I completed a graduate-level course on the biblical book of Esther when I was enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary. I didn’t graduate, but nevertheless, this was one of my favorite courses while I was a student at Fuller. Interestingly, some Jews and Christians didn’t want to include Esther in the canon. One big reason was that this book is the only book in the Bible that doesn’t contain the word “God”.”
Jon Levenson’s commentary on Esther was the text used for the course. It’s a very short and accessible commentary on this book. It’s useful as well because one can easily miss the subtle humor and literary techniques that the book skillfully uses in its text.
Levenson explains, “The fast pace of the action in the book of Esther can mask the substantial elements of symmetry in its narrative design”. He uses a figure adapted from Michael V. Fox, but the patterns are basically the following
- Ahasuerus’s banquet for nobility (1:2-4)
- Ahasuerus’s banquet for all the men in Susa (1:5-8)
- Vashti’s banquet for the women (1:9)
- Esther’s enthronement banquet (2:18)
- Haman and Ahasuerus banquet (3:15)
- Esther’s first banquet with Ahasuerus and Haman (5:1-8)
- Esther’s second banquet with Ahasuerus and Haman (7:1-9)
- The Jews feasted in celebration of Mordecai’s elevation and the counter-decree (8:17)
- The Feast of Purim: Adar 14 (9:17,19)
- The second feast of Purim: Adar 15 (9:18)
The messages of Esther can be subtle, so it can take some scholarly inferences to understand some of the humor. Levenson notes, “But the more fundamental point is that, unlike the more straightforwardly didactic or homiletical literature such as Proverbs or the prophets, Esther makes most of its points by indirection (12).
Levenson mentions that Esther’s political aspect is the complete lack of interest in the land of Israel (14).
Levenson mentions some of the chronological and historical issues in the introduction, pages 23-25. He argues the best way to see Esther is as a historical novella, not as a historical record
Levenson gives an overview of the potential dates and argues that it is most likely a product of the third or fourth centuries BCE, but there are issues with defining a specific date. Levenson notes that the festival of Purim and the book of Esther were known to Palestinian Jews as early as the first century BCE.
Levenson concludes the introduction by discussing the differences between the different textual traditions in the Book of Esther. He notes, “Indeed meticulous analysis of this AT stratum, which Fox calls the proto-AT, confirms it to be the Greek translation of a Hebrew original shorter than the MT and different from it in highly significant ways” (32). The MT or Masoretic Text has removed all references to God, making the story of the decree of Persian imperial decree an aetiology for Purim.
Esther 1:1-2:20
Levenson mentions how the name Ahasuerus is the Hebrew form of the Persian name that the Greeks rendered as Xerxes. He also mentions that this identification with Xerxes I, who reigned from 486-465 BCE, is unlikely, and there are difficulties in identifying these Xerxes with the historical Xerxes (42). This first section covers the first banquets and how Queen Vashti refused to come to the King’s commands to show off her beauty and join him at a banquet. The King thus sent out edicts in his empire to bring him young women so he could choose a new wife. This part identifies Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai was an exiled Jew from Jerusalem and Esther’s foster father. Esther was eventually determined to be the new queen, and Mordecai forbade her from disclosing her identity as a Jew.
Levenson notes, “Esther’s hiding her Jewishness and her connection to Mordecai is a narrative necessity; without it, Haman’s genocidal plot could never have been launched” (61).
Esther 2:21-2:23
Here, Mordecai can foil the assassination plot of two of the King’s eunuchs. Levenson explains that this plot is a foreshadowing of the attempted genocide of the Jewish people later in the text.
Esther 3:1-15
Here, the King promotes the courtier Haman to be second in command of the empire. He is descended from the Amalekites, and his ancestral people were enemies of the Jews. Mordecai refuses to bow to him, and he has to find out by talking to other courtiers that Mordecai is Jewish.
Esther 3:7-11
Haman thus convinces the King to give him a decree to annihilate the Jews in the Persian empire. Levenson notes, “Ahsaerus’s acceptance of the proposal in 3:10 is strikingly reminiscent of Pharaoh’s commissioning of Joseph in Gen 41:42, but the context is diametrically opposed” (72).
Esther 3:12-15
An edict to kill the Jews is issued, and Levenson describes some of the textual differences among the edicts in different versions of Esther (74-76).
Esther 4:1-17
Esther is thus asked by Moredcai to intercede on behalf of the Moredcai and to work to stop the genocide of the Jews. She would have to go against a law that stated that a queen could be killed if she appeared to the King without being summoned. Esther accepts a providential role and asks the fellow Jews of Susa to fast for three days. Esther’s words, “If I perish, I perish”, reflect her providential role.
Esther 5:1-14
Here Esther approaches the King ans asks for two banquets and for Haman to be brought to the banquet. Hamans became angry when he saw Moredcai the Jew sitting in the King;s gate and he devises a plan to kill Moredcai.
Esther 6:1-14
Leveson discusses how Haman is forced to honour Mordecai in this pericope and in public because the King is pleased with Mordecai. Levenson discusses how Haman will receive retribution (98). This chapter goes over the implications and hidden literary relationships between the struggle between Haman and Mordecai.
Esther 7:1-10
This section discusses the banquet, along with the hidden puns and humor (99-106). Esther thus reveals King Haman’s plot to kill the Jews, and Haman is implied on the same stake that he intended for Mordecai.
Esther 8-10
The commentary concludes with the decree being reversed and the holiday of Purim being celebrated. Levenson notes, “The Jews are to see the fulfilment of an ancient prophecy of deliverance” (126). The book ends with the Jews being victorious over their enemies despite a sinister plot
Triggered to Thinking 
Leave a comment