Esther: Be Ready To Stand
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Background
Background
I. Contents
This book, in which the name of God is never explicitly mentioned, yet His sovereignty and faithfulness is prominently displayed. The description of the Persian Empire, its ceremony and customs, suggests that Persia had not yet fallen to Alexander the Great. Therefore the book must have been written before 330 B.C.
Esther describes the deliverance of the Jewish people from the total destruction plotted against them during the reign of Ahasuerus, a Persian king generally identified with Xerxes I (485–465 B.C.). The providential arrangement of circumstances thwarts the plan of Haman, the powerful favorite of the king, who sought vengeance upon the Jews because one of them, Mordecai, refused to bow down in obeisance to him ().
1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
The primary message of the book is God’s protection of his people, perhaps to be understood through this book as the seed of the woman (), through which he preserves and carries on his plan of redemption.
II. Author and Date
The book of Esther prophesies the downfall of the enemies of the Church and of all those who oppose the kingdom of God and his Anointed.
2:1–23 Queen Esther’s Rise
III. Authenticity
Xerxes, at his attendants’ advice, ordered a search for Vashti’s successor (2:1–4). The narrator revealed Esther’s nationality by first identifying Mordecai’s lineage as a Benjamite of the family of Kish. Mordecai was Esther’s foster parent and elder cousin. Esther (“Hadassah,” her Hebrew name) was among those brought to the king’s palace because of her exceptional beauty (2:5–9).
At Mordecai’s advice she concealed her nationality, a factor that figured in her advantage over the enemy Haman.
One year of purification was required for an audience with the king. Esther was received by the king four years after the deposition of Vashti (479 B.C.; 2:16; 1:3). She won his approval and became queen (2:10–18). The western expedition against the Greeks by Xerxes’ Persian ships ended in disaster at Salamis in 481 B.C. His selection of Esther occurred after this debacle.
Because of serious doubts concerning the book’s religious value, both Jews and Christians long were reluctant to admit Esther to their respective canons. Some Jews feared that by instituting a new feast the book implied that Moses was incomplete, but the rabbis came to hold it as equal or even above the Torah, perhaps because of the hope it promised their beleaguered people. It was not admitted to the Christian canon until A.D. 397, and Luther still doubted the book’s importance.
The primary message of the book is God’s protection of his people, perhaps to be understood through this book as the seed of the woman (), through which he preserves and carries on his plan of redemption. The book of Esther prophesies the downfall of the enemies of the Church and of all those who oppose the kingdom of God and his Anointed.
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5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
Looking at Mordecai’s lineage, what stands out to you?
Daughter of uncle makes them first cousins.
5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.
Mordecai was a Babylonian name, likely taken from one of their gods, Marduk. What is significant about the lineage mentioned here? Who else came from the tribe of Benjamin?
2:5 The name Mordecai occurs in Persian treasury records of the period as the name of a government official, but whether he was this Mordecai is not known. For the significance of the fact that Mordecai was a Jew and a descendant of Kish, the father of King Saul ()
1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
First, he was described as Esther’s first cousin, and Esther herself was described as a “young woman” (na‘ara; ), which typically denotes a woman between adolescence and her early 20s at the latest, and p 686 hence Mordecai could not have been much older.
What about the position Mordecai had? What does that say about him?
By this time, many Jews had the opportunity to return from exile. Mordecai chose to stay:
Three stages of Israelite return from exile:
Zerubbabel (538 B.C.)
Esther likely occurs 483 - 464 BC
Ezra (458 B.C.)
Nehemiah (444 B.C.)
Many of the Jews exiled in 596 BC were influential; Mordecai’s relatives even could have been nobility. reveals that the deportation specifically involved the men of valor, craftsmen, and smiths, and that only the poorest people of the land remained in Jerusalem during the 596 BC deportation. The former empire, Babylon, intentionally utilized noble foreigners in their courts; Persia likely had similar practices ().
12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land.
3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
2:7 Hadassah (“myrtle”) is the Hebrew name of Mordecai’s cousin; Esther p 855 (“star”) is her Persian name. The reference to her great beauty prepares the reader for what follows.
2:5 a Jew The common term for the Hebrew people after the exiles to Assyria and Babylon (compare ; ). The narrative emphasizes Mordecai’s ethnicity to focus on the racial tension of the story and prejudices at work.
Mordecai A Babylonian name; Mordecai’s Hebrew name is never given.
a Benjaminite The narrative may emphasize Mordecai being a member of the Israelite tribe of Benjamin because his later foe, Haman, could represent an ancient foe of the Benjaminites, dating to the time of Saul (see note on ).
2:6 Jeconiah, also known as Jehoiachin (), was the second-to-last king of Judah. He was deported to Babylon in 597 b.c. (), 114 years before the present events. Therefore, the clause who had been carried away from Jerusalem cannot refer to Mordecai (it would make him about 120 years old). Rather, the clause must refer to “Kish, a Benjaminite” (the last-mentioned person in ), Mordecai’s ancestor (v. 5).
2:6 Jeconiah Jeconiah (also rendered as Jehoiachin) reigned for only three months in 596 BC, and it was following his reign that the first Babylonian deportation occurred.
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605–562 BC. See note on .
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605–562 BC. See note on .
Babylon See note on .
2:7 Hadassah (“myrtle”) is the Hebrew name of Mordecai’s cousin; Esther p 855 (“star”) is her Persian name. The reference to her great beauty prepares the reader for what follows.
a beautiful figure and was very attractive Esther is described similarly to Rachel in . The Hebrew expression here indicates that she is physically attractive—in terms of her body, including her face, and her overall appearance.
his uncle’s daughter Esther and Mordecai are technically first cousins, but Mordecai functions as Esther’s adopted father. Mordecai’s uncle Abihail, who is of unknown origins (but presumably also from the tribe of Benjamin) is Esther’s father ().
17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
and Joseph in
So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
Let’s go to
a beautiful figure and was very attractive Esther is described similarly to Rachel in . The Hebrew expression here indicates that she is physically attractive—in terms of her body, including her face, and her overall appearance.
8 So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.
Imagine your self in Esther’s position. Young woman, barely out of her teens, if that, taken from a life she had known, thrust into a harem for a foreign king.
2:8–9 It was presumably an honor to be chosen for the harem, though it is unclear from the word taken whether she went willingly or unwillingly. Given the king’s order, she presumably had no choice in the matter. Once there, however, she appears to have been fully compliant, quickly winning the favor of Hegai, who provided her with the finest of everything and promoted her to the best place in the harem. The seven chosen young women, her personal maids-in-waiting, already hint at her royal bearing and destiny.
Imagine your self in Esther’s position. Young woman, barely out of her teens, if that, taken from a life she had known, thrust into a harem for a foreign king.
And it happened, at the proclaiming of the edict of the king and his law, when many young women were being gathered to the citadel of Susa under Hegai’s care, Esther was taken to the king’s palace under the care of Hegai who was in charge of the women.
What can we learn from Esther’s attitude here when the situation is as life-upending as this?
stolen from the life she knew
she has been taken into the harem of the king
never will she return to her uncles house
depression? anxiety?
If the narrative of Esther is mapped to known historical events, then she becomes part of the king’s harem during Persia’s invasion of Greece. This war lasted two years and included the burning of the Acropolis in Athens, but ultimately ended in defeat for the Persians (480–479 BC). Although Persia remained primarily in control of their former empire—from India to Ethiopia, as 1:1 indicates—they never fully recovered from their defeat in Greece.
This war makes the events of the book of Esther chronologically problematic: It would be difficult, although not impossible, for king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to conduct the actions described in the narrative while engaged in warfare in Greece.
the king’s palace The women do not actually enter the king’s presence at this point, but instead merely begin living in his complex (compare v. 13).
The precise number of women gathered from around the empire is unknown, but Artaxerxes, the king after Ahasuerus, had 360 concubines, according to a much later historian, Plutarch (Artaxerxes 27.5). King Solomon had 300 concubines and 700 wives ().
LEB
The young woman pleased him and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the king’s palace, and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the harem.
Mordecai instructs Esther to hide her identity. Why do you think she was asked to do this?
not dwelling on the past
she could have gone into this situation depressed, with a bad attitude,complaining
made things worse for herself
How do I move foreward ?
Someone go to
We see what Esther did
2:9 seven chosen maids Hegai quickly appoints seven women to specifically assist Esther.
Accelerating the beginning of the twelve-month beauty regimen may have increased Esther’s chances of being chosen by providing her with the potential to visit the king earlier.
2:10 did not disclose her people To keep her national identity secret, Esther would have eaten unclean food, as may be implying () and broken a number of other ceremonial regulations (compare and ).
2:10 did not disclose her people To keep her national identity secret, Esther would have eaten unclean food, as may be implying () and broken a number of other ceremonial regulations (compare and ).
2:5–6 This portion of the narrative may be intended to explain Mordecai’s access to the grounds of the royal palace—a fact that becomes integral to the narrative (vv. 11, 19; 4:1–2). Many of the Jews exiled in 596 BC were influential; Mordecai’s relatives even could have been nobility. reveals that the deportation specifically involved the men of valor, craftsmen, and smiths, and that only the poorest people of the land remained in Jerusalem during the 596 BC deportation. The former empire, Babylon, intentionally utilized noble foreigners in their courts; Persia likely had similar practices ().
It is unclear whether the Hebrew in these verses should be interpreted as saying that Mordecai was deported with the exiles in 596 BC. If this is the case, then Mordecai’s old age (well over 100 years) presents historical issues. Although it defies the most natural reading of the Hebrew syntax, the deportation could be understood as referring to one of Mordecai’s relatives, probably his father, Jair. The mention of Shimei and Kish would then act as a parenthetical thought referencing Mordecai’s ancient relatives—with Shimei being the one from Saul’s household () and Kish being Saul’s father ().
5. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew—Mordecai held some office about the court. But his “sitting at the king’s gate” () does not necessarily imply that he was in the humble condition of a porter; for, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state officers were required to wait in the outer courts till they were summoned into the presence chamber. He might, therefore, have been a person of some official dignity. This man had an orphan cousin, born during the exile, under his care, who being distinguished by great personal beauty, was one of the young damsels taken into the royal harem on this occasion. She had the good fortune at once to gain the good will of the chief eunuch (). Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favorite with all who looked upon her (, last clause). Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, that is, “myrtle,” which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed to Esther, that is, the star Venus, indicating beauty and good fortune [GESENIUS].
9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.
2:5 a Jew The common term for the Hebrew people after the exiles to Assyria and Babylon (compare ; ). The narrative emphasizes Mordecai’s ethnicity to focus on the racial tension of the story and prejudices at work.
Mordecai A Babylonian name; Mordecai’s Hebrew name is never given.
a Benjaminite The narrative may emphasize Mordecai being a member of the Israelite tribe of Benjamin because his later foe, Haman, could represent an ancient foe of the Benjaminites, dating to the time of Saul (see note on ).
9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.
Jehoiachin EDB
46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605–562 BC. See note on .
Babylon See note on .
his uncle’s daughter Esther and Mordecai are technically first cousins, but Mordecai functions as Esther’s adopted father. Mordecai’s uncle Abihail, who is of unknown origins (but presumably also from the tribe of Benjamin) is Esther’s father ().
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
a beautiful figure and was very attractive Esther is described similarly to Rachel in . The Hebrew expression here indicates that she is physically attractive—in terms of her body, including her face, and her overall appearance.
46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.
And it happened, at the proclaiming of the edict of the king and his law, when many young women were being gathered to the citadel of Susa under Hegai’s care, Esther was taken to the king’s palace under the care of Hegai who was in charge of the women.
and now her life had changed dramatically
stolen from the life she knew
1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
she has been taken into the harem of the king
never will she return to her uncles house
depression? anxiety?
2:8 indicates that twelve months pass between Esther becoming part of the harem and entering the king’s private quarters. Thus, Esther became part of the king’s harem in December 480 BC or January 479 BC. It is not indicated precisely how Esther becomes part of the harem, outside of that she is attractive (v. 7).
If the narrative of Esther is mapped to known historical events, then she becomes part of the king’s harem during Persia’s invasion of Greece. This war lasted two years and included the burning of the Acropolis in Athens, but ultimately ended in defeat for the Persians (480–479 BC). Although Persia remained primarily in control of their former empire—from India to Ethiopia, as 1:1 indicates—they never fully recovered from their defeat in Greece.
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
This war makes the events of the book of Esther chronologically problematic: It would be difficult, although not impossible, for king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to conduct the actions described in the narrative while engaged in warfare in Greece.
the king’s palace The women do not actually enter the king’s presence at this point, but instead merely begin living in his complex (compare v. 13).
Is it fair to compare the choices Esther made to the choices Daniel made? Why or why not?
The precise number of women gathered from around the empire is unknown, but Artaxerxes, the king after Ahasuerus, had 360 concubines, according to a much later historian, Plutarch (Artaxerxes 27.5). King Solomon had 300 concubines and 700 wives ().
The young woman pleased him and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the king’s palace, and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the harem.
believe was always looking forward
not dwelling on the past
1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
she could have gone into this situation depressed, with a bad attitude,complaining
It is Esther’s guardian, Mordecai—who functions as her father—who makes this request, so culturally and by very broadly applied standards of the law, she would be disobeying her father if she refused (; ).
made things worse for herself
How do I move foreward ?
We see what Esther did
2:9 seven chosen maids Hegai quickly appoints seven women to specifically assist Esther.
Accelerating the beginning of the twelve-month beauty regimen may have increased Esther’s chances of being chosen by providing her with the potential to visit the king earlier.
2:10 did not disclose her people To keep her national identity secret, Esther would have eaten unclean food, as may be implying () and broken a number of other ceremonial regulations (compare and ).
It is Esther’s guardian, Mordecai—who functions as her father—who makes this request, so culturally and by very broadly applied standards of the law, she would be disobeying her father if she refused (; ).
7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Nonetheless, consistent with His plan in preparing Israel’s deliverance, God ensured that Esther found favor with her custodian Hegai (vv. 8–9) and all who saw her (v. 15), including ultimately the king himself (v. 17). Then he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Nonetheless, consistent with His plan in preparing Israel’s deliverance, God ensured that Esther found favor with her custodian Hegai (vv. 8–9) and all who saw her (v. 15), including ultimately the king himself (v. 17). Then he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Xerxes, at his attendants’ advice, ordered a search for Vashti’s successor (2:1–4). The narrator revealed Esther’s nationality by first identifying Mordecai’s lineage as a Benjamite of the family of Kish. Mordecai was Esther’s foster parent and elder cousin. Esther (“Hadassah,” her Hebrew name) was among those brought to the king’s palace because of her exceptional beauty (2:5–9). At Mordecai’s advice she concealed her nationality, a factor that figured in her advantage over the enemy Haman.
One year of purification was required for an audience with the king. Esther was received by the king four years after the deposition of Vashti (479 B.C.; 2:16; 1:3). She won his approval and became queen (2:10–18). The western expedition against the Greeks by Xerxes’ Persian ships ended in disaster at Salamis in 481 B.C. His selection of Esther occurred after this debacle.
Chronology in Esther
The events of Esther unfold over a period of 10 years.
2:8–18. The gathering of the virgins began sometime just after the middle of the king’s third year (see 1:3–4 and 2:1–4). Esther—who lived in the same city as the king himself—is taken to the king’s palace only toward the end of his sixth year (i.e., more than three years later). This is implied by her audience with the king having been in the tenth month of his seventh year, after twelve months of cosmetic preparation (v. 12) This timetable suggests either that Esther had just attained adolescence when she was taken (though this is unlikely in view of her description as a “young woman” in v. 7, see comment there), or, as deduced by many medieval commentators, that Mordecai, not wanting her to be taken into a pagan’s harem, did his best to “hide” her for as long as he could. In the end, however, Esther was taken (lit., “seized”) along with the other young ladies. Nonetheless, consistent with His plan in preparing Israel’s deliverance, God ensured that Esther found favor with her custodian Hegai (vv. 8–9) and all who saw her (v. 15), including ultimately the king himself (v. 17). Then he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
The girl who pleases the king is, of course, Esther, who is introduced in verses 5–7 along with her cousin Mordecai, a Jew living in Susa. Mordecai’s forebears associate him with Saul, the king whom the Lord had chosen to be savior and ruler of Israel but who disobeyed on several occasions and was finally rejected and replaced by David. These exiles are strangers in a strange land, reflected in the heroine’s double name—Hadassah (Heb. Myrtle) and Esther (Babylonian Ishtar, Star, or Myrtle)—and in Esther’s orphaned state. In ancient Israel orphans were provided for by law (); Mordecai fulfills the intent of the law in a new setting.
Esther is brought to court and placed in the care of Hegai. Esther pleases Hegai, and he provides special privileges—beauty treatments and select food.
Verses 10–11 parenthetically remind us that advancement at court has not disturbed Esther’s loyalty to Mordecai. The reason for Mordecai’s command that she conceal her origins is not transparent but reflects the tight-lipped prudence of a good courtier ().
Let’s move to
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. 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
2:15 God causes Esther the Jew to be chosen, which will later play a key role in delivering the Jews.
2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
Can you draw comparisons to the situation of Esther and that of Joseph in Egypt?
a new character in our story
He was raising Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she did not have a father or a mother; the young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had taken her as his daughter.
orphan raised by an uncle
prisoner in foreign country
a Hated Jew
2:15 After the interlude of vv. 12–14, the narrative transitions back to the story of Esther. Esther is once again depicted as carefully following the recommendations of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem of virgins, just as she had carefully followed Mordecai’s instructions (compare v. 10). This seems to imply that she followed Hegai’s instructions on how to dress and adorn herself.
carried favor The depiction of Esther as winning everyone’s favor seems to imply a further level of compromise as a Jewish person. To win everyone’s favor, Esther must have acted, dressed, and eaten like a Persian.
Significantly, both stories are driven by human desire ignited by physical beauty. Joseph might have lived out his days as a servant to Potifar if not for his good looks. True to biblical form, in both stories human beauty works against its “bearer.” A figure of authority and power, Potifar’s wife desires Joseph because of his fine form. His refusal lands him in prison, a treatment apparently reserved for high ranking officials (others were probably beheaded.) From the prison Joseph rises to high rank in the palace, second to the Pharaoh.
Esther could have made this compromise because she sees becoming queen as so vital and because of her desire to keep honor Mordecai’s instructions. Nonetheless, once she marries the king, she is breaking an additional Jewish law—to not marry a foreigner, because that would lead to worshiping their gods instead of Yahweh ().
Joseph - happens outside of Israel in Egypt Esther - happens outside of Israel in Persia
Esther - happens outside of Israel in Persia
Joseph - becomes #2 in Egypt Esther - becomes Queen of Persia
As we move along, we will continue to build the comparison.
3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
Nonetheless, the text does not indicate that Esther worshiped foreign gods, so she could have kept the essentials of her religion while compromising on the particulars. A similar level of compromise is evident with Joseph (see ). Joseph is also depicted as winning favor with nearly all people he encounters: Potiphar (), the chief jailer (), and Pharaoh himself (). But Joseph is also the reason why his family survives a famine ().
And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.
51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
Genesis 41:
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.
8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.
23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.
26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.
28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
1 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” 16 And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.
27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.
29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.
LEB
When the turn came near for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as a daughter, to go to the king, she did not ask anything except what Hegai the eunuch of the king who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther carried favor in the eyes of everyone that saw her. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his palace, in the tenth month that is Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign.
Does seem appropriate here?
she made the best of this new life.
conclusion
God’s life for us involves roadblocks and detours
words that we never want to hear cancer, death, homeless, or worse.
if you are a child of God you can have the confidence that as
2:16 Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign December 479 BC or January 478 BC, about four years after Vashti had been deposed. Esther enters the king’s quarters either at the end of Persia’s war with Greece or while it is taking place.
Chronologically, this places Esther’s first encounter with the king and subsequent coronation—which the continuous narrative of vv. 16–17 seems to indicate takes place right away—about 20 years before Ezra returns to Jerusalem with a group of Jewish exiles and approximately 34 years before Nehemiah returns.
2:16 Tebeth, in midwinter, was the tenth month of the Jewish religious calendar. seventh year. Four years after the events recounted in ch. 1 (see 1:3; and chart).
2:17 loved The Hebrew word here indicates preference, not romantic love. Malachi uses the same word to describe Yahweh’s choice of Jacob over Esau ().
a royal crown The remaining narrative depends on this plot point. Esther, over all other women presented to the king, is chosen to replace Vashti as queen and is given her crown (likely an adorned turban) to symbolize the action (compare ).
Mordecai, who may have been in the king’s service as a gatekeeper (2:19), discovered a plot to kill Xerxes (perhaps because of disaffection over his losses at Salamis). The two culprits were hanged on gallows, and Mordecai’s heroism was recorded (2:21–23). From this incident Mordecai learned of Esther’s new power at court. The concealment of her identity and the record of Mordecai’s deed would lead to Haman’s eventual undoing (6:1–2; 7:3–6). The traitors’ gallows anticipated Haman’s own death for the same crime of treachery (7:10).
17. the king loved Esther above all the women—The choice fell on Esther, who found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of whom Oriental princes have a great number.
2:15 God causes Esther the Jew to be chosen, which will later play a key role in delivering the Jews. Esther in her beauty prefigures the church as the bride of Christ (; ; ; see note on ).
17. the king loved Esther above all the women—The choice fell on Esther, who found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of whom Oriental princes have a great number.
he set the royal crown upon her head—This consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked with white, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by a magnificent entertainment, and, in honor of the auspicious occasion, “he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.” The dotation of Persian queens consisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, in various parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal and domestic expenditure. Some of these imposts the king remitted or lessened at this time.
When the turn came near for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as a daughter, to go to the king, she did not ask anything except what Hegai the eunuch of the king who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther carried favor in the eyes of everyone that saw her. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his palace, in the tenth month that is Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther took the advice of her mentor, when her time to go into the king.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
she made the best of this new life.
conclusion
God’s life for us involves roadblocks and detours
words that we never want to hear cancer, death, homeless, or worse.
if you are a child of God you can have the confidence that as
LEB
God is in control no matter what your situation is
God is in control no matter what your situation is
if you are not a child of God I want to invite you to to join the Family
Bad news good news
saved by grace through faith
Takeaways
Takeaways
God does not have to always work overtly to accomplish His plans
God can work through unlikely people and events to achieve His purposes and to bring glory to Himself
Esther shows us that we cannot always control our circumstances, but we can control our reaction.
Our lives are in God’s hands in ways not immediately clear to us.
11. Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house—The harem is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within its walls is as much a secret to those without as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs.
12. Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus—A whole year was spent in preparation for the intended honor. Considering that this took place in a palace, the long period prescribed, together with the profusion of costly and fragrant cosmetics employed, was probably required by state etiquette.
2:12–14 The narrative is interrupted by an excursus in about the process of preparing virgins to visit the king. It is clear that this visitation is a sexual act: Each woman visits the king in the evening and does not return until the morning. After her return, she transitions from the group of virgins to the group of concubines.
Although the details of the beauty regimen the women went through prior to visiting the king is unknown, the Hebrew text indicates that it involved two separate six-month treatments, which included skin treatments and an elaborate perfume process. The extravagance of the process fits with the overall extravagance of the king seen in ch. 1.
2:14 concubines Once the king had intercourse with a woman, she was separated from the virgins, placed under the leadership of a different eunuch (Shaashgaz), and would only see the king again if he specifically asked for her. Presumably, women who were not chosen would spend the rest of their days in the king’s harem.
This text also seems to imply that, at times, concubines had sexual relations with the king once and were never called on again. Life for these concubines was more like widowhood than marriage. Although they lived a life of luxury, it seems that concubines in the Persian Empire were treated essentially like property of the king—primarily viewed as sexual partners with no legal rights. Any child born as a result of their intercourse with the king would have likely been trained to work in the palace and had no rights to the throne. Only the son of the king and his queen could be a legitimate heir.
Verses 12–14 describe the storybooklike ritual by which the hopefuls are prepared, presented—and fail to please. Their routine transfer from one eunuch to the king to another eunuch prepares us for the climax of the chapter. Their implied profligacy and ostentation is contrasted with Esther’s unadorned beauty and careful adherence to Hegai’s advice. Esther wins the favor of everyone who sees her—even before the king is captivated. The bedroom scene is handled delicately: she is led to the king on a date to be remembered in the kingdom (tenth month, seventh year). He loves her; she finds favor in his sight. The disquiet caused the king and kingdom by Vashti is atoned for; the king crowns Esther. The celebration begins with a feast for Esther and the court and a royal holiday (rest) and gifts for the provinces—a foreshadowing of the Purim rites of chapter 9.