Additions to Esther

By Mary Jane Chaignot

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.

I -- Addition A – Mordecai's Dream

1:1-11
- This is placed prior to the beginning of the story in the Hebrew Bible
- The setting is a year earlier than that described in the Hebrew story and five years before Esther would be chosen as queen
- Mordecai had a dream on New Year's Day
- At this time he was living in Susa, the Persian capital
- He had been captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon where he served in the court of the king
- The world of his dream was filled with chaos, not order – symbolic of the disorder of the day
- Two dragons came together and all the nations tried to wage war against the "righteous nation"
- That nation could only be Israel
- In their terror, the nation cried out to God
- The prayer was answered by a tiny spring that became a raging river
- The result will be that the lowly will be exalted and will devour those who had honor
- Later on (Addition F), readers will find out that the two dragons represent Haman and Mordecai and the spring/river is Esther
- The purpose of the dream was to reveal what God intended to do
1:12-17
- Mordecai overheard a plot against the king
- This plot was conceived by two eunuchs
- As a loyal servant, Mordecai immediately reported them to the king, who interrogated the eunuchs
- When they confessed, they were executed by the king
- The king, then, recorded Mordecai's loyalty and rewarded him in his court
- After reading about Mordecai's success, the story is ready to begin
- King Artaxerxes holds a great banquet (for six months!)
- At the end of that time, he sends for his wife, Queen Vashti
- When she refuses to show up, he decides she must be replaced and the search for a new queen begins
- Esther is brought into the palace and finds favor with the king
- She keeps her Jewish heritage a secret
- Shortly thereafter, Haman is introduced and highly favored by the king
- He becomes furious when Mordecai refuses to show him obeisance
- As a result, Haman decides to destroy all the Jews
- A date is set, and the king signs the order

II – Addition B – Haman's Edict, Written in the King's Name

This is inserted between verses 13 and 14 in Chapter 3 of the Hebrew version
Artaxerxes declared that he desired to keep his subjects safe from disturbance
He asked Haman (trusted advisor) how to achieve this goal
Haman had good judgment, goodwill, and steadfast loyalty
He was also raised to second place at the king's court
Haman pointed out the disaffected "scattered" people, who opposed all the laws throughout the nation
They also ignored the royal ordinances (like showing obeisance to Haman)
These acts of disobedience do not promote the unity of the empire
Therefore, all the men, wives, and children shall be destroyed by the sword on the thirteenth day of Adar
All shall meet a violent death so that the government may be stable and untroubled
Copies of this document were posted in every province, including the city of Susa
Haman and the King celebrated while the nation was thrown into confusion
When Mordecai heard it, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and sat at the king's gate
When the queen's maids saw him, they sent new clothes for him to put on
Finally, Esther sent her eunuch to find out what was going on
Mordecai gave him a copy of the decree and asked Esther to go to the King on behalf of all Jews
Esther was reluctant since the King had not asked for her
Mordecai assured her that she would not be exempt from this decree
She agreed to do so and asked him to gather all Jews and fast for three days

III --Addition C – The Prayers of Mordecai and Esther

This is found after Chapter 4
Mordecai prayed to God
He acknowledged that God ruled over everyone
No one could stand against His will
He prayed, saying it was not arrogance that kept him from doing obeisance
(This is helpful information because the Hebrew version suggests this might have been the reason)
It was only that he would not elevate a human above God
This motive is in accord with the traditional Israelite value of only worshiping one God
He vowed to only bow before God
But now he asked God for help because their enemies were about to destroy the nation of Israel
He knows that they had been looking for a way to do this all along
He asks the God who saved them from Egypt not to disdain His possession
He praises God
And all Israel cried out to God
Esther prayed to God
Esther removed her queenly garb and put on sackcloth and ashes
She asked God to help her since she was truly alone
In reviewing what she was taught about God, Esther knows God chose them
In His choosing of them, God has been faithful to His promises to them
They, as a people, however, have sinned
As a result, they had been handed over to their enemies
It wasn't enough to humiliate them, their enemies now wanted to kill them all
In so doing, they would silence all those who praise the Lord
She prayed that God would help them and help her
She asked for the words to say when she entered the "lion's den"
She asked God to save all His people
Despite her position in the palace, she recalls that she had refused to participate in many events, including eating with the king and celebrating their festivals She asked God to rescue her

IV -- Addition D – Esther Goes to the Royal Court

This follows Addition C and comes before Chapter 5
After three days, Esther's prayers came to an end
She dressed as queen and took two maids with her
Slowly she walked towards the royal presence
The King was on his throne
Upon seeing Esther, his face glowered in anger
Esther fainted on one of her maids
Then the King's countenance changed, and he ran to assist her
He cradled her in his arms, telling her not to fear him
Those decrees were only for their subjects, not for her
After kissing her, he gave her permission to speak
She said he looked like an angel and she looks upon him with wonder
Then she fainted again
The King asked what she wanted, offering her half of his kingdom
She said it was a special day and she wondered if he and Haman could come for a banquet that she hoped to give
He immediately sent for Haman and they joined the queen for a banquet
During that meal, the King again asked what she wanted
She replied that she wanted them to come back the next day for another banquet
Needless to say, Haman was filled with joy
Upon leaving, he saw Mordecai sitting in ashes and was filled with rage
He bragged to his wife and friends about his good fortune with the king and queen
Nonetheless, he couldn't get the ugly sight of Mordecai out of his mind
His wife suggested he build a gallows and talk to the king about having Mordecai hung on it the following morning
That night, however, the king couldn't sleep and asked for his court chronicles
There he found the record of Mordecai's information
He asked what they had given Mordecai; the answer was "nothing"
The next morning he asked Haman how to honor someone
Thinking the King was talking about him, Haman suggested fine clothes and a horse from the King's stable
The honored man could be taken around the city
Haman was told to do all this for Mordecai. He did
Afterwards he rushed home to tell his wife about this turn of events
The King and Haman went to the second banquet
The King asked what she wanted and she told him about Haman's decree
Haman stood dumbfounded while the King went out to collect his thoughts
While he was gone, Haman threw himself on the queen hoping to get her support
The King walked in and accused Haman of assaulting the queen
Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai
Then the King properly rewarded Mordecai, elevating him to Haman's position
Esther begged the King to change the decree that Haman had written
The King ordered Mordecai to make those changes
The provisions of the new orders were that the Jews could follow their own ordinances and defend themselves from attack

V -- Addition E – King Artaxerxes' Second Edict that Rescinds the First

This follows Addition C and comes before Chapter 5
After three days, Esther's prayers came to an end
She dressed as queen and took two maids with her
Slowly she walked towards the royal presence
The King was on his throne
Upon seeing Esther, his face glowered in anger
Esther fainted on one of her maids
Then the King's countenance changed, and he ran to assist her
He cradled her in his arms, telling her not to fear him
Those decrees were only for their subjects, not for her
After kissing her, he gave her permission to speak
She said he looked like an angel and she looks upon him with wonder
Then she fainted again
The King asked what she wanted, offering her half of his kingdom
She said it was a special day and she wondered if he and Haman could come for a banquet that she hoped to give
He immediately sent for Haman and they joined the queen for a banquet
During that meal, the King again asked what she wanted
She replied that she wanted them to come back the next day for another banquet
Needless to say, Haman was filled with joy
Upon leaving, he saw Mordecai sitting in ashes and was filled with rage
He bragged to his wife and friends about his good fortune with the king and queen
Nonetheless, he couldn't get the ugly sight of Mordecai out of his mind
His wife suggested he build a gallows and talk to the king about having Mordecai hung on it the following morning
That night, however, the king couldn't sleep and asked for his court chronicles
There he found the record of Mordecai's information
He asked what they had given Mordecai; the answer was "nothing"
The next morning he asked Haman how to honor someone
Thinking the King was talking about him, Haman suggested fine clothes and a horse from the King's stable
The honored man could be taken around the city
Haman was told to do all this for Mordecai. He did
Afterwards he rushed home to tell his wife about this turn of events
The King and Haman went to the second banquet
The King asked what she wanted and she told him about Haman's decree
Haman stood dumbfounded while the King went out to collect his thoughts
While he was gone, Haman threw himself on the queen hoping to get her support
The King walked in and accused Haman of assaulting the queen
Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai
Then the King properly rewarded Mordecai, elevating him to Haman's position
Esther begged the King to change the decree that Haman had written
The King ordered Mordecai to make those changes
The provisions of the new orders were that the Jews could follow their own ordinances and defend themselves from attack

V -- Addition E – King Artaxerxes' Second Edict that Rescinds the First

This is inserted between verses 12 and 13 of Chapter 8
Artaxerxes sends greetings to all his subjects
In reference to Haman, he states that some people who have been honored have grown arrogant
In their arrogance, they attempted to ill-treat our subjects
Sometimes they even schemed against their benefactors
(This is a possible reference to the king's accusation against Haman for assaulting the queen)
And they expected to get away with their evil-doing
In misusing the good will of their rulers, they have caused major havoc
Artaxerxes promised to be more alert in the future
It's a way of him proclaiming his innocence
He was duped by a trusted and personal advisor
He mentioned Haman, a Macedonian without any Persian blood
He enjoyed the king's benevolence and was second only to the king
Nonetheless, he conspired to destroy both empire and life
He sought the destruction of Mordecai and Esther
His presumed goal was to transfer hegemony of the Persians to the Macedonians
(There is little evidence for this, however)
Jews, however, were not guilty of that which he accused them
They are governed by just laws and are sons of the living God
Therefore, the people are advised not to act upon the earlier decree – sent by Haman
Haman had since been hanged
The king ordered that the decree be posted in every public place with undue haste
He allowed the Jews to practice their traditions and to defend themselves against those who might attack them
In so doing, the thirteenth day of Adar will be a day of joy instead of destruction
It should be celebrated as a commemorative festival marking this day of deliverance for Jews and sympathetic Persians as well as a day of destruction for their enemies
Any city or province that does not heed this decree will be devastated by spear and fire
The contents of the edict were published far and wide
Mordecai was elevated within the king's service – people cheered for him
Many pagans said they were Jews because they were afraid of them
On the day in question, the Jews defeated all their enemies
Since one day of violence was not enough, the king acquiesced to extend the pogrom for one more day.
Tens of thousands of pagans were killed
Mordecai sent a notice enjoining people to celebrate this event annually
Haman and his sons were dead
They had cast lots (pur) against the Jews
That is why the feast is called Purim
Mordecai was now second to the king
He was influential among the Jews and sought their best interests

VI -- Addition F – Mordecai's Second Dream

This comes at the end of Chapter 10 in the Hebrew version
Now Mordecai remembered his original vision and realized it had all been fulfilled
The river was Esther whom the king married
The two dragons were Haman and himself
The nations were all those sent to destroy the name of the Jews
"My" nation was the one that cried out to God and was saved
Once again, God had saved them from their enemies
He remembered His people and acquitted His inheritance
Final postscript
In the fourth year of Ptolemy, Dositheus – a priest and levite – brought the book of Purim that had been translated by a Ptolemy's son – a member of the Jewish community
This is intended to verify the truth of what has been spoken
This might have been ca 77 BCE.

With the additions, the book of Esther begins and ends with a dream that gives cosmic significance to the sufferings and tribulations of Israel. Esther acknowledges that their current problems were a result of their many sins, but like so many of the prophets before her, she lamented that those enemies may have gone too far. Yet, the prayers of Mordecai and Esther reveal their trust in God in spite of all circumstances. And of course, the bottom line is that God rescued the Jews from annihilation at the hands of evil men. Some might argue that the Jewish response might have "gone too far" as well in their wreaking of vengeance on Haman and his sons. The book, however, does not address that issue.

Bibliography

deSilva, David. Introducing the Apocrypha. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2002.

Harrington, Daniel. Invitation to the Apocrypha. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans. 1999.

Meeks, Wayne, ed. The Harper Collins Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers. 1993.

Metzer, Bruce, Ed. The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press. 1965.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson, eds. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. 2002.

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