordecai’s great rank with which the king had honored him, have they not been written in the Book of the Historical Events of the Kings of Media and Persia? Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was famous among the Jews and highly esteemed by many of his relatives. He continued to pursue prosperity for his people and to speak for the well-being of all his descendants.

How does Esther 10 relate to the Gospel?

Mordecai is an advocate for God’s people over the whole world, a type of Christ who advocates for us.

He sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace (10:3).

Mordecai's elevation is part of the great reversal in Esther—what looked like certain death became salvation.

The Gospel shows us God's fulfillment that, in Christ, the humble are exalted, the enemy is defeated, and God’s people are delivered.