Esther certainly lived up to her name, whichever name you use. Her Jewish name was Hadassah, which comes from the “myrtle” tree. The myrtle tree was symbolic of God’s blessing on Israel (Isa. 41:19; 55:3). Her Persian name was Esther, meaning “star.” Either way, Esther was that woman. Here is an introduction to Esther.
Author: This cannot be said for certain, but Mordecai
seems likely.
Time of writing: The only help with dates is in
Esther 9:1. The story took place in the time period between the events of Ezra
(building the temple) and Nehemiah (rebuilding the walls).
Purpose: There
are no references to “God” by name or title in this little book. And yet, its very purpose is to show God’s
faithfulness to His people at all times.
Outline:
·
Ch. 1-2: Esther becomes queen
·
Ch. 3-6: Haman’s rise to power
·
Ch. 7-10: Jew’s deliverance through Esther’s
influence
Notes of
interest:
·
It reads
like an oriental romance.
·
Important
to Jews but unlike any other OT book.
·
God is
not mentioned, yet is clearly at work.
·
It shows
life in the Dispersion, in the times of Gentiles:
o There’s no longing for Israel (as in
Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah).
o There are no references to the temple, priest
or sacrifice.
o Esther & Mordecai attempted to conceal
their Jewish parentage.
·
Authenticity:
“Esther” was referred to by the Jewish historian Josephus; and 2 Maccabees
15:36 refers to Purim.
· The Jews placed this book next to the
Pentateuch in importance.
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