Judith Vs. Esther

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

The book of Esther tells the faithfulness of one woman and her uncle. It is only one of two books that contain the heroism and bravery of a woman heroine. The story of Esther accomplishes two profound things, the first: “To demonstrate God’s providential care of his people, even those outside the land of Israel, and 2) to commend the observance of the feast of Purim by relating how it originated” (Breneman 289).Unlike the rest of the Bible the story of Esther does not directly state or talk about God, but instead shows God’s plans for all of our lives and how in all frightening moments of life, He remains faithful to those who trust and have faith in Him. “In spite of the omission of any name for deity, there is no other book in all the

Esther is one of the most important women from the Bible. Of all the women in the Bible, Esther is mentioned the most ("The Book of Esther"). The name Esther means hidden. The meaning of her name connects to her story because she kept her Jewish status a secret for many years. Her Jewish name is Hadassah, which is translated to myrtle ("ESTHER in the BIBLE. Heroine Who Saved the Jewish People"). Esther was raised by her cousin, Mordecai ("Sharing StoriesInspiring Change"). Esther’s first appearance in the Bible is when King Xerxes chose Esther to be his new wife, which resulted in her becoming the new Queen of Persia. Esther did not tell Xerxes that she identified as a Jew. ("Bible Gateway Passage: Esther 2 - New International Version"). Not long after Esther became Queen, Mordecai was involved in a disagreement with the grand vizier, Haman. Haman plotted to kill all the Jews in the kingdom out of frustration, but Mordecai heard about this plan and ran and told Esther. At first Esther, was hesitant about approaching the king with this issue because of her background, but she eventually gave into Mordecai’s pleas because she

Esther was an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai (Leath, 2010). There came a time that she would go from orphan to queen. Esther lived in Persia, where King Ahasuerus ruled. A day arrived that Queen Vashti refused to obey King Ahasuerus and was soon replaced by Esther (Leath, 2010). During this time, the King held ultimate power and everyone was subject to the king’s authority. Consequently, Queen Vashti displayed disobedience by not obeying the King and was punished by being removed as queen (Leath, 2010). However, the removal of Queen Vashti paved the way for Esther and she was purposefully placed in position as queen. This seized

The events in New York introduce us to the beginning of Esther’s psychological transformation. The story first inaugurates with the

“ 'The Scarlet Letter' and the book of Esther: scriptural letter and narrative life” by Matthew Gartner

Mordecai is linked with King Saul, who was also the son of Kish and a member of the Benjamite tribe. The root גלה, “exile”, is used four times in 2:5-7, emphasizing the exile. In contrast with the explanation of Xerxes and his court, the author appears to be comparing the luxury of the Persians with the exile of the Jews; the author may also be emphasizing that Esther and Mordecai were Diaspora Jews in order to make them relatable to the audience. The reader is then told that Esther’s parents had died, making Mordecai her guardian and a father-figure. Esther and Mordecai are perfect examples of what it looks like to live like a Jew in exile.

The book of Esther takes us to a historical time in the Bible in the land of Persia, at a time when heroic acts of beauty take a stand for the people of her country. The loyalty and dedication wins the hearts of many that fear the power of royalty. As we read into the book of Esther we will venture through the Literary, Historical, and Contemporary worlds, and learn how life was lived through our eyes of the Persian ways. The book of Esther is about God’s work being done without his presence, nevertheless giving grace to his people and the power to those who do right by the word of God.

Jews there.In order to stop the mass murder of all the Jews , Mordecai asks Esther to talk to the

The book of Esther is a book of history that takes place in Persia around 464 BC to 495 BC. It is a story of Gods redemptive plan using a courageous Jewish woman born Hadassah which means hidden that is what she would become among the group of Persian women that was brought before the Persian Emperor Xerxes so he could select his new queen. Xerxes had a Persian queen Vashti whom he divorced because she disobeyed him and publicly. Xerxes was a careless a foolish ruler who allowed his right-hand man Haman to rein and rule the kingdom without overseeing his affairs himself. Now there was young Jewish orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai a servant to the king. When news spread that all beautiful women be brought before the king. Mordecai

The book of Esther began with King Xerxes needing to pick a new queen. Beautiful women came from all over 127 provinces to his palace in the hope that they would be chosen as queen. He selected Esther, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. She decided to keep her Jewish identity hidden from the king. Esther was an orphan who was raised by her uncle, Mordecai. The king appointed a man named Haman as Prime Minister, and Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, refused to bow down before Haman. Haman was infuriated by this and he asked King Xerxes for permission to destroy all of the Jewish people. He said to the king, “There are certain people, scattered and spread out among the peoples in all the states of your kingdom, their laws are different from other peoples and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to leave them alive” (Esther 3:8). The king agreed and ordered for all of the Jewish people to be killed. Mordecai heard about the order and told Esther that she had to change the kings mind. Esther ended up revealing to the king that she was Jewish, and said that Haman was an enemy. The king was angry and ended up hanging Haman. The king appointed Mordecai as his new Prime Minister, in the place of Haman. Mordecai granted the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against those who try to harm them. The Jewish people were saved and successfully defeated their enemies throughout the provinces.

In some moments, she even has to give up her personal sentiments or belief for her family and the destiny of the whole Israelites. Even though Esther is a book about the victory of a woman, men are still the prevailing figures, for the major story is composed by the conflicts

This is a historical story of good versus evil, from rags to riches, the Book of Esther is a unique story in the Bible. The story is played out though characters, rather than God himself. This story provides us with the view of the Jewish community who remained exiled from their homeland, mostly the Jews living in the Persian Empire. This story has a charming way of telling this story in the Bible, never once is God mentioned in the entire Book Esther. This behind-the-scenes take of God at work is displayed throughout Esther's chapters through "coincidences" and "happen chances" that help to save the Jews from Haman's wicked plot to destroy them. This story is met with some specific miles stones that become apparent thought the story and eventual turn full circle, as God is absent, this is him working tough human interactions.

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.

While there are many hidden intents of thought in the book of Esther I affirm that the strongest theme in the book of the Bible is that of God's providence.