Esther

ESTHER, otherwise Hadassah¹, of the tribe of Benjamin, the daughter of Abihail. Her parents being dead, Mordecai her uncle by the father’s side, took care of her education. In the year of the World 3486, before J. C. 514, before the Vulgar Æra 518. Esth. ii.After that Ahasuerus, otherwise Darius the son of Hystaspes, had divorced Vashti, there was search made throughout all the provinces of the Persian empire for the most beautiful women that were to be found. Esther was one of those who were chosen: she was carried to court, and committed to the care of an eunuch, who was to provide for her table, and furnish her with every thing besides that was necessary. Seven young women were appointed to wait on her, and she continued thus a whole year preparing herself by the use of sweet oil and perfumes to be produced before the King.

In the Year of the World 3490, before J. C. 510, before the Vulgar Æra 514.The time being come when she was to be conducted to the King’s apartment, all the ornaments were given her that she desired, and she found favour in the eyes of King Ahasuerus. He put a royal diadem upon her head, and declared her Queen in the room of Vashti. The King was married to her with royal magnificence, and upon this joyful occasion bestowed largesses and pardons on his people. Now Esther declared to no one who she was, nor took notice that Mordecai was her uncle, because he had cautioned her against it.

King Ahasuerus having advanced one of his officers, whose name was Haman, to great honours, and he requiring such respects as were due to God only, Mordecai resolutely refused to pay them, and so drew upon himself the indignation of Haman; who, to revenge himself of the pretended contempt which Mordecai had offered to his person, obtained an order from the King to put all the Jews to death, who were in his dominions. Mordecai gave notice of this to Esther, and advertised her of the necessity there was, that she should wait on the King, and desire the revocation of this edict, which Haman had procured from the King by surprize. Esther excused herself, and alledged, that the King had not sent for her in thirty days, and that she dared not go to him without being called, because of that charge which the King had published, whereby he forbad any person whatsoever upon pain of death to come into his inner room, without being first sent for by his command; unless upon the appearance of any such person before him, he extended his golden sceptor towards him, and by this mark of clemency secured him from the penalty in this case appointed.

Mordecai was not satisfied with this reason, but sent word to Esther, that no danger should deter her from assisting the people of her own nation in such an extremity; and that God for this purpose had in all probability raised her to the royal dignity, that she might be able to act upon such an occasion as this was. Esther therefore disposed herself by prayer, by fasting and humiliation to appear before the King, and likewise desired Mordecai to pass three days and three nights in fasting and prayer, in order to draw down the blessing of God upon her undertaking.

After three days, Esther dressed herself in her royal robes, and going to the King’s apartment, she placed herself over against the door of the inward chamber, where the King’s throne was. Ahasuerus seeing her, stretched out his golden sceptor towards her, and said, Esther, what is thy petition? for shouldst thou ask half of my kingdom, I would give it thee. Esther answered, I humbly intreat the King to come this day to a banquet, which I have prepared for him, and, if he pleases, to bring Haman with him. The King and Haman both went to the Queen’s entertainment, and the King again told her, that she was at liberty to ask whatsoever she desired. But all that she then requested was, that he would dine with her again the next day, and that Haman might be of the company. Esth. vii.with him; and Ahasuerus, in the heat of wine, having once more repeated the promises which he had before made her, Esther replied, if I have found favour in thy sight, O King, give me my own life, and the lives of all my people, for whom I implore thy clemency. Whereupon the King demanded, who had conspired against her’s and her people’s lives? she said, Haman who is here before thee, and is our most cruel adversary. The King at the same time rose in great passion, and went out into the garden belonging to the palace, near the room of entertainment. Haman likewise rose from table, and threw himself at the Queen’s feet, beseeching her to preserve his life. At the same time the King returned, and seeing Haman upon the bed belonging to the table at which Esther eat, he cried out, How! will he offer violence to the Queen in my presence, and in mine own house? these words were scarce spoken by the King, when Haman was seized on, his face covered, and he led to the place of execution. See HAMAN.

Esth. viii.The same day the King revoked the orders he had given to destroy all the Jews in his dominions, and permitted them to revenge themselves upon their enemies, to kill men, women, and children, and to pillage their houses. The day for executing this piece of revenge was appointed to be upon the thirteenth day of the month Adar, which was the very day on which Haman had resolved to extirpate them. In pursuance of this permission, the Jews made a great Esth. ix.slaughter of their enemies over all Ahasuerus’s kingdom; so that in the city of Shushan only they killed five hundred, without reckoning the ten sons of Haman. They continued still the next day to destroy their enemies with the King’s permission; but in Shushan only, and some other cities, there were reckoned to be seventy-five thousand massacred by the Jews upon the thirteenth day of Adar. They chose the fourteenth day of the same month to appoint a solemn festival in memory of this event; which festival is called Purim, that is to say, the Lots, because upon this day they were to have been executed according to the lot which Haman had drawn with this purpose.

The book of Esther², which contains the history here related, has always been esteemed to be canonical both among the Jews and in the Christian Church: but the canonical authority of those additions which are to be met with at the end of this book in the Latin editions, and are not in the Hebrew copies, has been much disputed. Those copies of the Greek version which are in our hands, are not uniform, and differ very much from the Hebrew; and the old Latin translations of this work, which were extant before that of St. Jerom, differ both from the Hebrew text, and from the Greek versions. In the beginning of this book in Greek³, we read, that in the fourth year of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus accompanied by his son Ptolemy, carried the letter of Purim into Egypt, which was said to have been translated into Greek by Lysimachus the son of Ptolemy. The King Ptolemy, in whose reign this translation was brought into Egypt, is believed to be Ptolemy Philometor, who died in 3861, long after Ptolemy Philadelphus, in whose reign the version of the Septuagint is commonly supposed to have been made. This Lysimachus was probably the author of those additions, which are to be observed in the Greek text of Esther.

As to the original author of this book, people are pretty much divided. Clemens of Alexandria, and after him, some Rabbins, and many of our Commentators, attribute it to Mordecai; and the book itself favours this opinion, wherein it is said, that Mordecai himself wrote this event. Others⁴ make Esdras to be the author of it. Others⁵ again are of opinion, that the great Synagogue composed it, and placed it in the Canon of the Scriptures. The time wherein this history was transacted we fix in the reign of Darius the son of Hystaspes, whom we believe to be the same as Ahasuerus. See AHASUERUS, HAMAN, MORDECAI, in which articles we relate several circumstances belonging to the history of ESTHER. See likewise our Preface to the book of ESTHER.

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