There are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. The names are indeed unattested in persian texts as gods, however the talmud sanhedrin 61b and rashi both record a practice of deifying haman. Mar 01, 2001 it has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. Jul 23, 2017 in this way, the book offers a stance of profound faith michael v. The 26 times the book of esther mentions god click to tweet take your. Without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. When a statement is made by mordecai who is a symbol of the holy spirit gods name is found as the first letter of the first few words of the scripture.
Curiously, god is not mentioned in this volume of scripture and there is no indication that god was involved in any way in helping esther and mordecai save the jews of persia from the evil machinations of haman, who planned to kill them. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it. It was written after the death of king xerxes esth. However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. Actually, in the book of esther, god is explicitly mentioned in the catholic bible, and in the greek septuagint which was the bible that our blessed lord used. This little book, which doesnt even mention god, is all about gods heart for justiceand the lengths he will go to.
How can a book which fails to mention not only the name of god, but also prayer, worship, the coming messiah, heaven, hell or faith, be included in the canon of the old testament. Its also one of two books of the entire bible that doesnt actually mention gods name the other is song of songs. Dear students of gods word, there is a study by professor e. All are alike, in that they are words which the holy spirit has inspired, and are in no way due to chance, or dependent on the mere. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. The book covers a period of about 12 years, falling somewhere between the events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of ezra. Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b. The unique feature of the book of esther is that it is the only book in the prophets and writings that takes place completely outside of israel.
It is a blueprint of the dangers jews face when in exile, at the hands and mercy of nonjewish rulers. And though we dont read gods name in the story, his sovereignty and loving care are woven throughout the words and chapters. Satan s work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and. All the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. Esther may have been a different hebrew interpretation from the proto. The book of esther is one of only two books in the hebrew bible that never mention god the other is the song of songs.
Hidden acrostics an acrostic is when the initial letter of each line spells out a word, and it can be used as a mechanism for including a hidden message. Gods grace in life of esther first presbyterian church. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press. The book of esther is one of the two books in the bible where gods name is not mentioned. Far from being secular, esther pushes us to look at our own lives and consider how god might be actively working behind the scenes, even in the face of great threat or tragedy, to accomplish his good and perfect purposes. Gods name is not mentioned even once in the entire book of esther.
So, even in the kings decrees the hand of god is weaving his tapestry prov. Though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. Still today, the book is read in its entirety in synagogues. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. Even though the name of god is not mentioned in it, no book of the bible teaches his providence more forcefully. And in fact, the whole story of esther is a bit like a game of hide and seek first of all, you may have noticed that god himself is hiding in the book of esther he is not mentioned at all. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. Indeed, there is no direct reference to god at all. Esther bible study while i have been praying about writing a bible study on the book of esther which incorporates verse mapping and inductive bible study, there are some great bible studies on the book of esther available, already. The lord gave me that very book to read yesterday as i waited in our car for my wife to do attend to some administrative works. When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name.
Jan 02, 2020 the book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. Gods justice calls you to inner courts and high places, and gives you favor in the sight of those in power see esther. The book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. Dear students of god s word, there is a study by professor e. The hidden name of god in esther randy white ministries. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther.
Feb 28, 2018 in fact, he showed me 49 attributes of his justiceall from esthers story. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts. Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. On the surface, it appears to be a story about survival, prejudice, and politics. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star. The image of god that appears in the national, canonical book. Many have noticed that god is not once mentioned in the book of esther. By israel drazin the book of esther is one of the twentyfour books of the hebrew bible. But words from god would make a good foundation for those beliefs. Esther the book of esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. The story of esther turns on a series of seeming coincidences.
In spite of the fact that the law allowing their destruction was written according to the laws of the medes and persians, rendering it unchangeable, the way was cleared. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. Jul 17, 2014 friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. Interestingly, the name of god is not mentioned in this book. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it. He ruled over a vast empire that extended from india to ethiopia. The god of great reversals was written to shed light on the gospel story woven throughout the only book of the bible that never mentions gods name. For the same reason we have the divine title the god of heaven as characterizing the book ezranehemiah.
Esther fleece allen beautifully illustrates the gift we have as children of god, what this sacred identity means, and why this gift is so precious and powerful. The greek septuagint remedied this situation by adding six passages which include the name of god. The book of esther is the only one not found in the dead sea scrolls. The book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. Mar 05, 2017 the name of jehovah in the book of esther e w bullinger on. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the jewish tanakh and in the christian old testament. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. The author is unknown, but it is evident from the details of the record that he was well acquainted with the persian. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. It is only in the jewish edition of the hebrew scriptures from centuries after chris. Dec 25, 2011 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing.
The name of god is not mentioned in the entire book, an omission that has caused debate about its place in holy scripture. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. Hence we may conclude that the book was written probably about b. Martin luther favored eliminating it from the bible on this basis. What is the importance of the book of esther, and why is. Curiously, god is not mentioned in this volume of scripture and there is no indication that god was involved in any way in helping esther and mordecai save the jews of persia from the. But the book of esther is like an unsigned painting, challenging us to search its pages to discover the existence of the one who remains elusive. However, out of all the women in an empire stretching from greece to india, it is an orphan girl from an. Many teach that while esther declares for us the incredible providence of god, it never uses the name of god himself. Esther was an orphan who was brought up by her older cousin, mordecai esther 2. The most popular traditions are mordecai a major character in the book of esther, ezra and nehemiah who would have been familiar with persian customs. Satans work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of a redeemer. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop. Mordecai and esther act in faith throughout the book.
It is true that god is not mentioned at all in the book of esther, but then again it is. The absence of the name of god in the book of esther has for centuries caused many to doubt god s hand upon its main characters, esther and mordecai. Gods justice clothes you with royal robes see esther 5. Session 10 january 19, 2017 the hidden name of god in eshter the hidden name of god in esther the background the book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. The main people in the book also are symbols for god, gods messiah, israel and the adversary, aka hasatan. Aug 06, 2016 without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. Nonetheless, in this short book consisting of just 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his. This summary of the book of esther provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of esther. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther.
From vashtis dismissal, esthers rise to royalty, ahasueruss indebtedness to mordecai, to the miraculous deliverance of the jews, gods control, care, and comfort for his people is demonstrated ps. It is known for its ironic narrative and theological subtlety. Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. Our beautiful lord and god intended for that to be like that in this book. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark tabata. But for those who know the larger story of the bible, gods hidden hand can be discerned in these events, working to protect and preserve israel. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. The only real criterion for the kings new wife is beauty.
The story forms the core of the jewish festival of purim, during which it is read aloud twice. Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. Whatever you believe, you can glean many moral lessons from the book of esther. The book of esther never mentions god by name, there is never the word prayer uttered, and the only spiritual discipline that is mentioned is fasting but that never says anything about prayer and fasting. The story the book of esther touches on the life of more than esther. It has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. It must have been obviously written after the death of ahasuerus the xerxes of the greeks, which took place b.
The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. The book of esther is unique in the bible as the name of god is never directly mentioned there. There are only five acrostics in the book of esther. However, his sovereignty and providence are clearly on display in the book. The hidden god of esther scroll of esther from the jewish museum near the dohany synagogue in budapest, hungary.
There are those who want to say that the book of esther is neither inspired nor beneficial but is simply a beautiful legend. The name of god is hidden several times in acrostics in the book of esther. The book of esther is an intriguing work in the old testament canon. The name of jehovah in the book of esther e w bullinger on. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts of scripture. The prayers of esther and mordecai are especially noteworthy. Note that this was not a form of secret bible code but of literary composition. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. Esther is the only book in the bible not to mention the name of god. Friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if. The name esther means star and is a derivation of the root name of the goddess ishtar.
Nonetheless, on every page his hand is seen and his providence manifested. Its extremely important to notice this in the book of esther because it has one lifechanging implication for us. The book of esther in the bible is a dramatic account which can give us insight into gods special and purposeful plan for our lives. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of gods name did not mean that god was absent from the book. We dont know for sure if mordecai had gods promises to abraham and david in mind when he claimed that the jews would be delivered es 4. Although the name of god is never mentioned in this book, it is apparent that the jews of susa sought his intervention when they fasted and prayed for three days esther 4. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. The book of esther was likely written between 460 and 350 b. For the religion of the jews, god appears as a character in the national book, the hebrew bible. He was the son of darius the great and reigned from 486465 b.
In it you will find that even in the darkest days, god never stops working to keep his promises and to rescue his people. Introduction esther was a jew from the tribe of benjamin who grew up as an exile in persia. The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god. As a result of the use of acrostics, the name of god is indeed found.
The book was written no earlier than 470 bc and probably no later than 424 bc, during the reign of xerxes son artaxerxes. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the time that mordecai saved the kings life esther 6. Mordecai is a man of integrity, and esther is a selfsacrificial heroine. The 2 books of the bible that dont mention god overview bible. The story of esther takes place in the persian empire during the reign of ahasuerus, known more familiarly to us by the greek form of his name, xerxes i. It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there.
Using a word play with the name esther and the hebrew word for hide astir, the talmud connects the narrative of esther to the prophecy in deuteronomy. Immigrants and foreigners in the bible the hebrew bible contains a variety of views about foreigners and their relationship to israel and to god, reflecting the fact that israel was in nearly constant contact with foreign peoples. This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. The book of esther is one of only two in the bible named for women the other is ruth. I read this book while pregnant with my third child, and i will never look at naming a child the same way again. The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes. Why is the name of god not mentioned in megillat esther. The minute and particular account also given of many historical details makes it probable that the writer was contemporary with mordecai and esther. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it is possible to make some inferences about the author. When god seems far away book of esther unlocking the bible.
Jul 18, 2018 the name esther gives us another clue. The book of esther does not specifically name its author. Esther, the jewish heroine of the biblical book that bears her name, bravely intervenes on behalf of her people to save them from destruction. Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther.