Esther

Royal Intervention

The Book of Esther is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. It tells the story of Esther, a Jewish woman who becomes the queen of the Persian King Xerxes and uses her position to save her people from a plot to destroy them. The book begins with the story of Esther's rise to power, and it includes the story of the plot by the Persian official Haman to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed. Esther, with the help of her uncle Mordecai, persuades the king to spare the Jews and to punish Haman instead. Key figures in the book of Esther include Esther, Xerxes, Haman, and Mordecai. The book also mentions various other individuals, such as the court officials and the Jews who were threatened by Haman's plot. The book also includes a celebration, known as the Feast of Purim, which is still celebrated by Jews today in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's plot.

Commentary

10 chapters
The Book of Esther is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. It tells the story of Esther, a Jewish woman who becomes the queen of the Persian King Xerxes and uses her position to save her people from a plot to destroy them. The book begins with the story of Esther's rise to power, and it includes the story of the plot by the Persian official Haman to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed. Esther, with the help of her uncle Mordecai, persuades the king to spare the Jews and to punish Haman instead. Key figures in the book of Esther include Esther, Xerxes, Haman, and Mordecai. The book also mentions various other individuals, such as the court officials and the Jews who were threatened by Haman's plot. The book also includes a celebration, known as the Feast of Purim, which is still celebrated by Jews today in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's plot.

Chapters

King Xerxes' Banquet

King Xerxes' Banquet

Esther 1

King Xerxes gives a banquet for his nobles and holds a beauty contest to choose a new queen.

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 2

Esther, a Jew, is chosen to be the new queen.

Haman's Anger

Haman's Anger

Esther 3

Haman, the king's advisor, becomes angry with Mordecai, a Jew, and plots to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire.

Haman's Plot

Haman's Plot

Esther 4

Haman presents his plan to kill the Jews to King Xerxes.

Esther's Request

Esther's Request

Esther 5

Esther approaches the king and reveals her Jewish identity, pleading for her people.

Mordecai's Honor

Mordecai's Honor

Esther 6

King Xerxes honors Mordecai for saving his life and Esther reveals Haman's plot.

Haman's Punishment

Haman's Punishment

Esther 7

Haman is punished and the king issues a decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves.

The Jews Defend Themselves

The Jews Defend Themselves

Esther 8

The Jews defend themselves against their attackers.

The King's Decree

The King's Decree

Esther 9

The king issues another decree allowing the Jews to confiscate the property of those who had attacked them.

The Celebration of Purim

The Celebration of Purim

Esther 10

The celebration of the festival of Purim is established to commemorate the Jews' deliverance.