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Introduction to Esther
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of Esther
- King Ahasuerus sends away his wife, the queen (1:1–22)
- Ahasuerus chooses Esther as the new queen (2:1–23)
- Haman plots to destroy the Jews (3:1–15)
- Mordecai asks Esther to help her people (4:1–17)
- Esther pleads with the King for the Jews (5:1–7:10)
- The result of Haman's plot to destroy the Jews (8:1–9:16)
- The Feast of Purim (9:17–32)
- Conclusion (10:1–3)
What is the Book of Esther about?
The Book of Esther is the account of a plot to kill all the Jews living in the Persian Empire. These were the Jews whom the Babylonians had taken into exile, together with their descendants.
This book tells how a young Jewish woman named Esther became the queen of Persia, the most important wife of the king of Persia. The book implies that God used Esther to save her people from destruction.
The Book of Esther ends by explaining that the Jewish festival of Purim began as a celebration of God's rescue of the Jews. The name "Purim" comes from "pur," the lots or dice that Haman, the Jews' enemy, threw in order to decide when to attack them.
How should the title of this book be translated?
The traditional title of this book is "The Book of Esther." However, it is possible to make the title more clear in other languages. We recommend, "The Book About Esther" or "The History About Esther."
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What was the Persian Empire?
The Persian Empire, or more properly, the First Persian Empire, consisted of many kingdoms and regions that King Cyrus the Great conquered and ruled over. When he conquered Babylonia in 539 B.C., he came into control of the Jews whom the Babylonians had exiled.
Why were there Jews in Babylonia when the Persians conquered it?
These Jews were the descendants of the people of Judah who had not been killed in the attacks of the Babylonian army about 586 B.C. under King Nebuchadnezzar II.
What was meant by "the laws of the Medes and Persians"?
This idea, found in Esther 1:19 and Daniel 6:12, referred to laws and decrees which, once issued, could not be taken back. This idea is important in the Book of Esther, because although the king decreed that his people could attack the Jews, he later regretted his decision. He had to find a way to take away the danger to the Jews without reversing the decree. The term "Medes" refers to an ethnic group who had formed their own nation, but who were taken over by the Persians and absorbed into them.
Part 3: Important Translation Issues
What different levels of language are in the Book of Esther?
The Book of Esther presents people talking to each other in many different situations. There is the polite and stately language of the Persian court, and the language of royal decrees. There is also the language of friends and close relatives who are talking to each other. There is even the language that one uses in speaking to oneself. Translators should use all the ways provided by their own languages in order to represent these different kinds of situations in a way that their readers will identify and understand.