Introduction to Esther

The book of Esther shows us that God is present even when He seems distant. In the course of the story, Esther—a Jew living during the time of the exile—becomes the queen of Persia. However, an official named Haman plots to kill the Jews throughout the empire. Esther and Mordecai, her cousin, expose the attempted genocide. Mordecai’s cunning, Esther’s bravery, and God’s unseen hand unite to save the Jewish exiles from destruction.

Background

Esther is set about 55–65 years after the end of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. The narrative occurs in Susa, in the court of King Ahasuerus—better known as Xerxes, who ruled the Persian Empire from 486–465 bc. Susa was located about 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf, near the western border of modern-day Iran. Cyrus took Susa from the Elamites probably not long before he conquered Babylon in 539 bc. Darius I, father of Ahasuerus, made Susa the main capital of the Persian Empire. The book was likely composed sometime between 400–200 bc, primarily to explain the origins of the Jewish festival Purim.

Structure

Esther functions like a play, using irony, tragedy, and comedy. It can be divided into two acts: In the first half of the book (Esth 1–5), the danger to the Jews escalates, while in the second half (chs. 6–10), they are delivered.

At the beginning of the book, King Ahasuerus sends for his wife, but she refuses to come (ch. 1). He decides to find a different wife, which leads to Esther becoming queen. Soon after, Mordecai thwarts an assassination plot against the king (ch. 2). But when Mordecai refuses to bow before Haman, a high-ranking government official, Haman is infuriated and convinces the king to sign an edict decreeing death for all Jews—claiming that they are disloyal to the crown. Haman does this slyly without naming the Jews directly (ch. 3). Learning of the plot, Mordecai pleads with Esther to speak to the king on the Jews’ behalf. She initially hesitates, fearing for her life, but she ultimately agrees to approach the king (ch. 4). Esther risks her life by entering the king’s inner court uninvited (4:11), but King Ahasuerus responds favorably. Esther invites both him and Haman to a banquet (ch. 5). The two men attend the banquet, but Esther chooses not to reveal her request, instead inviting the men to a second banquet. The first act ends with Haman plotting the death of Mordecai.

At the beginning of the second act, the king realizes that Mordecai has not been rewarded for saving his life. Through a comical turnabout, Haman himself is forced to honor Mordecai in the public square (ch. 6). The second banquet then takes place, where Esther asks the king to save the Jews—including herself—from annihilation. When the king asks who is behind the threat, Esther identifies Haman, who is executed on the same gallows that he had built to kill Mordecai (ch. 7).

The king then gives Haman’s estate to Esther and gives Mordecai the king’s own signet ring, effectively allowing the Jews to strike down their enemies, who had since arisen in droves due to the genocidal edict (9:1). The entire city celebrates, and many people openly declare their Jewishness. Mordecai gains power throughout the empire, and he instructs the Jews to remember these events with an annual celebration called Purim (chs. 8–9). The book concludes with a notation that Mordecai had assumed the place of highest-ranking official to the king—Haman’s former role (ch. 10).

Outline

• The rise of Esther and Mordecai (1:1–2:23)

• The Jews are threatened (3:1–4:17)

• The plot is reversed (5:1–7:10)

• The Jews triumph (8:1–10:3)

Themes

In the book of Esther, God’s people are suffering in a foreign land. God is never mentioned in the story, yet He is quietly there all along—which seems to be the point. The narrative cleverly reveals Haman’s folly, the royal court’s greed, and the Persian law’s failure. This is in direct contrast to the bravery of Esther, the wisdom of Mordecai, and the courage of the Jewish people—all of which, in a way, show who God is. In addition, the unlikely turns of events in Esther suggest that God is intervening to protect His people. Esther is unexpectedly placed in a position of influence to guide the benevolent responses of the world’s most powerful king.

The book of Esther also shows the interrelated nature of relationships. It gives us hope that our lives are part of an unfolding story that is infinitely greater than any one of our stories on its own. Esther embraces risks for the sake of what’s right—and we are called to do the same, for the unseen God and the betterment of humanity.

Further Reading

The Historical Books

Esther, Book of CLBD

Esther CLBD