Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her."Įsther 4:14: "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. Mordecai is described as second in rank to the King, as "great" among the Jews, and one who sought the welfare of the people, speaking peace to them (Esther 10:1–3).Įsther 2:15: "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. The book concludes with a brief note on Mordecai's fame (Esther 10). This leads to the victory of the Jews against those who would wipe them out (Esther 9:1–19).Īs a result, Purim is instituted, as an ongoing feast of celebration and remembrance (Esther 9:20–23). The king's scribes are summoned to write an edict allowing the Jews the right to self-defense against their enemies. Esther and Mordecai manage to provide a means for the Jews to defend themselves (Esther 8). The third section then emphasizes Israel's efforts to overcome Haman's attempt at genocide (Esther 8-10). The king rewards Mordecai in a way that shames Haman, and Haman is ultimately hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (chapters 6-7). In a providential event, the king has his historical records read to him and is reminded of Mordecai's loyalty to save his life.
In chapters 4-5, Esther fasts and prepares to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people, whom Haman had conspired against to destroy. Mordecai's loyalty is noted (Esther 2:19–23), in contrast to Haman's actions (Esther 3). The second section focuses on Mordecai's struggle with wicked Haman (Esther 2:19-7:10). The first section includes the narrative of Queen Vashti's fall from her position (Esther 1) and Esther's promotion to queen in Vashti's place (Esther 2:1–18). Overview: This book consists of 10 chapters and includes three main sections. Observant Jews continue to read the book of Esther during Purim, celebrated on Adar 14 on the Jewish calendar, and usually occurring in March.ĭate: Most likely between 465 and 425 BC. This book was to be read by the Jewish people during this Feast as a remembrance of the great deliverance from their enemies, which God provided through Esther. Mordecai, Ezra, or Nehemiah are the most common traditional possibilities.Īudience: Esther was written for the Jewish people, to display the providence of God, in relation to the Feast of Purim. The paper concludes by exploring how this ambivalent portrayal of Mordecai contributes to a disconnect between appearance and reality cultivated by the Greek additions to Esther as a whole, and how this serves to destabilize original narrative.Survey of Esther Book Type: Book of Wisdom the seventeenth book of the Old Testament the seventeenth book of the Bible.Īuthor: The author is unknown. The agonistic, glory-seeking dynamic of wrestling in Greek culture will also be considered as relevant to the interpretation of Mordecai’s profile. In particular, this paper will explore the cultural valence of dragons, since the vision portrays Mordecai and Haman as two dragons coming forth to wrestle. While most modern readers take Mordecai at his word, this paper argues that a close reading of Mordecai’s apocalyptic vision gives reason for questioning his motives (or his self-awareness). Of special interest is Mordecai’s protestation that his refusal to bow before Haman was motivated not by hubris, arrogance or love of glory, but rather out of pious reverence for God. These additions also confer greater psychological depth to Esther and Mordecai, disclosing their inner thoughts and emotions. The book’s protagonists fear God, observe Torah, pray, and receive apocalyptic visions.
It is widely recognized that the Greek additions to Esther (re?)introduce God and religion into an ostensibly secular tale of self-deliverance.
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