Bible Characters
Who Was Esther in the Bible? The Jewish Queen of Persia
Esther was a Jewish woman who became queen of Persia as the wife of King Xerxes (also called Ahasuerus) and used her position to save the Jewish people from destruction (Esther 2:17; 8:3-8). She was an orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai in the Persian capital of Susa (Esther 2:5-7). Her story is told in the Book of Esther and is the origin of the Jewish festival of Purim (Esther 9:26-28).
The events took place during the Persian period, after some Jews had returned to Judah under Cyrus while many others remained in the Persian empire.
Quick Facts About Esther
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Hebrew name Hadassah means "myrtle" (Esther 2:7); Esther is often linked to the Persian word for "star" |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | Esther |
| Time period | About 483 to 473 BC, during the reign of Xerxes I (486 to 465 BC) |
| Known for | Becoming queen of Persia, approaching the king uninvited, exposing Haman's plot, the origin of Purim |
Esther's Background
Esther's Hebrew name was Hadassah. She was the daughter of Mordecai's uncle, and after her father and mother died, Mordecai raised her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7). Mordecai was a Benjamite whose family had been carried into exile from Jerusalem with King Jehoiachin (Esther 2:5-6).
The Bible describes Esther as having a lovely figure and being beautiful (Esther 2:7).
How Esther Became Queen
Vashti Removed
In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a long banquet in Susa. On the seventh day, he ordered Queen Vashti to appear before his guests, and she refused (Esther 1:3, 10-12). On the advice of his nobles, Xerxes issued a decree removing her as queen (Esther 1:19-21).
Chosen From the Young Women
The king's attendants proposed a search for young women across the empire, and Esther was taken into the king's palace under the care of Hegai (Esther 2:2-8). Hegai showed her favor and gave her special treatment (Esther 2:9). Mordecai had told her not to reveal her nationality or family background, and she obeyed (Esther 2:10, 20).
Each woman went through twelve months of beauty treatments before seeing the king (Esther 2:12). When Esther's turn came, she asked for nothing beyond what Hegai suggested (Esther 2:15). Xerxes preferred her over all the others, and in the seventh year of his reign he set a royal crown on her head (Esther 2:16-17).
Mordecai Uncovers a Plot
While sitting at the king's gate, Mordecai learned that two officials, Bigthana and Teresh, planned to kill the king. He told Esther, who reported it to the king in Mordecai's name. The two men were executed, and the event was recorded in the royal annals (Esther 2:21-23).
Do you know Esther well enough to name her from the clues? Test yourself in Who Am I? Bible Edition.
Haman's Plot Against the Jews
Xerxes promoted Haman the Agagite above all the other nobles, and the royal officials bowed to him. Mordecai refused to bow (Esther 3:1-2). When Haman learned Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews in the empire (Esther 3:5-6).
Haman cast the lot, called pur, to choose a date, and it fell on the twelfth month, Adar (Esther 3:7). He told the king that a certain people did not obey the king's laws and offered ten thousand talents of silver for the royal treasury. The king gave Haman his signet ring, and a decree went out to kill all the Jews on the thirteenth day of Adar (Esther 3:8-13).
Who Was Esther in the Bible When Her People Faced Destruction?
Mordecai's Appeal
Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes and mourned publicly (Esther 4:1). Through the servant Hathak, he sent Esther a copy of the decree and urged her to plead with the king (Esther 4:5-8).
Esther replied that anyone who approached the king in the inner court without being summoned would be put to death, unless the king extended his gold scepter. She had not been called to the king for thirty days (Esther 4:11). Mordecai answered:
"And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, NIV)
Esther's Decision
Esther asked Mordecai to gather the Jews in Susa to fast for her for three days, and said she and her attendants would fast as well. She would then go to the king, even though it was against the law. She ended her message with the words, "And if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16).
The Two Banquets
On the third day, Esther stood in the inner court. The king held out the gold scepter to her and offered her up to half the kingdom (Esther 5:1-3). She invited the king and Haman to a banquet, and at that banquet invited them to a second one the next day (Esther 5:4-8).
Haman left in high spirits but was enraged when Mordecai again did not rise or show fear. On his wife Zeresh's advice, he had a pole set up, fifty cubits high, to impale Mordecai (Esther 5:9-14).
Mordecai Honored
That night the king could not sleep. He had the royal chronicles read to him and learned that Mordecai had never been rewarded for exposing the assassination plot (Esther 6:1-3). When Haman arrived to ask about impaling Mordecai, the king asked him what should be done for a man the king wished to honor. Haman, assuming he was the man, described a royal procession. The king ordered Haman to do exactly that for Mordecai (Esther 6:4-11).
Haman Exposed
At the second banquet, Esther told the king that she and her people had been sold for destruction, and named Haman as the enemy (Esther 7:3-6). The king ordered Haman impaled on the pole he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10).
Deliverance and Purim
A Persian law sealed with the king's ring could not be revoked (Esther 8:8). So the king allowed Esther and Mordecai to write a second decree giving the Jews the right to assemble and defend themselves (Esther 8:9-11). The king gave Mordecai the signet ring he had taken back from Haman, and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's estate (Esther 8:2). Mordecai later ranked second only to the king (Esther 10:3).
On the thirteenth of Adar, the Jews defeated their attackers (Esther 9:1-5). They did not take plunder (Esther 9:10, 15-16). Mordecai and Esther wrote letters establishing the days of Purim as an annual celebration, named after the pur Haman had cast (Esther 9:20-32).
God's Presence in the Book of Esther
The Book of Esther does not mention God by name. His work is still visible in the sequence of events: Esther's rise to queen at the right time, the king's sleepless night, and the reversal of Haman's plans (Esther 2:17; 6:1; 7:10). Mordecai expressed confidence that deliverance would come from somewhere (Esther 4:14).
The Greek version of Esther contains additional sections, including prayers by Mordecai and Esther. These "Additions to Esther" are included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but are not part of the Hebrew text or the Protestant canon.
Key Lessons From Esther's Life
- Courage at personal cost. Esther approached the king knowing it could cost her life (Esther 4:11, 16).
- Prayer and fasting before action. She called her people to fast before she acted (Esther 4:16).
- Wisdom and timing. Esther waited through two banquets before making her request (Esther 5:8; 7:2-3).
- God's providence. Events that seemed small, like a recorded plot and a sleepless night, led to deliverance (Esther 2:23; 6:1-3).
Where Esther Appears in the Bible
- Esther: chapters 1-10 (Esther herself appears from 2:7 onward)
Esther is one of two Old Testament books named for women, along with Ruth. Another woman who led at a critical moment was Deborah. For the Jews who returned to Jerusalem in the same Persian period, see Nehemiah.
Can you identify Esther, Mordecai, and Haman from their clues? Play Who Am I? Bible Edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Esther's Hebrew name?
Esther's Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means "myrtle" (Esther 2:7). Esther was the name she was known by in the Persian court.
Who was Esther's husband?
Esther's husband was Xerxes, king of Persia, who is called Ahasuerus in some translations (Esther 1:1; 2:17). He reigned from 486 to 465 BC.
Was Mordecai Esther's uncle or cousin?
Mordecai was Esther's cousin. Esther 2:7 says she was the daughter of Mordecai's uncle, and that Mordecai raised her as his own daughter after her parents died.
Why is God not mentioned in the Book of Esther?
The Hebrew text of Esther does not name God, and the book does not explain why. God's providence is still shown in the timing of events that lead to the deliverance of the Jews.
What is Purim?
Purim is an annual Jewish festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's plot (Esther 9:26-28). The name comes from pur, the lot Haman cast to choose the date for destroying the Jews (Esther 3:7).