References (50)
[Before Esther can be introduced, Mordecai is introduced. This is his Babylonian name and it probably originates from the Babylonian creator god Marduk, but the name may also have Persian origins meaning ‘little boy’. Probably he also had a Hebrew name, see ; .]
There was a certain Jew in the palace of Susa whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish [indicating that he was from the family of Saul, see ; ]. He was a Benjamite
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.]
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.
When the maidens gathered a second time and Mordecai sat in the king’s gate,
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.
In those days (at that time), when Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, Bigtan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs (chamberlains) who were keeping watch at the threshold [of the king’s bedchamber], became angry [at something the king said or did] and sought an opportunity to lay their hands on (kill) King Ahasuerus (Xerxes).
[Probably it was the king’s divorce with Vashti that was the basis of their discontent. They were eunuchs and were close to Queen Vashti (Est 1:10-11) and could easily take offense at Ahasuerus’ actions. Bigthan is called Bigtha in , the name meaning ”in the wine press”. Teresh is mentioned only here and in , his name meaning ”strictness”. Conspiracies were common in Persia. Ahasuerus was eventually murdered by Artabanus, the captain of the guard, and Aspamitras, a chamberlain and eunuch.]
When Mordecai learned of this, he told Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.
All the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, bowed down and prostrated themselves before Haman, because the king had commanded him to do so. But Mordecai did not bow, nor did he bow before him.
[There are several examples where Jews have bowed to show reverence for other people, see ; ; ; ; ; . The reason why Mordecai did not bow must therefore have a religious explanation. The Persians considered the king divine, and it is not unlikely that Haman also considered himself divine. Since the Jews follow the commandment not to worship other gods (Exodus 20:5), Mordecai did not bow to Haman, see . See also .]
Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate asked Mordecai, ”Why do you violate the king’s command?”
Now it happened that while they were talking to him every day, he still did not listen to them, and they told Haman about this, to see if Mordecai’s word (explanation) would be valid, because he had said that he was a Jew [and does not worship idols, see ].
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down to him, Haman was filled with anger.
But it seemed to him to be too simple just to lay hands on Mordecai, for they had told him which people Mordecai belonged to, so Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were beyond the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), all the people of Mordecai.
ow when Mordecai [Esther’s foster father, see ] heard of all that had been done (decreed), he tore his clothes and sat down in sackcloth and ashes and went to the center of the city and cried out in a loud, boisterous, and bitter voice. [Sitting down in sackcloth and ashes is a common expression of grief, even the bitter cry.]
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.
Hatach went out to Mordecai in the great place in the city (the marketplace) that was outside the king’s gate.
Mordecai told him [Hatach] what had happened to him and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay out of the king’s treasury to destroy the Jews.
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.
So Haman went out that day, glad and happy in his heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not get up or move for him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.
However, I will not be satisfied with all this (all that he boasted about) as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king’s gate.”
[Here is the name of God JHVH encoded in the four words translated ”I will not be satisfied with all this.” The last letters of these words form a backwards acrostic pattern for God’s name Yahweh, see also ; ; .]
Then Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends said to him: ”Have a wooden pole (gallows) 50 cubits [22.5 meters] high made and speak to the king tomorrow morning so that Mordecai can be hung there, then you can go with the king to the banquet with joy.” This pleased Haman and he had the wooden pole (gallows) made and erected [Anyone hung on wood is cursed, see .]
Then it was found that it was written that Mordecai had told about Bigtan and Teresh [revealed their evil designs], two of the king’s chamberlains of those who guarded the threshold [entrance to the king’s sleeping chamber], how they sought an opportunity to lay their hands on (kill) King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) [Est 2:21-23].
Then the king asked, ”What honor and dignity (greatness) has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servant who served him replied: ”Nothing has been done for him.”
The king said, ”Who is in the courtyard?”
Now Haman came into the outer court of the king’s house to talk with the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole (gallows) he had prepared for him. [The outer court of Susa was 62 x 53 meters].
Then the king said to Haman, ”Hurry and take a royal robe and a horse as you have spoken, and do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits in the king’s gate. Let nothing of what you have spoken be undone.”
Then Haman took the royal robe and the horse, dressed Mordecai, and paraded him through the streets of the city, crying out: ”This is what you do with the man the king wants to honor!”
Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried home to his house, mourning and covering his head.
Haman recounted (in detail) everything that had happened to him to his wife Zeresh and all his friends.
Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him: ”If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is really a Jew, you will not be able to resist him. In fact, you will indeed fall before him.” [This is advice consistent with God’s promise to Abraham, see .]
Then Charvona, one of the king’s servants who was before the king, said, ”Look, there is a wooden pole fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke well of the king. It is in front of Haman’s house.”
Then the king said, ”Hang him on it.”
They hung Haman on the wooden pole that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger was appeased.
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.
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’s scribe was called at that time, the third month which is the month Sivan on the 23rd day of this month [June 25]. It was written in accordance with all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews to the satraps, governors, and princes of all the provinces extending from India to Cush [present-day Ethiopia/Sudan], 127 provinces, to each province in their own written language, and to each people in their own language, and to the Jews in their writing and their language [].
Then Mordecai went out from the king’s presence in a royal robe of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a white robe of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
All the princes of the provinces, the satraps and governors, and all who were involved in the king’s business, helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai had come upon them.
Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame (reputation) had gone out into all the provinces, because this man Mordecai became greater and greater.
Mordecai wrote these things down and sent letters to the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), both near and far,
The Jews took it upon themselves to do as they had begun and as Mordecai had written to them,
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.
And all that he did in his power and authority, and the full sum of the greatness of Mordecai, how the king promoted him, is written in the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia [; ].
Mordecai the Jew was King Ahasuerus’s (Xerxes) closest man and great among the Jews, and had found favor (conditional, arbitrary grace; accepted - Heb. ratsah) from the multitudes of his brothers. He sought the good of his people and spoke peacefully (spoke shalom, all kinds of blessing) to all his seed (all his descendants) [probably referring not only to Mordecai’s own children and grandchildren but to all Jews in the generations after him].
[God’s name hidden in Esther
None of the names of God (Yahweh, Adonai, Elohim, etc.) appear in the book of Esther and no other attributes of God either. However, Yahweh is encoded in the text four times as an acrostic, see ; ; ; . There is a very nice structure here. The name YHVH consists of four letters and there are four unique occurrences of this name. All are different and are shaped by a combination of the first or last letter and whether the text is read forwards or backwards.
1. JHVH is formed by the first letter of each word backwards - God changes man’s mind, see .
2. YHVH is formed by the first letter of each word forward - God controls Esther’s actions, see .
3. YHVH is formed by the last letter of each word backwards - God reverses Haman’s plan (Haman’s end is approaching), see .
4. JHVH is formed by the last letter of each word forward - God rules and Haman is punished (this is the end of Haman), see .
These four passages involve different speakers:
1. memochan - the words are about a queen, see .
2. Esther - the words are spoken by a queen, see .
3. Haman - the words are spoken by Haman, see .
4. the author - the words are about Haman, see .
Four different pairs can be formed:
1. first letter | backwards
2. first letter | forwards
3. last letter | backwards
4. last letter | forward
The four pairs are: first letter (1 & 2), last letter (3 & 4), backwards (1 & 3) and forwards (2 & 4).
The backwards pairs refer to the Gentiles and the forwards to the Israelites. In the two cases where God’s name is spelled backwards (1 & 3), it is God who rejects the plans of the Gentiles to let his will be done, see ; . Where the name is spelled forwards (2 & 4), it is God who acts directly for his people, see ; .
The first and last letters describe the start and end of an event. In the two cases where the name is formed by the first letter (1 & 2), it is God who introduces the facts. In the last two cases where the name is formed by the last letters (3 & 4), the events are completed and lead to the end.
Four more times four of God’s names are encoded:
1.”Messiah” encoded at a distance of every 8th letter, see .
2. ”El Shaddai” (God Almighty) encoded at a distance of every 7th letter, see .
3.”I Am” is encoded at a distance of every 3rd letter, see .
4.”Yeshua” encoded at a distance of every 8th letter, see .
There is also another strange almost ironic message encoded in which describes how Haman is given the silver and the people. With an interval of six letters it says haman v´satan raj´jach which means: Haman and Satan stink. The number six is man’s speech. We can see that even though Satan operates in Haman’s life, the Messiah is still there in the background watching over his people, even today.
You have to be a little careful with Bible codes, but they are still remarkable coincidences that point to the Bible being a divinely inspired book.]
