For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. (Est. 7:4a)

Are you familiar with the strange tale of Esther? Her story appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of five books called the Megillot, or “Scrolls,” each of which was read in conjunction with a major Jewish feast. Esther explains the origin of the Feast of Purim. [DD]

The story is set in Persia under a king named in Hebrew as Ahashverosh, though most English translations call him Ahasuerus. Neither name appears in any Persian documents, nor do the names Vashti or Esther appear as Persian queens. It is likely that the book is a work of inspiring historical fiction, created to encourage the Jews during a difficult time. 

The story describes the king as a buffoon for whom everything is supersized: he reportedly threw a banquet for his nobles that lasted six months, followed by a week-long banquet for ordinary men, while Queen Vashti hosted a similar banquet for women (1:2-9). 

At one point, the drunken king called for Queen Vashti to come out so all could admire her beauty, but she refused to put herself on display. The enraged king followed his counselors’ misogynistic advice to banish Vashti, lest other wives follow her example, causing “no end of contempt and wrath.” [DD]

To find a new queen, a select group of young women was brought to a special harem in the palace. After a year of elaborate beauty treatments and training in court behavior, they were serially assigned to spend a night with the king, to see who pleased him most. 

One of the promising candidates was Hadassah (Hebrew for “myrtle”), also known by the Persian name Esther, which means “star.” An orphan, she had been raised by her uncle Mordecai. [DD]

Everyone loved Esther, the text says, from the eunuch in charge of the harem to the other women. The king loved her as well, and he was so pleased after his sleepover with Esther that he named her as his new queen (2:15-17), unaware of her ethnic background. Mordecai had advised Esther to keep her Hebrew identity secret (2:20).

Mordecai was a ranking palace official and was known to be a Jew, but he had served the king faithfully and had even saved his life on one occasion by uncovering an assassination plot, putting him in good standing with the king (2:21-23). But evil lurked: the villainous Haman, second to the king, hated Mordecai because he refused to bow before him (3:1-5). 

Seeking vengeance, Haman persuaded the king that all members of “a certain people” scattered throughout the land were disloyal and should be exterminated. He chose the 13^th of Adar as a propitious date for the genocide by casting lots (purim), and he promised to deliver at least 10,000 talents of silver from the plunder to the royal treasury. The king, apparently without bothering to ask who the “certain people” were, affirmed a public proclamation to that effect (3:7-11). [DD]

Mordecai was alarmed, and pleaded with Esther to intercede with the king. She was fearful that he might respond with anger, but Mordecai suggested that there was a deeper plan behind her phenomenal rise: help might come “from another quarter,” he said, but perhaps Esther had been brought to royalty “for such a time as this” (4:14). This is the closest thing to a mention of God in the Hebrew version of the book. 

After fasting for three days and asking other Jews to fast with her, Esther approached the king. Surprisingly, he was so pleased to see her that he promised to grant any boon she wanted – up to half the kingdom. 

Instead of asking the king to circumvent his proclamation – which reportedly could not be revoked – Esther asked that the king and Haman come to a dinner with her. There the king renewed his offer of up to half the kingdom, but Esther asked only that the two men return for another meal the next day (5:1-8). 

Esther’s plan (7:1-10; 9:20-22)

The plot moves quickly, but with a twist. Haman was elated by the honor of a second invitation, but when Mordecai again refused to bow, he became so furious that he ordered a 50-foot gallows to be built for the Mordecai’s execution.

Meanwhile, the king could not sleep, and called for someone to read court records to him. One document reminded him of how Mordecai had once saved his life, and the king realized that he had failed to reward the loyal Jew. 

Hebrew humor enters the story as Haman entered the next morning, and the king asked him for advice on how a favorite of the king should be honored. Imagining himself as the honoree, Haman suggested the king’s robes and crown should be put on the man, he should be seated on the king’s horse, and a high official should lead him through the streets shouting, “Thus it shall be done for he who pleases the king!” (6:4-9). 

To his chagrin, the king instructed Haman to do those very things to honor Mordecai. Haman returned home in shame and was berated by his wife before being summoned to the second dinner with Esther. 

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. As the king repeated his offer to give her up to half the kingdom, Esther asked for her life instead, counting herself among the Jews: “For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.” If they had only been sold into slavery, Esther insisted, she might have held her peace, but if the genocide was carried out, “no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king” (7:4). [DD]

When the king asked who had caused such a threat, Esther fingered Haman as the wicked “foe and enemy” (7:5-6). The enraged king left the room, perhaps to summon a guard, and Haman fell upon Esther’s knee to beg for mercy. The returning king angrily accused him of trying to accost the queen, and ordered that Haman be hanged on the very gallows he had constructed for Mordecai (7:9-10). He then gave Haman’s house to Esther and promoted Mordecai to Haman’s former position, complete with the king’s signet ring used to authorize royal orders (8:1-2).

The reader may feel relieved, but the story was not over: the king’s edict that the Jews be killed on the 13^th of Adar still stood: reportedly “the law of the Medes and the Persians” could not be changed. 

We have no extrabiblical evidence of this rule, either from Persian records or the writings of other nations who interacted with them. Both Daniel (6:8, 12, 15) and Esther (1:19), however, insist that “the law of the Medes and the Persians” was inviolable, and the premise of an irrevocable decree was essential to the plot. 

At Esther’s urging, the king permitted Mordecai to issue another edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Hebrews then prepared for the attack, and on the appointed day the Jews became the aggressors, reportedly killing 75,000 persons in the provinces (9:16) and another 800 in the capital, where Esther asked permission for fighting to continue a second day so the Jews could wreak greater revenge.

So, the story says, the Jews in the countryside won relief on the 13^th of Adar and celebrated on the 14^th, while Jews in Susa took their vengeance on the 13^th and 14^th, not stopping to feast and celebrate until the 15^th. For this reason, the text says, Mordecai issued an edict that a “feast of Purim” – named after the lots Haman had cast – should be celebrated on both the 14^th and 15^th of the month of Adar (9:20-22). 

Esther’s aftermath

The story of Esther is entertaining and has served as a humorous comfort to Jewish people through the years. It is often acted out during Purim, with prominent villains of the day cast in the role of Haman. 

But can Christian believers find anything helpful in the book of Esther? 

It’s not easy.

One could argue, perhaps, that a reading of the book promotes balanced living, as opposed to the excesses of the king and his court, or that it testifies to the power of the written word, with emphasis on the various edicts issued. 

For greater profit, we have to imagine ourselves in the place of the Jewish people for whom the book was written. While Christians have little interest in the rationale for dating the Feast of Purim, other aspects of the story remain meaningful. 

The Jewish people, who have continued to be persecuted through the years, may find in Esther a continued promise of hope when others turn against them. We don’t fear the kind of threat faced by Esther and her people, but we all face difficult and trying days. In that generic sense, readers may find encouragement in Esther’s perseverance through troubled times. 

We may also find inspiration in Esther’s careful planning. The story portrays her as living in a delicate balance, having to walk a fine line in dealing with the king. Esther’s ability to develop a plan and finesse its success may speak to our own need for giving careful thought to our relationships with others. 

Additionally, we may take heart in Esther’s courage. Convinced by Mordecai that she had the ability to save her people, Esther was willing to do what needed to be done, even at considerable risk. If we don’t recognize the risks inherent in truly following Jesus, perhaps we haven’t been following closely enough.