Esther 10

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Esther 10
  chapter 9
Job 1  
Paolo Veronese - The Triumph of Mordecai - WGA24785.png
The Triumph of Mordecai (1556), by Paolo Veronese (1528–1588).
Book Book of Esther
Category Ketuvim
Christian Bible part Old Testament
Order in the Christian part17

Esther 10 is the tenth (and the final) chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, [1] The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. [2] Chapters 9 to 10 contain the resolution of the stories in the book. [3] This chapter is an encomium to Mordecai, showing his power alongside that of the king, being a Jew as second in command to a Gentile king, serving the interests of both groups—Persians and Jews. It is a picture of an 'ideal diaspora situation' and 'serves as a model for all diaspora communities'. [4]

Contents

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 3 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008). [5] [lower-alpha 1]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century). [7]

Verse 1

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. [8]

The statement serves to compliment Mordecai's position in the Persian empire in the next verses. [9]

Verse 2

And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? [10]

Verse 3

For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. [12]

This verse shows that a highly esteemed Jew could still be the highest ranked Persian official. [13]

See also

Notes

  1. Since 1947 the current text of Aleppo Codex is missing the whole book of Esther. [6]

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Esther 1 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 1 and 2 form the exposition of the book. This chapter records the royal banquets of the Persian king Ahasuerus until the deposal of queen Vashti.

Esther 2 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 1 and 2 form the exposition of the book. This chapter introduces Mordecai and his adoptive daughter, Esther, whose beauty won the approval of the king Ahasuerus, and she was crowned the queen of Persia. Given information from Mordecai, Esther warned the king of an assassination plan, so that the would-be assassins were executed on the gallows, and the king owed Mordecai his life.

Esther 3 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter introduces Haman the Agagite, who is linked by his genealogy to King Agag, the enemy of Israel's King Saul, from whose father, Kish, Mordecai was descended. The king Ahasuerus elevated Haman to a high position in the court, and ordered everyone to bow down to him, but Mordecai refuses to do so to Haman, which is connected to Mordecai's Jewish identity (as Jews would only bow down to worship their own God ; this indirectly introduced the religious dimension of the story. Haman reacted by a vast plan to destroy not simply Mordecai, but his entire people, getting the approval from the king to arrange for a particular date of genocide, selected by casting a lot, or pur to fall on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar. The chapter ends with the confused reaction of the whole city of Susa due to the decree.

Esther 4 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter describes the reaction of the Jews to Haman's evil decree, focusing on Mordecai's action of mourning and fasting, which eventually forced Esther to take action on her own by risking her life to appear uninvited before King Ahasuerus.

Esther 5 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter records that Esther's risky behavior to appear uninvited before the king Ahasuerus is richly rewarded, because the king generously offers to give her whatever she wants, 'even to the half of my kingdom' (5:3), but Esther cleverly asks for nothing more than an opportunity to entertain her husband and his chief officer, Haman. Both men were pleased at her hospitality, but when the king again offers her half the empire, this time she requests only a second banquet. While Haman was happy to have been entertained by the queen, he became intensely distressed when Mordecai once more refused to bow down before him. Haman's wife, Zeresh, advised him to erect a monumental gallows intended for Mordecai, and only then Haman felt happy again to look forward to Esther's second banquet.

Esther 6 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter relates how a sleepless Ahasuerus had his court annals read aloud and discovered that he had failed to reward Mordecai for passing on the information about the assassination plot. The episode leads to 'a marvellously ironic scene', as the narrative 'moves inexorably to its ultimate reversal', starting with Haman leading a king's horse carrying Mordecai, clothed in royal garb through the streets of Susa, and proclaiming the king's favor for Mordecai. Haman went home exhibiting mourning behavior and his wife predicted that Haman's intent to destroy Mordecai would end up with the opposite result.

Esther 7 A chapter in Book of Esther

Esther 7 is the seventh chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter records the second banquet of Esther. The king Ahasuerus was then determined to grant her any request, so Esther spoke out about the death threat on her people and identifies Haman as the perpetrator of the projected genocide. The king went out to his garden in a rage, but shortly came back to see Haman seemingly threatening Esther on her recliner couch. This caused the king to command the hanging of Haman on the very gallows Haman intended for Mordecai.

Esther 8 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter contains the effort to deal with the irreversible decree against the Jews now that Haman is dead and Mordecai is elevated to the position of prime minister.

Esther 9 A chapter in the Book of Esther

Esther 9 is the ninth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 9 to 10 contain the resolution of the stories in the book. This chapter records the events on the thirteenth and fourteenth of Adar and the institution of the Purim festival after the Jews overcome their enemies.

References

  1. Halley 1965, p. 239.
  2. Meyers 2007, p. 324.
  3. Clines 1988, p. 387.
  4. Meyers 2007, p. 330.
  5. Würthwein 1995, pp. 36–37.
  6. P. W. Skehan (2003), "BIBLE (TEXTS)", New Catholic Encyclopedia , vol. 2 (2nd ed.), Gale, pp. 355–362
  7. Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
  8. Esther 10:1 KJV
  9. Larson, Dahlen & Anders 2005, p. 372.
  10. Esther 10:2 KJV
  11. Note on Esther 10:2 in NKJV
  12. Esther 10:3 KJV
  13. Clines 1988, p. 394.

Sources

Further reading