Description
During the rule of the Persian Empire, King Ahasuerus banishes his queen, Vashti, for not complying to his wishes. A beauty pageant is then declared to determine a new queen. A young, beautiful Jewish woman named Esther wins the title of queen. Years later, a plot unfolds to exterminate her people. Esther must take a bold stand for her people, even if it may cost her own life. NOTE: Study references include the “Holman Everyday Study Bible, KJV (King James Version) as well as the “Crossway Illuminated Scripture Journals, ESV (English Standard Version), Old Testament Set. All KEY VERSES included in each chapter summary will be translated in the English Standard Version.
Chapter 1
The King of Persia, Ahasuerus (Xerxes), held a grand feast for his soldiers as well as the nobles and governors of the Persian Empire, which lasted one hundred eighty days. Then, King Ashasuerus, along with his Queen, Vashti (translating to “the best”), hosted two more feast. Ashasuerus hosted his feast in the palace gardens for all men present in his city of Susa, while Vashti hosted her feast for the women of the King’s palace. On the final day of the feast, the King commanded seven of his eunuchs (royal servants) to bring Vashti to him so that she may “show off her beauty” to the men present. The King became enraged when his Queen refused to abide to his wishes. Thus, by the influence of the King’s princes and wisemen present at the feast, a decree was established that Vashti would be stripped of her identity as Queen and banished, her role as Queen will be given to another. The news was made known throughout every providence of the kingdom.
KEY VERSE: Esther 1:19 ~ “If it please the king, let the royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.”
Chapter 2
With some time now past, the king’s servants influenced the king to have officers seek out young virgin women across all provinces of the kingdom, to hold a beauty contest to crown the next queen. Within the walls of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai, an official of the royal court who parented his younger cousin, Hadassah. When the king’s order was proclaimed, Hadassah was taken to the king’s palace. Mordecai had instructed her to hide her Jewish heritage and to now go by her Gentile (non-Jewish) name, Esther, fearing for her life. Esther had won the favor of all who knew her due to her immense beauty, including the king, who declared her to be the next Queen of Persia. During a feast to celebrate the crowning of Esther, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, plotted to kill King Ahasuerus. This plot was overheard by Mordecai and immediately informed Esther who then informed the king. The eunuchs were hanged, and Mordecai’s noble act was recorded in the Persian chronicles of memorable deeds.
KEY VERSES: Esther 2:7 ~ “He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.” Esther 2:10 ~ “Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.” Esther 2:17 ~ “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
Chapter 3
King Ahasuerus promotes Haman, a member of his royal court, to be above all other officials, making him second only to the king. Now when Haman roamed the streets of Susa, the people bowed to him, all except for Mordecai, for Haman was an Agagite, a long-time enemy of the Jewish people. This enraged Haman, along with hearing that Mordecai was indeed a Jew. Haman then casts a plot to destroy all the Jews in Persia, first, by consulting his astrologers, rolling the die known as a Pur, to select a date for this holocaust. Haman then met with the king, first explaining that there are a “certain people” within his kingdom that do not keep the king’s laws in “fact” keep different laws from his. Haman explained that he would pay half the kingdom’s annual wages to execute his plot. Without questioning which people group Haman was executing, the king gave Haman his signet ring to seal the written command to execute the Jewish people. This brought great fear and confusion throughout all the providences of Persia.
KEY VERSES: Esther 3:6 ~ “But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” Esther 3:11 ~ “And the king said to Haman, ‘The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
Chapter 4
Mordecai learns of the decree to destroy the Jews of Persia and immediately breaks down in the middle of the city of Susa, tearing his clothes and dawning sackcloth (coarsely fabric made from goats’ hair) and spreading ashes a top his head (symbolizing grief in Jewish culture). Some of Esther’s women as well as her eunuchs discover Mordecai and rush to inform Esther of his mourning. She sent back to him comfortable garments and one of the king’s eunuchs referred to as Hathach, to discover why Mordecai was suffering. He refused the garments and informed the eunuch of Haman’s evil plot. He gave a copy of the decree to the eunuch to present to Esther. Through Hathach, the cousins exchange words back and forth to one another, culminating in Mordecai asking Esther to confront the king and save her people from extermination, for he believes that Esther may have come to be queen for an ordained time such as this. Though approaching the king without being called personally or without him extending his golden scepter to the one who wishes to speak certainly follows by the penalty of death (due to many politically driven assassinations attempts on Ahasuerus’ life during his reign), Esther decides to risk her life to save her people. She plans accordingly first by fasting for three days to clear her mind and seek spiritual guidance.
KEY VERSES: Esther 4:13-14 ~ “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'” Esther 4:16 ~ “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Chapter 5
Queen Esther confronts King Ahasuerus within the throne room. Esther once again gains the favor of the king, and he extends out his golden scepter to her. He asks his queen what her wishes are, up to half his kingdom would he give for her (meaning anything that she desires). Esther then invites both the king and Haman to a feast she has prepared, and then she will make her request known. After the feast, the king presents the same question to his queen (anything that she desires). Rather than expose Haman here and now, she invites the two to yet another feast and promises to then make her request known. While a pleased Haman leaves the palace, he is once again taken aback by Mordecai’s refusal to pay homage to him. This angers Haman to the point of impatience, causing him to seek the council of his wife, Zeresh, and friends to decide what to do with Mordecai. They suggest he have Mordecai hanged and make it an official decree by the king. This evil scheme pleases Haman and that night he makes his way back to the palace to confront the king.
KEY VERSES: Esther 5:2 ~ “And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter.” Esther 5:13 ~ “Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
Chapter 6
As the night carries on, the king finds himself unable to sleep for the night. He requested the chronicles of memorable deeds be read allowed to him so they may bore him to sleep. During the reading, the servants of the king come across Mordecai’s deed of exposing Bigthana and Teresh, the two eunuchs who planned to murder the king years prior. The king asks what honor was bestowed upon Mordecai for this noble act and they said no honor was given to him. As the king thinks on what honor he may give Mordecai, Haman enters the palace courtyard, then invited into the king’s chambers. The king asks Haman, “what should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Believing it is he the king is referring to, Haman request that the man to be honored should receive one of the king’s robes along with his horse and be lead through the square of Susa with the citizens shouting praises. The king has Haman do all these things… for Mordecai, leading him through the square of Susa. When Haman returns home, he informs his wife and friends of the great embarrassment he feels. His wife’s final words on the matter before Haman is suddenly rushed to the palace for Esther’s second feast are, “…you will not overcome him but surely fall before him” (once you stumble before a Jew, there is no hope for you).
KEY VERSE: Esther 6:10 ~ “Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”
Chapter 7
During the second feast Esther prepares for the king and Haman, the king asks his wife the same question, for up to half his kingdom would he give for her. Then Esther reveals that she and her people, who “have been sold”, are now to be destroyed. Esther asks that her people be sparred this evil plot. The king, enraged, asks his wife who has done this to her and her people. She reveals the schemer to be Haman. The king goes into the palace garden to contemplate the shocking news. Haman never gave the name of the people he was to exterminate, neither did Esther, but of course the king could put the clues together. As the king returns to the palace, he sees Haman “falling on the couch where Esther was”, begging for his life. This enraged the king even further and commanded for Haman to be hanged on the gallows previously prepared for Mordecai by Haman.
KEY VERSE: Esther 7:3 ~ “Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request.”
Chapter 8
King Ahasuerus gives Esther the house of Haman, which she bestows unto Mordecai. Mordecai is also given the royal robes and crown, taking Haman’s place of status. Esther once again pleads with the king, crying for her people to be spared. Though a royal decree sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked, Ahasuerus gave Mordecai the ring and gave him authority to make a new decree in which the Jews may defend themselves from the future attack, that they may be prepared to overcome their enemies. The decree was sent out to every providence and all the Jewish people rejoiced, even some Gentile citizens declaring themselves Jews (converting) out of fear for what may occur.
KEY VERSE: Esther 8:8 ~ “But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked”.
Chapter 9
On the day when the enemies of the Jewish people were to annihilate them, The Jewish people were able to defend themselves and overthrow their enemies with the help of the royal guards, eunuchs, and government, for they all feared and respected Mordecai and his new position of power. After the Jewish people in Susa conquered 500 of their enemies, Queen Esther asks the king if one more day may be added for the defense of the Jews. This request is granted as well as a request to have Haman’s 10 sons hanged on the gallows. The rest of the Jewish people in the kingdom of Persia got relief, killing thousands of their enemies. The next day was an issued day of rest and celebration for the Jewish people known as Purim, which continues to be celebrated today.
KEY VERSES: Esther 9:2 ~ “The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples” Esther 9:26-27 ~ “Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year,”
Chapter 10
King Ahasuerus imposes tax on the land and coastline (to make up for the tax relief during his marriage celebration to Esther) and Mordecai’s honor was set in many accounts within the chronicles of the Persian Empire. Mordecai was great amongst his people as well as all the providences, showing great care and support for his people. We understand that everything which occurred in this story from Vashti to Esther, from Haman to Mordecai, and from the king’s foolishness to sleepless night, God had His hand upon. Though He is never mentioned within the text, it serves as a point to the reader though God may not be acknowledged, He is within every aspect of life’s occurrences, supplying wisdom, grace, and direction for His people. As we can also see within this story, God can use people in secular places and circumstances to carry out His perfect will!
KEY VERSE: Esther 10:3 ~ “For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.”