Esth 1:1-10:3

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The Old Testament > Esther

Subpages: Chapters 1-2, Chapters 3-4, Chapters 5-7a, Chapters 7b-8, Chapters 9-10

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Historical setting

In 597 BC the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Over the following decade he carried of all but the very poorest of the Jews in three waves and destroyed the Jerusalem Temple (Temple of Solomon) in 586 BC. Daniel was among those carried off during the Babylonian Captivity (Daniel 1).

In 538 BC the Persian King Cyrus conquered Babylon. Within a year he ended the Babylonian Captivity by allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1-3). The new Jewish governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Jeshua were among those who returned and quickly rebuilt the altar of the Jerusalem Temple. But then construction stopped (Ezra 4).

In 530 BC King Cyrus died. He was briefly succeeded by his son Cambyses, who died eight years later in the midst of rebellion. In 522 BC Darius emerged as the next Persian king. It was King Darius who unwillingly sentenced Daniel, by then an old man, to the lions’ den (Daniel 6). In 515 BC the Jerusalem Temple (Temple of Zerubabbel) was completed and dedicated. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets at Jerusalem and assisted in completing the temple (Ezra 5-6; Haggai).

In 486 BC Darius was succeeded by his son Xerxes (or Ahasueras). Darius had found it useful to marry a daughter of the previous emperor, so his son Xerxes was also a grandson of Cyrus through his mother. Esther is set two years later in the third year of Xerxes’ reign, usually stated to be 484 BC.

Subsequent to the book of Esther, Ezra will return to Jerusalem 25 years later and institute religious reforms in 458 BC. Another 15 years later Nehemiah will return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city wall in 444 BC. In 432 BC Nehemiah will return a second time and institute religious reforms similar to those of Ezra. Malachi is typically dated shortly before Nehemiah, or about 450 BC.


Brief outline and summary

Esther can be outlined as follows:

A. Greatness and power of the Persians (1-2)
  • two Persian feasts show Xerxes' greatness, gifts (1:1-9)
  • edict banning Queen Vashti (1:10-22)
  • Esther promoted to queen (2:1-20)
  • Mordecai's loyalty in disclosing enemies, plotters hanged (2:21-23)
B. Edict for destruction of the Jews (3-4)
a. Haman the Agagite promoted but not honored by Mordecai (3:1-6)
b. Xerxes' edict to destroy the Jews (3:7-15)
c. Mordecai mourns in sackcloth, Esther to plead for Jews (4:1-17)
C. Haman's plans frustrated, Mordecai honored (5-7a)
a. Esther's first banquet, she requests that guests return (5:1-8)
b. Haman's boast to family (5:9-14)
c. Xerxes' edict requiring Haman to honor Mordecai (6:1-11)
b. Haman's lament to family (6:12-14)
a. Esther's second banquet, she discloses plot and pleads for Jews (7:1-6)
B. Edict for defense of the Jews (7b-8)
a./c. Haman pleads but hanged, Mordecai promoted to replace Haman (7:7-8:2)
b. Xerxes' edict for Jews to defend themselves (8:3-14)
c. Mordecai in robes, joy and gladness (8:15-17)
A. Greatness and power of the Jews (9-10)
  • Jews smite enemies, Haman's sons hanged, two feasts of Purim (9:1-19)
  • Queen Esther's edict to celebrate Purim, gifts (9:20-23)
  • Mordecai's greatness (9:3-34, 10:1-3)

The major divisions of Esther that open and close the book are not outlined here in an entirely satisfactory manner. But this outline does show the major units of thought, their meaning, and their relationships.

The central passage of Esther recounts how Haman (an Agagite of Amalek representing the world, see 1 Samuel 15) mistakes who will ultimately receive honor from King Xerxes (same person as Ahasueras, representing the sovereign Lord) (6:6). Even in exile, the Lord protects his people (4:14). The only question is whether and how individuals will choose to participate (4:14). Like Ruth and Jonah, sometimes good people need to be pushed to do things that are good but difficult. (4:10-14; 5:6-8). Those who seek to destroy the Lord’s people will have that destruction turned back upon themselves (6:13).

In the opening section Mordecai the Jew protects Xerxes, the head of the Persian empire that conquered Israel (2:21-23). In the middle section Xerxes in turn honors Mordecai (6:1-11) and then protects the Jews from their enemies (7:5-10; 8:3-14). Esther is sometimes read as a tract against insurrection.

Mordecai did not just survive Haman’s attempt to kill Modecai. Esther inherits the house that Haman himself had occupied, and she sets Mordecai over the house to rule it (8:1-2).

Each of the major divisions of Esther is discussed separately on the following pages • Chapters 1-2 Chapters 3-4 Chapters 5-7a Chapters 7b-8 Chapters 9-10


Detailed discussion

The reason that the previous queen Vashti is banished for her disobedience to the king is a fear that wives will follow her example and cease to obey their husbands (1:16-20). Though Xerxes is the ruler and Esther is not, Xerxes is celebrated for granting his wife Esther whatever she requests.

The phrase that Haman “thought scorn to lay hands to Mordecai alone” (3:6) means he thought it too little to revenge himself upon one individual only.

See the LDS edition footnote to 7:4 explaining that Esther would not plead for her people if they were merely to be sold into bondage, for that would not injure the king’s interest. But she does plead for her people because it would injure the king’s interest to deprive him of his subjects. This contradicts Haman’s argument that the Jews should be destroyed because their presence in the kingdom does not profit the king (3:8).


Parallel passages quoted in other scriptures


Passages affected by Joseph Smith Translation

None


Complete outline and page list

Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of Esther.

Esther
A. Greatness and power of the Persians (1-2)
  • two Persian feasts show Xerxes' greatness, gifts (1:1-9)
  • edict banning Queen Vashti (1:10-22)
  • Esther promoted to queen (2:1-20)
  • Mordecai's loyalty in disclosing enemies, plotters hanged (2:21-23)
B. Edict for destruction of the Jews (3-4)
a. Haman the Agagite promoted but not honored by Mordecai (3:1-6)
b. Xerxes' edict to destroy the Jews (3:7-15)
c. Mordecai mourns in sackcloth, Esther to plead for Jews (4:1-17)
C. Haman's plans frustrated, Mordecai honored (5-7a)
a. Esther's first banquet, she requests that guests return (5:1-8)
b. Haman's boast to family (5:9-14)
c. Xerxes' edict requiring Haman to honor Mordecai (6:1-11)
b. Haman's lament to family (6:12-14)
a. Esther's second banquet, she discloses plot and pleads for Jews (7:1-6)
B. Edict for defense of the Jews (7b-8)
a./c. Haman pleads but hanged, Mordecai promoted to replace Haman (7:7-8:2)
b. Xerxes' edict for Jews to defend themselves (8:3-14)
c. Mordecai in robes, joy and gladness (8:15-17)
A. Greatness and power of the Jews (9-10)
  • Jews smite enemies, Haman's sons hanged, two feasts of Purim (9:1-19)
  • Queen Esther's edict to celebrate Purim, gifts (9:20-23)
  • Mordecai's greatness (9:3-34, 10:1-3)


Questions for further thought and study

  • Click the edit link above and to the right to add questions


Footnotes


Additional sources and links

  • Books
  • Fox, Michael V. Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1991. (ISBN 0872497577) BS1375.3 .F694 1991. This book is excellent and in a mere 300 pages will tell you more about the book of Esther than you ever wanted to know. There may be a newer edition.
  • Wayment, Thomas A., ed. The Complete Joseph Smith Translation of the Old Testament, p. 149-50. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009. (ISBN 1606411314) BX8630.A2 2009



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