References (45)
He supported Hadassa, that is Esther his uncle’s daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. And the young woman was beautiful, shapely and pleasing to the eye. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had taken (adopted) her as his own daughter.
[Esther’s Jewish name was Hadassa which means “Myrtle”. It is a plant associated with weddings and is another of the book’s hidden prophetic messages - her very name suggests that she will be a bride. Her Persian name Esther, meaning ‘star’, comes from the same root as the Babylonian love goddess Ishtar’s name. Esther was a cousin of Mordecai.]
And it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and decree (edict, decree, law) was published, and when many young women (virgins) were gathered together to the palace of Susa, under the care of Hege, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, and delivered to Hege, the keeper of the women. (According to the Jewish historian Josephus, there were 400 virgins.)
Esther had not revealed which people or family she came from, because Mordecai had told her not to tell.
Every day Mordecai walked [back and forth] outside the courtyard of the women’s house to find out if Esther was well and what was happening to her.
Now when it was the turn of Esther, the daughter of Avichajil, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, when her turn came to go in to the king, she desired nothing except what Hege, the king’s chamberlain and guardian of the women, recommended. And Esther had favor with all who looked upon her.
Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), to his royal house, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet (December/January), in the 7th year of the king’s reign.
[Esther becomes queen in December 479 BC or January 478 BC, four years after the deposition of the previous queen Vashti. Esther takes office either at the end of Persia’s second war with the Greeks or during the course of it. The invasion began in the spring of 480 BC.]
The king loved Esther more than (over) all other women and she received (found) grace (undeserved love; favor) and mercy (compassion, tender love) before him, more than all virgins. [Two synonyms for grace, Heb. chen followed by chesed, reinforce Esther’s radiance, which has its source in her faith in God]. He put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in Vashti’s place.
Then the king arranged (made) a banquet (big party) for all his princes and servants [he called it] Esther’s banquet and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts as befits a rich king.
Esther still had not revealed her family or her people (her lineage), as Mordecai had asked her to do, because Esther followed Mordecai’s advice just as she had when she was raised by him.
When Mordecai learned of this, he told Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.
When Esther’s maids and chambermaids came and told her, the queen was very upset; and she sent a robe to clothe Mordecai and take away his sackcloth, but he would not accept it.
Then Esther called Hatach, one of the king’s servants, whom he had chosen to take care of her, and she asked him to go to Mordecai to find out what was going on and why he was doing this.
He [Mordecai] also gave him [Hatach] a copy of the letter with the decree issued in Susa to destroy them, so that he could show it to Esther and read it to her. He instructed her to go in to the king and appeal to him and petition her people.
Hatach went back to Esther and reported what Mordecai had said.
Then Esther talked to Hatach and gave him a message for Mordecai:
When he [Hatach, Esther’s servant] told Mordecai what Esther had said,
Mordecai told them to give this answer to Esther: ”Don’t think that you are the only one of all the Jews to escape just because you live in the king’s house.
Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai:
Then Mordecai went away and did everything that Esther had instructed him to do.
On the third day, Esther put on her royal robe and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house, and the king sat on the throne of the royal house, opposite the entrance to the royal house.
When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she found grace (mercy, undeserved love) before the king’s eyes and the king reached out the golden scepter that he held in his hand towards Esther. Esther came closer and touched the top of the scepter.
Then the king asked her: ”What do you want, Queen Esther? Whatever request you have for half my kingdom I will give you.”
Esther replied, ”If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
[Here in the name of God JHVH is encoded in the four words translated ”may the king and Haman come today”. The initial letters form a forward acrostic pattern for God’s name Yahweh, see also ; ; .]
Then the king said, ”See that Haman makes haste so that we can do as Esther has said.”
The king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
The king said to Esther at the banquet with the wine, ”What is your wish? It will be guaranteed to you, and whatever your request is up to half of my kingdom I will give you.”
Then Esther answered, ”My desire and my request is
Haman also said, ”Yes, Queen Esther did not let anyone accompany the king to her banquet that she prepared, except me, and tomorrow I am also invited by her along with the king.
While they were still talking, the king’s servants hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
The king and Haman came to the banquet with Queen Esther.
The king again said to Esther on the second day of the banquet with wine, ”Whatever you desire, Queen Esther, will be guaranteed to you, whatever you ask for until half the kingdom is given to you.”
Then Queen Esther answered and said: ”If I have found grace (undeserved love) in your eyes, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given to me as my desire and my people at my request,
Then King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) spoke and said to Queen Esther, ”Who is he and where is he who dares to think such a thought in his heart?”
Esther answered, ”An adversary and an enemy, this evil Haman.”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
The king got up in anger from the banquet of wine and went out into the palace garden. Haman stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, because he saw that the king had decided against him.
[Here in , the name of God YHVH is encoded in the four words translated ”it was evil decreed against him.” The last letter of these words forms a forward acrostic pattern for the name of God Yahweh, see also ; ; .]
The king came back from the garden to the banquet in the palace with wine, and Haman had fallen (kneeled down) on the couch where Esther was sitting. Then the king said, ”Will he molest the queen also here before me in the house?” When the word went out from the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
On that day King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) gave the house of Haman to Queen Esther. Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had told her who he [Mordecai] was.
The king took off his ring [signet ring that has royal stamp and authority], which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over Haman’s house.
Esther spoke again before the king and fell down at his feet and begged him with tears to remove the iniquity of Haman the Agagite and his decision that he had made against the Jews.
The king held out the golden scepter to Esther. Esther got up and stood before the king.
Then King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, ”Look, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hung him on the wooden stake (gallows) because he laid his hand on the Jews.
Then the king said to Queen Esther, ”The Jews have slaughtered and destroyed 500 men in the castle of Susa and the ten sons of Haman, so what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Well, whatever is your desire will be guaranteed to you, and whatever you further request will be done.”
Then Esther said, ”If it pleases the king, let the Jews of Susa be guaranteed to do tomorrow what they have done according to today’s decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hung on stakes.”
Then Queen Esther, daughter of Avichajil, and Mordecai the Jew wrote down all the deeds of power, to confirm this second letter about Purim.
to establish these days of Purim and their appointed time, in accordance with the decision of Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther for themselves and their seed (descendants), regarding the time of fasting and lamentation.
Esther’s command confirmed the celebration of Purim and it was written in the book.
