Who is Esther in the Bible and Why is She Important?
- Trust Your Destiny. In the beginning, Esther tried to hide from King Ahasuerus’ guards so that she wouldn’t have to marry him, but she couldn’t avoid her destiny.
- Follow Your Principles. Esther only ate Kosher food, even when she was in the palace. ...
- She Was Led by the Spirit. ...
- We Should Turn to God When We’re in Trouble. ...
What does Esther represent in the Bible?
Although Esther is the queen of a Gentile nation, she is a Jew by birth. Hadassah, Esther's Hebrew name, means “myrtle,” like an evergreen; myrtle symbolizes peace, joy, generosity, and justice. Her Persian name, Esther, means “the star.” Biblically speaking, God uses his stars.
What does the story of Esther teach us?
The Story of Esther emphasises the power of God, instructing us we should use the blessings given by God to help others. The moral of the Story of Esther, for children, is to always do the right thing, using the influence you possess to help others as Esther does in the story.
Why is the Book of Esther important?
Written in the diaspora in the late Persian/early Hellenistic period (fourth century B.C.E.), the Book of Esther is a Jewish novella that deals with the enduring issues of preserving Jewish identity and ensuring survival amid cultural pressures and hostile enemies in a foreign land.
Why Esther was chosen?
In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen to fulfill this role due to her beauty.
How does Esther relate to Jesus?
She risked her life so that they may have life. It was only through her intercession that God's people were saved. And so, Jesus does the same for us that Esther did for her people. Jesus is/was willing to give up His life so that we might live.
What are the qualities of Esther in the Bible?
Queen Esther Characteristics in the BibleFaithful. When it comes to faithfulness, Esther's spiritual growth is a powerhouse of an example. ... Courageous. Esther's a woman of great courage who risked her life for the Jewish people. ... Humble. ... Knowledgeable. ... Selfless. ... Compassionate. ... Patient. ... Unity.More items...
Is God's name mentioned in the book of Esther?
The most curious thing about the book of Esther is that God is never mentioned.
Why was the name of God not mentioned in the book of Esther?
The correct explanation is that the book of Esther is about divine providence. The book conceals the name of God as a deliberate literary strategy in order to reveal God's providential actions. Providence means that God lovingly guides all of history for His good purposes and intentions.
How old was Esther when she became queen in the Bible?
We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to the throne. As Ahasuerus enjoyed only 14 more years on the throne, we conclude that Esther was but 28 years old when the couple met their deaths.
What does the name Esther mean?
Hide, ConcealMeaning. Hide, Conceal. According to the Hebrew Bible, queen Esther was born with the name הֲדַסָּה Hadassah ("Myrtle"). Her name was changed to Esther to hide her identity upon becoming queen of Persia. The three letter root of Esther in Hebrew is s-t-r ( סתר), "hide, conceal".
What does Esther 4 14 mean?
This verse was spoken to Esther because she found herself in a position to rescue her people, the Jews, from death. But, if she followed through with her plans to intervene, she put her own life at risk because of the laws at that time.
Is Esther a true story?
There is no reference to known historical events in the story; a general consensus, though this consensus has been challenged, has maintained that the narrative of Esther was invented in order to provide an aetiology for Purim, and the name Ahasuerus is usually understood to refer to a fictionalized Xerxes I, who ruled ...
Why is Esther important in the Bible?
Who is Esther in the Bible and Why is She Important? Esther’s story is one of courage and strength. Esther, in the book of Esther, was a biblical heroine who saved the Jewish people. She is recognized mostly for her strength, bravery and dignity. She was chosen by the Persian King Ahasuerus to be his wife in a contest, not knowing she was a Jew.
Why was Esther chosen as his wife?
She is recognized mostly for her strength, bravery and dignity. She was chosen by the Persian King Ahasuerus to be his wife in a contest, not knowing she was a Jew. When the king’s right-hand man, Haman, came up with a plan to kill the Jews, Esther’s uncle found her and pleaded with her to spare Israel. Even though she was his wife, she knew she ...
What is the Holy Spirit's role in Esther's life?
The Holy Spirit is not only a personal guide but also a teacher in this life. As a result of this, Esther was able to set an action plan in place. As a result of her leadership, Esther was able to save her people.
How did Esther achieve salvation?
Ultimately, the way they ultimately achieved salvation was through prayer and repentance. Sometimes God protects us from going through potential problems, and sometimes He miraculously delivers us from problems that confront us. Yet, sometimes we must go through difficult times. When we do, God is always there to walk with us. Psalm 9:9 says, “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” It is comforting to know that God is with you when you are in the midst of trouble. Pray to know God and His peace.
Why did Esther try to hide from Ahasuerus?
In the beginning, Esther tried to hide from King Ahasuerus’ guards so that she wouldn’t have to marry him, but she couldn’t avoid her destiny. The leader of the Jews at the time, named Mordechai realized that this wouldn’t have happened unless she was truly destined to rescue her people.
Why did Esther choose to go in front of the King?
But she believed she was chosen by God to save her own people and agreed to go in front of the king anyway and won his favor and her people were saved. She didn’t let her fear or position stand in her way. Esther is also an incredible example of helping people in need, particularly those who are going through extremely tough ...
What did Esther eat?
Follow Your Principles. Esther only ate Kosher food , even when she was in the palace. Also, when the king went out of his way to get her to tell him her national origin, she held her ground. Staying grounded in your principles is so important.
What is Esther's story?
Her story is recorded in the Old Testament book bearing her name. The Jewish Feast of Purim celebrates this particular deliverance of the Jews. The story of Esther begins with a king’s banquet. King Ahasuerus (also called Xerxes) was the son of the famed Persian king Darius I, who is mentioned in Ezra 4:24; 5:5–7; 6:1–15; Daniel 6:1, ...
Where did Esther live?
Esther had been living in the citadel of Susa, where the king also lived. She was the cousin of a Benjamite named Mordecai, who was also her guardian, having adopted her as his own daughter when her parents died. Mordecai held some type of official position within the Persian government ( Esther 2:19 ).
What did Esther do to help Mordecai?
Queen Esther was unaware of the plot against the Jews, but she found out when her maids and eunuchs told her that Mordecai was in distress. Esther sent a messenger to Mordecai to find out what was wrong. Mordecai sent his cousin a copy of the edict and asked her “to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people” ( Esther 4:8 ). Now, there was a law against entering the king’s presence uninvited, and Esther had not been invited by the king for the past thirty days. Through her intermediary, Esther reported to Mordecai her seeming inability to help. He responded, "Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" ( Esther 4:13–14 ). In a great display of faith, Esther agreed. She asked the Jews to fast for her for three days while she and her maids also fasted. "Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law,” she said, “and if I perish, I perish" ( Esther 4:16 ).
What happened in Esther 2:21–23?
The plot was foiled, but the event was largely forgotten ( Esther 2:21–23 ). We see in this event Esther’s continued connection to Mordecai as well as her integrity. Both Mordecai and Esther honored the king and wanted to protect him from his enemies. After this, the king appointed an evil man over his affairs.
What did Esther invite the King to?
She invited Xerxes and Haman to a banquet that day. The king called for Haman and came to the meal where he asked what she would like, “even up to half the kingdom” (verse 6). Esther invited the two men to attend another banquet the following day where she would present her request (verse 8). The men agreed.
How many women were chosen to fill the Harem?
Josephus, the Jewish historian, records that King Ahasuerus chose a total of 400 women to fill the harem and act as candidates for the new queen ( Esther 2:1–4 ). The women were to undergo a year’s worth of beauty treatments before meeting the king (verse 12).
How long did Esther fast?
In a great display of faith, Esther agreed. She asked the Jews to fast for her for three days while she and her maids also fasted. "Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law,” she said, “and if I perish, I perish" ( Esther 4:16 ). When Esther approached the king, she was literally risking her life.
Where did Esther live?
Esther lived in the Persian Empire during the reign of king Xerxes I who reigned from 486—465 BC. Her story is recorded in the Old Testament book that bears her name. Esther, or Hadassah in Hebrew, was a Jewish slave living in exile.
What were Esther's strengths?
One of Esther's strengths was her willingness to be mentored. She sought the advice of the harem director Hegai on how to please the king which assisted her in winning his approval to be crowned queen. In addition, on multiple occasions she trusted her cousin Mordecai and acted on his request.
What does Esther ask Xerxes and Haman to do?
That night, Esther asks Xerxes and Haman to join her for a banquet the following night, at which point she will make her request. The king agrees, but he has trouble sleeping through the night. So he asks for the chronicles to be read to him. Providentially, he is read the account of Mordecai uncovering a plot.
What did Mordecai tell Esther?
Mordecai had also counseled Esther not to tell the king of her Jewish heritage, and she complied. After Esther is made queen, Mordecai uncovers a plot to assassinate the king and tells Esther, who is able to alert the king in his name. The men involved in the plot are hanged and the event is recorded in the king's chronicles in his presence.
Why does Esther send a messenger to Mordecai?
Esther sends a messenger to Mordecai to find out what is going on. Through her messenger, Mordecai tells Esther the situation, as well as provides her with a copy of the edict. Mordecai specifically asks Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of the Jewish people.
What does Xerxes order Haman to do?
Xerxes orders Haman to do so for Mordecai, which Haman does. Haman and Xerxes both attend Esther's second banquet, at which she exposes Haman's plot to destroy the Jewish people and asks the king to spare her people. Xerxes is aghast that anyone would dare to destroy Esther's people.
Who asked Esther to look beautiful?
At the start of the book of Esther, king Xerxes throws a banquet and asks his wife, Queen Vashti, to look beautiful for him in front of the guests; many think this was a request to appear before the guests naked.
What is Esther's Hebrew name?
Conversely, Rabbi Jehoshua maintained that Esther was her original name and that she was called Hadassah ("myrtle") in Hebrew because she had an (olive-)green complexion. In modern times, the view of the German Assyriologist Peter Jensen that the theonym for the Babylonian goddess Ishtar lay behind Esther gained a general consensus. He thought that the Hebrew name was to be linked to an Akkadian ḫadašatu "bride," which happens to be an epithet often attached to the Babylonian goddess. His other speculation, that ḫadašatu itself also meant "myrtle," has no empirical basis in Akkadian texts.
What religion is Esther?
Religion. Judaism. Esther is described in all versions of the Book of Esther as the Jewish queen of a Persian king Ahasuerus. In the narrative, Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, refuses to obey him, and Esther is chosen for her beauty. The king's chief adviser, Haman, is offended by Esther's cousin and guardian, Mordecai, ...
Why does Ahasuerus go to the garden?
Upon hearing this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden to calm down and consider the situation. While Ahasuerus is in the garden, Haman throws himself at Esther's feet asking for mercy. Upon returning from the garden, the king is further enraged.
What does the first syllable of Esther mean?
Abraham Yahuda conjectured in 1946 that, particularly in light of the Persian setting, the first syllable of 'Esther' ( es-) must reflect the Persian word for my rtle, ās ( سآ )), and therefore her name was the Persian equivalent of "Hadassah" with both meaning myrtle.
Why is Esther considered a Catholic?
Esther was regarded in Catholic theology as a typological forerunner of the Virgin Mary in her role as intercessor Her regal election parallels Mary's Assumption and as she becomes queen of Persia, Mary becomes queen of heaven; Mary's epithet as 'stella maris' parallels Esther as a 'star' and both figure as sponsors of the humble before the powerful, because Esther being allowed an exception to the strict Persian law on uninvited entry to the king's presence was seen as paralleling the unique Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Where does Esther go on the third day?
On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in front of the king's palace, and she is welcomed by the king, who stretches out his sceptre for her to touch, and offers her anything she wants "up to half of the kingdom". Esther invites the king and Haman to a banquet she has prepared for the next day.
Who is Esther Denouncing Haman?
In the Bible. Main article: Book of Esther. Esther Denouncing Haman by Ernest Normand. In the narrative, King Ahasuerus is drunk at a celebration of the third year of his reign, and orders his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and his guests wearing the royal crown, to display her beauty.
What does the Bible say about Esther?
I cannot imagine the pain young Esther had to endure in her upbringing. In that tumultuous time she would have been one of many Jewish children whose parents died. Rather than becoming rebellious and resentful over her troubled life, the Bible says Esther was obedient to Mordecai as she was brought up by him ( Esther 2:20 ).
How did Esther influence the king?
Through Esther’s resolve to trust in God , she influenced the king and saved her people. Her courage was celebrated by a feast of Purim and a decree went out from that day on, “ these days of Purim should be remembered and kept throughout every generation ” ( Esther 9:28 ).
What did Mordecai tell Esther about the plot?
He told Esther about a plot to kill the king that he’d uncovered, which saved the king’s life ( Esther 2:21-21 ). When Mordecai learned of a another plot to annihilate the Jews, he asked Esther to implore the king to step in.
What happened to Esther when she was taken for the King's beauty contest?
When Esther was taken for the King’s beauty contest, she had no choice in the matter. Imagine, she would lose her virginity in the process and whether or not the King chose her as his wife, she would become his property––never allowed to return to her life with Mordecai ( Esther 2:14 ).
Why was Esther born?
Esther was born at a time when Israel was in captivity as a consequence to their disobedience to God. When Esther’s parents were killed, her cousin Mordecai adopted her as his daughter. Not only was Esther an ordinary woman living in a foreign land, but she was part of a minority race held in low esteem. So much so that when later she was chosen to be queen Mordecai advised her to keep secret her Jewish nationality ( Esther 2:10 ).
What did the king do when Esther was summoned?
When the king summoned a virgin she was allowed to bring in with her whatever she thought would make her most attractive to the king. However when Esther was summoned she took with her nothing except what Hegai advised––resulting in a positive response from the king.
What chapter does Esther get a beauty treatment?
Esther Chapter 2 confirms she was indeed a beautiful woman. Along with all of the other lovely virgins, she was given access to 12 months of pampering and treatments to enhance her beauty.
What is the story of Esther?
This is a summary of the Biblical account of Queen Esther. The story of Esther begins with a grand banquet at the palace of King Ahasuerus, also referred to as King Xerxes. The king had become drunk on wine and commanded that his wife, Queen Vashti come out before everyone to show how beautiful she was. Queen Vashti refused to be paraded before everyone. King Xerxes was so angry at her disrespect and disregard for his request that he divorced her. The king called for a nation-wide beauty pageant to be held to find a new beautiful queen.
What did the king ask Esther to do?
The next day was the banquet Queen Esther had called for. The king again asked Esther what her request was so he could grant her what she wanted. Esther boldly asked that she and her people be spared and that Haman had plotted to kill all Jews for money. The king was filled with anger against Haman and had him hanged on the very pole that Haman had set up for Mordecai.
Why did Esther hide her Jewish background?
Esther continued to hide her Jewish background as Mordecai had instructed her to do because he knew it would be dangerous for her if anyone found out she was a Jew. One night when Mordecai was sitting by the king's gate, he overheard two guards named Bigthana and Teresh conspiring to assassinate King Xerxes.
What did Mordecai tell Esther about the king's edict?
Mordecai told Esther about the king's edict to kill all the Jewish people. Esther feared for her life and tried to avoid his request to do something. Mordecai again pleaded with Queen Esther to do something to save the people.
Who honored Haman in Esther 3?
Esther 3. 1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him.
Who was Esther's cousin?
Esther's cousin Mordecai had taken Esther in and raised her as his own after Esther's parents had died. A man named Hegai was put in charge of preparing the women for meeting the king. Esther's beauty won her Hegai's favor and she was given special attention.
Who were the two women who were given Haman's estate?
Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. They were honored with royal garments and a decree was written to protect all Jews.
Overview
In Christianity
Esther is commemorated as a matriarch in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod on May 24.
Esther is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, commemorated on the Sunday before Christmas. "The Septuagint edition of Esther contains six parts (totaling 107 verses) not found in the Hebrew Bible. Although these interpretations originally may have been composed i…
Name
When introduced, in chapter 2 verse 7, Esther is given the Hebrew name Hadassah. It was a common Jewish practice in antiquity, attested especially in the Book of Daniel (1:7) and I Maccabees (2:2–5), to have not only a Hebrew name but also one redolent of pagan connotations. This name is probably an (otherwise unattested) feminine form of the Hebrew word for "myrtle", a symbol of hope and an attribute of Venus, but some scholars contend it is related to the Akkadian word …
Narrative
In the third year of the reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia the king banishes his queen, Vashti, and seeks a new queen. Beautiful maidens gather together at the harem in the citadel of Susa under the authority of the eunuch Hegai.
Esther, a cousin of Mordecai, was a member of the Jewish community in the Exilic Period who claimed as an ancestor Kish, a Benjamite who had been taken from Jerusalem into captivity. She …
Historicity
Although the details of the setting are entirely plausible and the story may even have some basis in actual events, the book of Esther is a novella rather than history. Persian kings did not marry outside of seven Persian noble families, making it unlikely that there was a Jewish queen Esther, and in any case the historical Xerxes's queen was Amestris.
There is some speculation that the story was created to justify the Jewish appropriation of an or…
Interpretations
Dianne Tidball argues that while Vashti is a "feminist icon", Esther is a post-feminist icon.
Abraham Kuyper notes some "disagreeable aspects" to her character: that she should not have agreed to take Vashti's place, that she refrained from saving her nation until her own life was threatened, and that she carries out bloodthirsty vengeance.
The tale opens with Esther as beautiful and obedient, but also a relatively passive figure. During …
Persian culture
Given the great historical link between Persian and Jewish history, modern day Persian Jews are called "Esther's Children". A building venerated as being the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai is located in Hamadan, Iran, although the village of Kfar Bar'am in northern Israel also claims to be the burial place of Queen Esther.
Depictions of Esther
There are several paintings depicting Esther. The Heilspiegel Altarpiece by Konrad Witz depicts Esther appearing before the king to beg mercy for the Jews, despite the punishment for appearing without being summoned being death. Esther before Ahasuerus by Tintoretto (1546–47, Royal Collection) shows what became one of the most commonly depicted parts of the story. Esther's faint had not often been depicted in art before Tintoretto. It is shown in the series of cassone sce…