1445 B.C.) and were attacked by the Amalekites ( Ex. The historical genesis for the drama played out between Mordecai (a Benjamite descendant of Saul- 2:5) and Haman (an Agagite- 3:1, 10 8:3, 5 9:24) goes back almost 1,000 years when the Jews exited from Egypt (ca. Along with Song of Solomon, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations, Esther stands with the OT books of the Megilloth, or “5 scrolls.” Rabbis read these books in the synagogue on 5 special occasions during the year-Esther being read at Purim (cf. The Greek Septuagint (LXX) 1 added an extra 107 apocryphal verses which supposedly compensated for this lack. John 10:22).Īll 167 verses of Esther have ultimately been accepted as canonical, although the absence of God’s name anywhere has caused some to unnecessarily doubt its authenticity. Purim became one of two festivals given outside of the Mosaic legislation to still be celebrated in Israel (Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is the other, cf. As a result of God’s prevailing, Esther 9, 10 records the beginning of Purim-a new annual festival in the 12th month (Feb.–Mar.) to celebrate the nation’s survival. 445 B.C.).Įsther and Exodus both chronicle how vigorously foreign powers tried to eliminate the Jewish race and how God sovereignly preserved His people in accordance with His covenant promise to Abraham ca. Nehemiah’s journey (the third return) from Susa to Jerusalem ( Neh. ( Ezra 1–6) and the second return led by Ezra ca. The events of Esther occurred during the wider time span between the first return of the Jews after the 70 year captivity in Babylon ( Dan. transliteration of the Persian name “Khshayarsha,” while “Xerxes” represents his Greek name. when Greece conquered Persia.Įsther occurred during the Persian period of world history, ca. The latest reasonable date would be prior to 331 B.C. Esther 10:2 speaks as though Ahasuerus’ reign has been completed, so the earliest possible writing date would be after his reign around mid-fifth century B.C. before Ahasuerus died by assassination (ca. Only Ezra 7–10, Nehemiah, and Malachi report later OT history than Esther. Possibly a Persian Jew, who later moved back to Israel, wrote Esther.Įsther appears as the 17th book in the literary chronology of the OT and closes the OT historical section. He also exhibited intimate knowledge of the Hebrew calendar and customs, while additionally showing a strong sense of Jewish nationalism. Whoever penned Esther possessed a detailed knowledge of Persian customs, etiquette, and history, plus particular familiarity with the palace at Shushan ( 1:5–7). The author remains unknown, although Mordecai, Ezra, and Nehemiah have been suggested. As the orphaned daughter of her father Abihail, Esther grew up in Persia with her older cousin, Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his own daughter ( 2:7, 15). “Hadassah” ( 2:7), meaning “myrtle,” was the Hebrew name of Esther, which came either from the Persian word “star” or possibly from the name of the Babylonian love goddess, Ishtar. Like Song of Solomon, Obadiah, and Nahum, the NT does not quote or allude to Esther. This book and the book of Ruth are the only OT books named after women. “Esther” serves as the title without variation through the ages.
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