OT Characters: Esther & Mordecai

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Hebrew words/names:

• ‘Ester (eh-STAIR), “star,” 55x in the Bible.
  • After the Babylonian goddess Ishtar
  • Persian Sitâr
• Hadassah – myrtle. This was Esther’s original name.
• Mordecai, 59x. It seems that his name is influenced by Marduk (the Babylonian national god).
• Haman, 54x. He was an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekites, bitter foes of the Israelites.
• ‘Achashverosh – Ahasuerus (Xerxes), 31x.

Further study:

• For the text of the apocryphal prayers of Mordecai and Esther, click here.
• For similar stories (national heroes/heroines), see Tobit and Judith (both part of the O.T. Apocrypha).
• Scholars say Esther is not among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Yet it might be, if another cave is discovered, or if one of the unidentified fragments -- and there are many! -- is from the book of Esther.
• About the fact that the book of Esther does not mention name of God, click here.
  • Note: Song of Songs does not contain the name of God, either, apart 8:6 (as a suffix).
  • The Greek version of Esther contains many references to God. This is a later edition, apparently.
  • Perhaps for the lack of mention of God in the Hebrew text, Martin Luther abhorred this book.
• Esther 5:3 is the same construction as in John 2:4, "What to you?" While it may sound rude, it was not.
• Did Esther commit fornication by being in the harem of the king of Persia? Click here.
• About Xerxes: "He invaded Greece with an army, it is said, of more than 2,000,000 soldiers, only 5,000 of whom returned with him. Leonidas, with his famous 300, arrested his progress at the Pass of Thermopylae, and then he was defeated disastrously by Themistocles at Salamis. It was after his return from this invasion that Esther was chosen as his queen." -- Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Compare the parallels between the near "holocaust" of Haman (the aversion of which is commemorated in Purim) with the European Holocaust under Hitler. I think the parallel, though interesting, is fortuitous: no necessary theological connection. A more solid biblical parallel is between Mordecai and Saul. Both are from the tribe of Benjamin (through Kish), and both confront Amalekite(s). Haman is an Agagite, descendant (presumably) of the man spared by Saul but slain by Samuel (1 Samuel 15).

Some things we learn about God:

• God will often move powerfully through a single man or woman – or, in this case, through the collaboration by Mordecai, Esther, Esther’s maids…
• God is the helper of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14,18, 68:5, 82:3, 146:9), usually helping them through others (Proverbs 31:8).
• God is the ultimate power on earth, not human leaders.
• God is always working behind the scenes.
• He is at work even outside Israel (as in Daniel, Ruth, Jonah, and the Joseph cycle).

For kids: See the DLTK's website. Click here.

Key verses:

• Esther 2:7 – Mordecai adopts Esther.
• Esther 4:14 – Mordecai challenges Esther to speak up!
• Esther 5:1 – Esther risks her life for her people.

Next lesson: Job.