The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. Martin luther favored eliminating it from the bible on this basis. There are two books in the bible where god is not mentioned. Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b. The book of esther is one of only two books in the hebrew bible that never mention god the other is the song of songs. Many suggest that the name esther is related to the hebrew word hester, which means hidden.
The book covers a period of about 12 years, falling somewhere between the events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of ezra. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. When god seems far away book of esther unlocking the bible. The book of esther is one of the twentyfour books of the hebrew bible. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account.
When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. The book of esther in the bible is a dramatic account which can give us insight into god s special and purposeful plan for our lives. The book demonstrates how god works in the lives of his people, both then. The story of esther turns on a series of seeming coincidences. Gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once.
Nonetheless, on every page his hand is seen and his providence manifested. The book of esther never mentions god by name, there is never the word prayer uttered, and the only spiritual discipline that is mentioned is fasting but that never says anything about prayer and fasting. Because the hebrew bibles version of esthers story contains neither prayers nor even a single reference to god, greek redactors. Even though gods name is never mentioned by name or directly referenced, its evident that his presence is. Mordecai and esther act in faith throughout the book. The 2 books of the bible that dont mention god overviewbible. Aug 06, 2016 without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. God, in fact, is not mentioned, esther is portrayed as assimilated to persian culture. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to. The book of esther may not have gods name stated directly, but his involvement is felt in many ways throughout the story, especially when esther implored the people to seek help through fasting. Interestingly, the name of god is not mentioned in this book.
Apparently in response to the conspicuous absence of any reference to god in the book, the. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of gods name did not mean that god was absent from the book. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if she did, she wouldnt have likely named it after herself. Students of the bible know that fasting was done to draw closer to god and was accompanied by heartfelt prayers daniel 9. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus.
God s justice calls you to inner courts and high places, and gives you favor in the sight of those in power see esther. Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. Using a word play with the name esther and the hebrew word for hide astir, the talmud connects the narrative of esther to the prophecy in deuteronomy. Gods justice calls you to inner courts and high places, and gives you favor in the sight of those in power see esther. Gods justice clothes you with royal robes see esther 5. The story of esther is one of drama and excitement that depicts heroes and villains.
Now that israel has been released from captivity, hamans edict is the final major effort in the ot. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press. Actually, in the book of esther, god is explicitly mentioned in the catholic bible, and in the greek septuagint which was the bible that our blessed lord used.
Even though the name of god is not mentioned in it, no book of the bible teaches his providence more forcefully. It has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. The old greek septuagint version of esther translates the name ahasuerus as artaxerxes, a greek name derived from the persian artaxsa. Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther. Dec 25, 2011 gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. In esther, god providentially uses two exiled israelites to rescue his. Mordecai is a man of integrity, and esther is a selfsacrificial heroine. Satans work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of a redeemer. The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god.
However, the silences of gods word, like its utterance, are full of instruction, and e w bullinger has found much teaching in the absence of jehovahs name from this old testament book. Book of esther, in the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. The main people in the book also are symbols for god, gods messiah, israel and the adversary, aka hasatan. Levi lusko, lead pastor of fresh life church esther fleece allen calls believers to walk in the strength and hope of their god given identity and does so with great depth, compassion, and richness of biblical teaching that we find restorative. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. In spite of the fact that the law allowing their destruction was written according to the laws of the medes and persians, rendering it unchangeable, the way was cleared. Jan 02, 2020 the book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work.
Indeed, there is no direct reference to god at all. Jul 17, 2014 friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. Jul 23, 2017 though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. Your new name is a beautiful tool to help us do just that. The book was written no earlier than 470 bc and probably no later than 424 bc, during the reign of xerxes son artaxerxes. This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. The book of esther, like much of the bible, tells the story of gods involvement with his people. As the first to attack israel after their deliverance from egypt, the amalekites were viewed and the author of esther views them as the epitome of all the powers of the world arrayed against god s people see nu 24. From vashtis dismissal, esthers rise to royalty, ahasueruss indebtedness to mordecai, to the miraculous deliverance of the jews, gods control, care, and comfort for his people is demonstrated ps.
Queen vashti rebels the book of esther is the only book. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. Watch our overview video on the book of esther, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to. When a statement is made by mordecai who is a symbol of the holy spirit gods name is found as the first letter of the first few words of the scripture. It is a variation of the name of the goddess astarte.
Mar 01, 2001 it has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. Many have noticed that god is not once mentioned in the book of esther. It was written after the death of king xerxes esth. Curiously, god is not mentioned in this volume of scripture and there is no indication that god was involved in any way in helping esther and mordecai save the jews of persia from the evil machinations of haman, who planned to kill them. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the time that mordecai saved the kings life esther 6.
The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. The story forms the core of the jewish festival of purim, during which it is read aloud twice. Friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. And in fact, the whole story of esther is a bit like a game of hide and seek first of all, you may have noticed that god himself is hiding in the book of esther he is not mentioned at all. Dear students of god s word, there is a study by professor e. All the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. We will celebrate the feast of purim on march 14, 2006.
The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the jewish tanakh and in the christian old testament. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. In esthers story, gods involvement is implicit rather than explicit. Esther may have been a different hebrew interpretation from the proto. Levi lusko, lead pastor of fresh life church esther fleece allen calls believers to walk in the strength and hope of their godgiven identity and does so with great depth, compassion, and richness of biblical teaching that we find restorative. It seems the author of the old greek also found it odd that god is never. The only real criterion for the kings new wife is beauty. As a result of the use of acrostics, the name of god is indeed found. Dear students of gods word, there is a study by professor e. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. For example, when esther asks the jews to fast, we can assume this included prayer est.
Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. The book of esther is unique in the bible as the name of god is never directly mentioned there. Esther is the only book in the bible not to mention the name of god. How can a book which fails to mention not only the name of god, but also prayer, worship, the coming messiah, heaven, hell or faith, be included in the canon of the old testament. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. The hidden face of the lamb of god in esther is the lord jesus. The hidden god of esther scroll of esther from the jewish museum near the dohany synagogue in budapest, hungary. This is an interesting sermon for those who hold this view, but it isnt true. Jul 18, 2018 the book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. Feb 28, 2011 when we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. On the surface, it appears to be a story about survival, prejudice, and politics. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. It is only in the jewish edition of the hebrew scriptures from centuries after chris. However, his sovereignty and providence are clearly on display in the book.
Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts of scripture. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop. The book of esther and gods providence jack wellman. In fact, gods name is not mentioned once, though his influence permeates the narrative. But for those who know the larger story of the bible, gods hidden hand can be discerned in these events, working to protect and preserve israel. Apr 25, 2018 in the book of esther, gods name is never mentioned, but you can clearly see the fingerprints of gods sovereignty throughout the book. The author is unknown, but it is evident from the details of the record that he was well acquainted with the persian. The book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus.
However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it.
This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. Esther the book of esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. In it you will find that even in the darkest days, god never stops working to keep his promises and to rescue his people. Note that this was not a form of secret bible code but of literary composition. The secular character of the book of esther the divine name is never. Esther, the jewish heroine of the biblical book that bears her name, bravely intervenes on behalf of her people to save them from destruction. This holiday, based on the biblical book of esther, is an appointed time to remember the victory of the jewish people in persia over the wicked haman during the babylonian captivity. In the book of esther, hegai the kings eunuch can symbolize the guidance of the holy spirit, who prepares us to meet with our king, our lord jesus, in his second coming.
This, they insist, supports their view that god helps people in a hidden way. We dont know for sure if mordecai had gods promises to abraham and david in mind when he claimed that the jews would be delivered es 4. All are alike, in that they are words which the holy spirit has inspired, and are in no way due to chance, or dependent on the mere. Immigrants and foreigners in the bible the hebrew bible contains a variety of views about foreigners and their relationship to israel and to god, reflecting the fact that israel was in nearly constant contact with foreign peoples. Nonetheless, in this short book consisting of just 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark tabata. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it.
Although the name of god is never mentioned in this book, it is apparent that the jews of susa sought his intervention when they fasted and prayed for three days esther 4. Unlike the rest of the bible, however, this book shows gods work indirectly. But words from god would make a good foundation for those beliefs. It is true that god is not mentioned at all in the book of esther, but then again it is. It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if. Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. Ahasuerus kingdom is referred to 26 times in the book of esther. Feb 28, 2018 god s justice clothes you with royal robes see esther 5. Jul 24, 2012 all the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. Many teach that while esther declares for us the incredible providence of god, it never uses the name of god himself. The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes. The 26 times the book of esther mentions god click to tweet.
Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark. The god of great reversals was written to shed light on the gospel story woven throughout the only book of the bible that never mentions gods name. Esther can represent us, the followers and disciples of our beloved lord jesus. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to remain in the shadows. Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews for jesus. Without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. Esther was an orphan who was brought up by her older cousin, mordecai esther 2. The story the book of esther touches on the life of more than esther.