Esther And The Bible: The Book Of Esther

The Book of Esther presents Persia as the setting under the rule of King Ahasuerus in the capital of Shusan/Susa. There is a debate concerning the identity of King Ahasuerus with little consensus. The book in question is even proposed to either be a fabrication or a historical novella. Regardless, the Book of Esther portrays how Jews of the time perceived their place under Persian rule. King Ahasuerus is depicted as a largely unknowing and malleable ruler as he is convinced by Haman to execute his wife, Queen Vashti for disobeying an order to strip at a party, and later seen as unaware of Esther’s Jewish heritage despite being the one to pick her. The climax of the story is due to King Ahasuerus being convinced to permit the genocide of

Also seen in the Old Testament, Esther parallels Joseph by assimilating from being a passive commoner to a queen, the highest royal position for a woman. Her life entirely changes when she marries King Ahasuerus

The purpose of the book of Esther defined is thus, it is to provide a historical motive for the commencement and perpetual celebration or observation of the Feast of Purim. It was also used to exhort the Jewish populace to put their trust on providence or God for their welfare. According to Lasor, Hubbard and Bush; “Purim is a boisterous celebration full of merriment and high spirits, in which the ordinary conventions of decorum and deportment are suspended and a spirit of satire and fun is given full sway.” The major theme of Esther is of the traps laid returning to the one who plotted and started it. This the author does by constantly reminding the audiences of the ongoing conflict between Israel and their enemies [Haman an Amalekite? an old enemy of the Jews from the time of Exodus] (Esther 2:5, 3:1-6, 9:5-10). The unknown author juxtaposes Haman with Mordecai. The whole of Esther is narrated or portrayed through these two characters with their own struggles. Haman the antagonist of the text sought to exterminate the Jews in the Persian Empire. Mordecai and Esther sought to preserve their people from their impending doom. When Esther presents herself unrequested into the presence of the King risking her life in the process, she is portrayed as trusting in something greater to preserve her. The celebratory theme that underlines

King Xerxes had amazing amounts of wealth and many wives and concubines, but the wife that stood out, and perhaps the most infamous wife in his courts, was Queen Vashti.

Jewish history and its overall themes are expressed through The Book of Esther, which is in The Holy Bible. This sacred text takes place in 486 BC, when King Xerxes I ruled Persia. This story is an historical interpretation of the life of Queen Esther along with the lives of the Jewish people. Even though The Book of Esther is only ten chapters, it contains many rich themes. Also, the characters exercise many different traits such as: fortitude, empathy, and divine providence. The Book of Esther explores many themes, such as faith, manipulation, and courage in order to show the Jews, who are living in exile, that it is possible to gain success in the country of one’s exile without showing one’s true identity.

Heroics must have ran into the family. Esther also displayed valor, when it came to going before the king unannounced. This was a risky move, if the king did not acknowledge Esther; she would be killed on the spot. Ignoring imminent danger Esther went before the king and not only was acknowledged, but saved her people in the process.

The king loved Esther and he said,“Why didn't you tell me you were a Hebrew?”

Esther trusted God’s plan to save the Jews by ending Haman’s evil plan through the help of the king. In the beginning, Esther had feared that she would receive death for help the Jews. When the king asked Esther, “What is your request?” Esther then responded back by saying, “For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” God had given this plan to Queen Esther to use her power to save the Jews from their enemy. Esther was rewarded for her obedience, and God rewarded her for standing up for the Jews. She used her position, voice, and faith to save a nation through the help of

The characteristics of a person who is a hero are brave, an ideal and strong, but for me a hero is someone who saves other people, and Esther is an example of that heroine. The Jewish festival of Purim can be compared to Halloween; this holiday was an inspiration of Esther; making her the only woman who approved the Jewish religious tradition. The book of Esther is a unique book because there is no direct mention of God, but it does not mean that God has no sovereignty in Esther’s life, this is what intrigues many readers including me to understand the logic of excluding God especially since this story is in the Bible. In addition to God not mentioned, I also find Esther’s story to be intriguing because she is smart, obedient and courage. In my paper, I will be focusing on how Esther is a positive role model and a heroine for the Jews. To support my claims, I will include the Bible, two scholarly articles “Keeping God out of the Book of Esther” by Gregory R. Goswell, and “Heartless Bimbo or Subversive Role Model?: A Narrative (Self) Critical Reading of the Character of Esther” by Angeline Song and last a website article “Esther: Hidden Beauty” by Sara Esther Crispe.

Esther 1:11 “To bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the people and the princes

The Book of Esther is the story of a young Jewish woman, who by the will of God is placed in the position to speak out against the genocide of her people. Esther is chosen by King Ahasuerus to be his new queen after the previous queen, Vashti defies him and is subsequently dethroned. Raised by her elder cousin Mordecai, Esther is advised to keep her Jewish ethnicity a secret. Haman the King’s high official is offended by Mordechai’s refusal to pay respect and bow down to him. Word of Mordecai being a Jew reaches Haman. Seeking revenge, Haman manipulates King Ahasuerus into issuing an edict for the extermination of all Jews. Mordecai calls upon Esther to convince the King to spare the Jewish people. Strategically, Esther arranges a banquet where

When the Japanese took over Korea, many of the Christians were in misery and pain. In addition, they were also forced to bow at the shrine of their “sun god.” If they didn’t follow their command, they will be tortured or worse, could even die. Therefore, the Christians were scared of getting this punishments so they had no choice but to follow their commands. However, the three young man decided that they would just die, honoring God. When Esther saw them doing this, she also knew what she should do. Esther decided that she would not live her life doing things that benefits her, but instead, willing to risk her life while continuing to follow God.

Esther is like the Proverbs 31 woman; like Ruth and Judith, when Esther is queen she puts on not only her beautiful royal clothing on, but also strength and dignity which are represented through the clothing. Because Queen Vashti does not listen to King Ahasuerus, the king sent letters to every province, “declaring that every man should be mater in his own household” (Esther 1:22). The king’s order is backward of the Proverbs 31 woman, who oversees the house. Esther is chosen by Ahasuerus to replace Vashti as queen. After selected, she was given months of cosmetic treatments (2:8-9). Esther then won the kings favor from the group of young virgins he systematically raped. Up until this point, Esther has been under the protection of Mordecai

At first read the book of Esther is a story of a Queen who was able to achieve a heroic act that saved her people from being destroyed. However as you examine the story it’s more than a historic story of triumph, but through the actions of the characters in the story it becomes a blueprint for many aspects of leadership. By examining the different dimensions of the leadership traits of King Ahasuerus, Haman, Mordecai and Esther will represent the different facet of developing into a leader.

The Book of Esther, Purim and its Babylonian origins: Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman, was chosen by a Babylonian King, Ahasuerus, and, with the help of her uncle Mordechai, saved the Jewish people from a massacre ordered by the wicked Hamman. This book, included in the Jewish and Christian Bible, is the occasion of the feast of Purim. Yet this story has nothing to do with the Jewish people and contains historical mistakes: The Persian history ignored a Jewish queen named Esther. The Book of Esther said that the king send his order to exterminate the Jewish peoples in 128 countries. Yet this decree was discovered nowhere during any archaeological excavations. This explains why the book of Esther