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Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.
This month we will look at the additions to the Book of Esther. The Greek version in the Septuagint is considerably longer than the one found in the Hebrew Bible. This has perplexed a lot of scholars. Some think the additions were an attempt to “improve” the book as found in the Hebrew Bible – most notably in the sense that it does not mention God at all. (The six additions include prayers to God and heighten His role.) Others think there might simply have been two different versions from the beginning. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.
The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.
Additions to Esther
The Book of Esther is best described as historical fiction. Its setting is in the Persian court in the capital of Susa during the fifth century BCE. Whoever wrote this book was familiar with Persian customs and wrote favorably of the Persian king – at least as long as he wasn’t persecuting Jews. The Greek version of this story contains an additional six sections, placed throughout the book. With these additions, the Book of Esther becomes a religious tale whose characters adhere to Jewish traditions, such as praying to God, following the Torah, praying, fasting, and giving alms. These additions also give a fuller glimpse of ancient life with its decrees and edicts. Finally, these additions highlight the tension that probably existed between Jews and Gentiles, and they include some solutions for this tension. It’s as though the author of the additions had time to reflect on the events described in the Book of Esther.
Despite these “improvements,” Jerome relegated all six of the additions to the end of the book. So his bible had additional chapters – 10:4-16:24. Reading it this way is very confusing, however, as the first addition predates the beginning of the Hebrew story and the others are dispersed throughout. Modern bibles that include these verses now place them within the story as their author intended.
The story is simple. A beautiful Jewish maiden, who was living in the Jewish Diaspora, became the wife of Xerxes, king of Persia, through the conniving and guidance of her uncle/guardian. Not long after she was chosen to be queen, events happened that threatened the very existence of the Jewish people. Given her position as queen, Esther risked her life to intercede before the king. She was not only able to save her people, but also to bring about the destruction of their enemy. There are several main themes running through this story. The most important is to show how God was working behind the scenes to save Israel from being annihilated. It also explains the institution of the Jewish feast of Purim that the Jews celebrate about a month before Passover.
Nonetheless, there are some major issues involving the chronology of the additions. The first one (A) introduces Mordecai as serving in the court under Artaxerxes. It also reports that he was among those taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. If Mordecai came in that first deportation under Jehoiachin, as the text states, it would have happened in 597 BCE. Artaxerxes reigned from 465-424 BCE. That would make Mordecai well over one hundred years old. Clearly, the author was not concerned with such historical facts.
In addition, in this first section Mordecai tells about a dream that he had. In the dream, two dragons come to fight in the midst of chaos – thunderings, earthquakes, voices. Soon every nation is prepared to do battle against “the righteous nation.” That nation “cries out to God” who then sends a spring that becomes a river. The light returns, and the humbled are vindicated by devouring those who had been honored. It is obvious to Mordecai, that all of this was in accordance with God’s plan. Lastly, in this section, Mordecai overhears a plot against the king and promptly reports it.
The second addition (B) is comprised of the text written by Haman, who has conspired to rid the nation of all Jewish people. Lest anyone question his motives, Haman is careful to point out how this will be beneficial to all since the Jews were a “subversive element.” In other words, he is doing the kingdom a big favor by getting rid of them.
The third addition (C) relates two prayers, one by Mordecai, the other by Esther. Mordecai offers an explanation as to why he didn’t bow down before Haman. It had nothing to do with arrogance; indeed it was borne out of a desire to only worship the One God. In her prayer, Esther affirms God’s judgment and His justice in handing over disobedient Judah into the hands of other nations. That has resulted, however, in considerable tension between Jew and Gentile, deriving in part from the disparity between the Living God of the Jews and the lifeless idols of pagans. She also prays that God will soon deliver Israel and that his rivals will be defeated. Finally, she affirms that she has kept the traditions of the Jews, even in the king’s palace.
The fourth addition (D) describes her appearance before the king, who is on his throne. She is so distraught that she faints, whereupon the king pledges his heartfelt devotion to her and offers her whatever she wants up to half of his kingdom. God, however, gets the credit for softening the king’s heart.
Addition (E) is a copy of the decree, written by the king, revoking the earlier decree put forth by Haman (even though it was written in the king’s name). The king accuses Haman of being disloyal, unscrupulous, and deceitful. He was ungrateful for the king’s favors and reacted by plotting against him. Artaxerxes is convinced that Haman’s whole plan was to weaken the king so that the kingdom would be given to the Macedonians (Haman’s native people). The well-being of the Jews seemed to be a great threat to Haman’s plan. Their adherence to their own customs and laws was seen as subversive for the unity of the kingdom. At least, that was the gist of Haman’s argument. The king came close to apologizing for believing him, for not checking things out on his own. Then he promised he would do better next time. He also cleared the Jews from any subversive activities and asked his subjects not to act on his previous orders. The Jews, however, were given permission to defend themselves if they were attacked.
The last addition (F) rounds out the story and returns to Mordecai’s dream. He interprets the symbols and defines the origin of Purim. Its name is derived from the “casting of lots” by Haman when he was trying to determine what date all the Jews would be killed. Pur comes from the word “lots” and was instituted to be an annual celebration in honor of the deliverance of God’s people.
The additions improve the story in several ways. The dream, found in the first and last additions, provides a framework for the entire story and clearly makes the point that everything that happens is part of God’s divine plan. The right outcome was never in doubt. Likewise, the two edicts form another parallel. The first one creates a problem that has to be addressed; the second resolves that situation by addressing the problem. In the middle are the prayers of Mordecai and Esther as well as the moment of her uninvited entrance before the king.
Mostly, though, these are important upgrades in the Hebrew story. Just as the author of the additions was not troubled by chronological discrepancies, the author of Esther was not troubled by ignoring the inviolate traditions of Jews. This would include the basic Jewish tenets of Law, Covenant, prayer, salvation, Jerusalem, or the temple. The only Jewish practice mentioned in Esther is that of fasting. Nonetheless, Esther was included among the canonized writings, though not without controversy. Most scholars think the additions were originally written in Greek (Esther was written in Hebrew), though they may not have been written at the same time or by the same author(s). It is likely that the main reason for the book of Esther was to present the characters as role models for Jews living in the Diaspora centuries later. It highlights the rising tensions between Jews and Gentiles as well as the contributions made by Jews to the stability of the government. Exactly when Esther and the additions became a normative part of Jewish worship is unknown. None of the documents found at Qumran include any references to Esther, nor were there any recorded celebrations of Purim there. That community flourished until 68 CE.
There are six additions to the Book of Esther: Addition A – Mordecai’s Dream; Addition B – Haman’s Edict, Written in the King’s Name; Addition C – The Prayers of Mordecai and Esther; Addition D – Esther Goes to the Royal Court; Addition E – The Decree that Rescinds the First Decree; Addition F – Mordecai’s Second Dream.
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