Another Bible Commentary: Esther

This account took place between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. The name Esther is derived from “Ishtar”, the sex goddess. Esther, Mordecai, and Haman had lives that can be compared to Joseph’s. Yes, the historical Xerxes’ queen was named Amestris, but “Vashti” is a title derived from “Vahista” or “The Best”. Susa was the winter palace in Iran, one of three Persian capital cities. The Jews had been free to return to Judah for fifty years at the beginning of this story, but many chose to stay in their new lands with their new homes and businesses. Haman’s decree (spoiler alert) covered all provinces, so Judah became threatened as well.

1:1 Regarding Ahasuerus/Xerxes/Artaxerxes/etc., writers hypothesize various historical persons as possible identities of the ruler in this book.

1:3 If it’s Xerxes, then this would be the year he was getting ready for war in Greece.

1:8 Some pastors present this verse as debauchery. Actually, people were required to mirror the monarch at the table, eating and drinking as the person of greater station did. Even now, no one starts eating before the English monarch does, and the cutlery is put down when the monarch is done eating whether everyone is done with their food yet or not. The Persian ruler allowing the guests to pace themselves was a kindness and allowed restraint; it was the opposite of Habakkuk 2:15-16 shenanigans.

1:11-12 “lovely to look at” People who trust the English translations of Matthew 5:28 could accuse the narrator of “eyeballing”, but I digress. The Targum (an Aramaic paraphrase for an unlearned audience, like our English Bible translations) said that Vashti was to display her beauty for the people wearing only her crown. A performance like Mark 6:21-22 might have been the norm. Modern readers see Vashti as a feminist hero for refusing this command. Through the lens of the ancient worldview of the text, even if this were the command (which is debatable), nudity is normal (How could God’s image be otherwise? See Genesis 1 and 2. Even after the Fall, topless Eve was considered fully dressed in Genesis 3:21), and obeying a husband is obeying God (Ephesians 5). It’s not like he offered her for intercourse, which would be adultery. Before anyone gets any ideas, forcing someone to do something psychologically distressing is usually unloving (Ephesians 5:25); I’m just trying to put old texts back into context.

1:17 See Ephesians 5:22.

1:18 See Ephesians 5:33.

1:19 Some see this as Vashti’s execution. However, polygamy was legal, so acquiring a new queen was not hindered by her continued existence; she could have been kept in the harem like 2 Samuel 20:3. Yes,death sentences for those unworthy for an audience with the king are mentioned in Esther 4:11 and Esther 7:9-11. On the one hand, life was treated cheaply, on the other hand, the Book of Esther has no problem talking about people dying.

2:5 “Mordecai” is a derivative of the name of the Babylonian god Marduk.

2:7 Hadassah means “Myrtle”. Again, certain parties would have to accuse the narrator of eyeball adultery for noticing she “had a lovely figure and was beautiful” if they applied their logic consistently. In the Book of Esther, we see a person that historically lacked power (a woman from a disadvantaged ethnic group) in a role lacking much agency (queen consort in a patriarchal society) that still fulfilled God’s plan to save people by using the attributes that God gave her. Looking past historical arguments about whether the book mentions God enough to be inspired, etc., we see that this pattern fits every Bible hero and fits us. We have nothing that God did not give us (1 Corinthians 4:7). Samson had strength, and Esther was hot. We approach God as empty-handed children (Matthew 19:14) trusting in Jesus’ work entirely (Hebrews 7:25). Those that criticize Esther’s life have no worthy heroics of their own to offer either.

2:9 sounds like Joseph getting a makeover and moving up in the world (Genesis 41).

2:12 “Have her bathed and brought to me” isn’t just an old movie trope, but an old wedding custom, too.

2:13-17 I will let my readers think about what “nothing” other than what a man familiar with the king’s tastes suggested could mean. The text is coy, but “Ishtar” won the sex contest. God uses you where you are.

2:18 “a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials” where she probably did what Vashti refused to do, whatever that might have been (Esther 1:11-12 note, Mark 6:21-22).

2:21-23 Xerxes later died in a similar palace assassination plot. This is like the point in the Joseph story in which Pharaoh had almost been poisoned (Genesis 40:5 note).

3:1 “Agagite” see 1 Samuel 15 (Agag was king of the Israelites’ old enemies, the Amalekites) and Genesis 36:12 (and they were descendants of Esau).

3:2-3 “king had commanded” Mordecai was insubordinate. Bowing is not worship. There is no way Mordecai did not bow to Xerxes. Righteous Jews bow to humans throughout the Bible (Genesis 23:7, Genesis 42:6, 2 Samuel 14:4, 1 Kings 1:16, etc.), so this was more likely about Mordecai’s racial hatred of Haman.

3:7 If you think using divination aka rolling dice to find the most auspicious day to attack your enemies and then advertising it to them publicly ahead of time is dumb, you are right.

3:10 like Genesis 41:42.

3:12 The day before Passover.

3:13 See Genesis 32:11. Also, “goods” provides another “arson, murder, and jaywalking” joke and helps explain Esther 8:11.

4:1 This is the same bitter cry of Esau in Genesis 27:34 based on the Hebrew wording. Amalek was Esau’s grandson.

4:11 This rule is to prevent assassinations. Thirty days could easily pass while a man such as Xerxes played with the new additions to his harem (Esther 2:19).

4:14 “another place” is God. Tacit approval of a curse is a curse (Numbers 30:14-15 plus Genesis 12:3).

4:16 This is a very Christlike “Thy will be done” moment for Esther.

5:3-4 End the pogrom? No, come to lunch.

5:6-8 End the pogrom? No, another lunch. At least his attendance would signify that he had given his word to grant her wish this time.

5:11 Here’s some pride, so bad stuff is inbound (Proverbs 16:18).

5:14 Instead of waiting for the purge, he took bad advice from his wife (Have some fruit, the Snake says it’s tasty!) and created evidence of personal animosity beyond his avowed civic concerns that would be used to kill him.

6:1 Perhaps the king was wondering why his main wife kept inviting his advisor to date night. The notion that history books are a sleep aid is written in a history book.

6:4 Haman’s wife had said to ask “in the morning” in Esther 5:14, but here he comes while it’s still night, encouraging Xerxes’ possible assumptions that Haman was creeping up on Esther.

6:6 See Luke 14:7-11.

6:8 An observant king might have heard Haman wanting to use royal stuff in a spirit of usurpation like in 1 Samuel 15, 1 Kings 1:5, etc., and ordered Haman to do the parade to take him down a peg. See Genesis 41:43.

6:10 “Mordecai the Jew” Xerxes was presented here as out of touch (Esther 3:12-15), not even knowing what orders were out there in his name or the identity of his alleged enemies.

7:3 Esther’s life was not in danger until she identified with her people like Moses.

7:7 Instead of the usual knee-jerk reaction Esther was counting on, the king went for a walk. Esther could have been very worried. It is plausible that Xerxes was practiced in physically removing himself (like Joseph from Potiphar’s wife) in cases of strong emotion so that he could decide matters like a ruler instead of only as a man. Zoroastrian ethics are similar to the common conception of Christianity’s ethics regarding anger.

7:8 Being within seven steps of Xerxes’ wife was forbidden. Haman’s face was covered; he was no longer worthy of seeing Xerxes.

7:10 like the baker in Joseph’s story.

8:2 See Genesis 41:41-42.

8:8 This next section explains how the eternal Old Covenant has been superseded by the New. The edict against the Jews still stood, but there was a new edict that resulted in their survival. There are still 613 bony fingers of Law pointing at us and demanding our deaths, but we have died to the Law already, and yet we live because of what Jesus did.

8:11 Translations vary on whether the women and children belong to the Jews or to their enemies (Esther 8:17 might shed light on this). The “plunder” was also part of Haman’s decree in Esther 3:13.

9:1 March 7th, 473 BC

9:5 They didn’t mess around. Notice there’s no mention of being struck first, just doing “what they pleased to those who hated them”.

9:10 Since Haman was an Agagite and therefore an Amalekite, they took no plunder per 1 Samuel 15. Having the legal right to do so in the eyes of man but refusing to do so shows their obedience to God.

9:28 “observed in every generation” much like the animosities that started the whole mess. Thankfully, everything’s supposed to be fine now under the New Covenant (Ephesians 2:14-18).

10:3 Next to the throne again, like Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah…

Costumes are worn now at Purim because God is hidden behind the scenes in this story and because of Esther’s secret identity through much of it. She remained faithful to her ancestral religion in the court of a foreign king and arranged for the death of her enemies. That last sentence applies to Jezebel as well as Esther; faith in the right God is everything. Some object to the Book of Esther’s inclusion in the canon; while God is still evident in its pages (See Esther 2:7 note), books like this one and Song of Songs/Solomon depict realities that are a defense against moralizers (the “weaker brothers” Paul refers to variously) calling good or neutral things and activities bad.

Previous Post

Next Post