Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a. He had banished his former wife and chose esther through a contest. The book ends with mordecai as the kings chief minister. Brief explanations of the technical resources used in this commentary series. The pulpit commentary introduces the book of esther with the following. Please identify the section you wish to read, and then use your readers searchfind feature to navigate to it. In 1934 annie became a missionary in china with oms. Esther 10 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Bush fuller theological seminary the book of esther tends to be an unaccepted book in christendom. You can find the best commentary on esther for you using the tools on the right side. For thomas mcrie esthers success reads as an implicit manual on the im perial values of male. Early jewish and christian traditions suggest that among the people named in the book, mordecai, esther s cousin and guardian, was in the best position to record the events. The canonicity of the book was questioned by some in ancient judaism and early christianity. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third.
It is careful not to say that god commanded the observance of purim. The illfate of the book of estherthe greek versionthe apocr additions talmudic. Hence it belongs to the bestknown ot books with the jews and it is also the book, which has the oldest copies. The book of esther serves as the authorizing document for purim, a holiday that is not mentioned in the torah. The illfate of the book of estherthe greek versionthe apocr additionstalmudic. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once. Book of prophecy that reveals gods magnificent plan of salvation through the person and work of jesus christ. Esther with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of esther is unusual gods name is not mentioned once, yet gods hand is clearly present and active. Scripture says mordecai recorded certain events in order to relate them to jews throughout the kingdom see esth. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Read esther 10 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. The scholary writings on the book of esther are numerous.
Levensons book consists of two parts an introductory essay of 35 pages, followed by a linebyline commentary on the text of esther. Esther is the last of the historical books of the bible, so its main character is named esther that is, venus, the morning star, which sheds its light after all the other stars have ceased to shine, and while the sun still delays rising. Esther commentary, sermon, illustration, devotional. Weibe argues that this phrase should be translated as a rhetorical question, suggesting that the implied answer is no. Study the bible online using commentary on esther and more. Listen to this description in the five megilloth, a jewish commentary published by the soncino press.
The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on this book of scripture. Berakhot, hebrewenglish, standard color english and. Study the bible online using commentary on esther 10 and more. Esther starts by being an insignificant individual in the persian empire, but queen vashtis demotion is esther s promotion to the throne. Esther is a young and beautiful jewish girl, orphaned but cared for by her. Even though you may not see god in your daily circumstances, trust him and follow his plan. Esther the persian queen download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. A social literary study of hebrew esther digital commons.
On the second page you will see an outline of this commentary. Artaxerxes this man was son of xerxes and stepson of esther. Weibe suggests that this translation fits the context of the book of esther much better than the traditional rendering. The author of the book of esther is unknown, though some attribute the work to mordecai. Upon those additions, and later still with the already biased viewpoint among. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. Classical sources such as josephus, the jewish commentary esther rabbah and the christian theologian barhebraeus. Not only is it a great story with all the drama and. The manner in which these young women were introduced to the king, and how those were disposed of who were not called again to the kings bed, esther 2.
The book of esther is one of the most exciting books in all the old testament and is nearly unique in employing a woman as its leading character. The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. This paper examines the book of esther, deriving important insights about a variety of approaches to. For thomas mcrie esthers success reads as an implicit manual on the im perial. Summary of the book of esther genuine leather bible. The original text of the megillah book of esther with a running commentary culled from the talmud and midrash, the great torah commentators and the chassidic masters. Examples of ancient hebrew found outside the bible are. Xerxes this is the ahasuerus of the book of esther. Today we begin our study of the book of esther, in earnest. Esther overview spurgeons verse expositions of the bible.
Hence it belongs to the bestknown otbooks with the jews and it is also the book, which has the oldest copies. The book takes its name from the beautiful, orphaned jewess who became the queen of the persian king ahasuerus. Esther is ishtar, the femme fatale of mesopotamian goddesses, and marduk mordecai is the creator of the world and king of the gods according to babylonian myth. The book of esther is read every year to the assembled congregations of the jewish people in their synagogues to the present day. The book of esther shows how the hand of god can move in a supernaturallynatural way. Esther pleases the king, and is set above all the women. It is a literary masterpiecea historical novel filled with action and suspense. Commentary on the book of esther by matthew henry old. On the mystical level king achashverosh alludes to gd, the king of the world. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament.
The book of esther has served the jewish people as support of their national hope and especially so in the days of persecution. The book is set during the period after the babylonian exile in which the nation of persia present day iran ruled judah. Today we are beginning a new studya new expository sermon serieson the book of esther. The writer of the book of esther probably wanted his readers to realise that god is always in control. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. Esther 1 commentary old testament matthew henry st. The book of esther an overview before we study in any detail a book of the bible it is helpful to stand back and take what we might refer to as the macro view of the book in question. Esther commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Commentary on the book of esther, new york, i908, pp. This little gem, tucked away in an obscure corner of the old testament, is a very rich book, and it is historical. Ahasuerusit is now generally agreed among learned men that the ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the xerxes who figures in grecian history. It has been well said that the book of esther is a record of wonders without a miracle, and therefore, though equally revealing the glory of the lord, it sets it forth in another fashion from that which is displayed in the overthrow of pharaoh by. He eventually chose esther as his queen, and by her influence the jews were saved from destruction. Thus esther was the only hope for their deliverance. Esther is one of the worlds greatest examples of a dramatic narrative.
Based on the hebrew text of esther an inductive approach based on the hebrew text of esther, 2 vols. Esther is read during the purim feast on 14th and 15th adar februarymarch. The levites did the more manual and mundane work of the temple. During world war ii she spent 21 months in a japanese concentration camp as a prisoner. Megillah with indepth commentaryside by side version. Indeed, martin luther expressed contempt for esther, claiming that it is spoiled by too much pagan impropriety. We might even think that he does not care about us.
Read esther commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Karen jobes has written the most engaging, interesting, and helpful commentary on the book of esther presently available. Kiel points out in his commentary on esther, we have only. Women as heroes in a patriarchal society wake forest. Several things in this chapter itself are very instructive and of great use. The book of esther a survey of the content of the book of esther theme.
May 25, 2011 esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. Esther a2 classic bible study guide 2 introduction the book of esther is a graphic narrative, which relates how gods people were preserved from ruin during the fifth century b. But while the characters might resemble a fairy tale, the book of esther depicts actual events that shaped jewish history and instituted the festival of purim. Furthermore, the book of esther is fond of reversals of fortune that strike parity between the jews and their neighbors or foes, and eventually reveal the jews appointed destiny. Esther is, among the generality of jews, the best known of all the books of the bible p. Esther 10 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The authors use of irony is an effective literary device in this narrative. When he learns of the edict against the jews, he encourages esther to confront the king. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press. Mordecai learned of a plot to kill the king and continue reading summary of the book of esther. But the megillahs mandate differs from the torahs in one crucial respect.
New insights from women rabbis on the 54 weekly torah portions koren talmud bavli, vol. The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. Esthers uncle, mordecai, appears first as an adoptive father, whose solicitude for esther leads him to the kings gate, where he foils a plot to assassinate the king.
Study esther 6 using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. Violence and the survival of israel in the book of esther. The book of esther does not mention the name of god. In the book of esther, it is very clear that the jews towards the end of the story became like their oppressors.