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Esther  



Text:  the queen of Ahasuerus, and heroine of the book that bears her 
name. She was a Jewess named Hadas'sah (the myrtle), but when she 
entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth 
became known (Esther 2: 7). It is a Syro-Arabian modification of the 
Persian word satarah, which means a star. She was the daughter of 
Abihail, a Benjamite. Her family did not avail themselves of the 
permission granted by Cyrus to the exiles to return to Jerusalem; and 
she resided with her cousin Mordecai, who held some office in the 
household of the Persian king at "Shushan in the palace." 

Ahasuerus having divorced Vashti, chose Esther to be his wife. Soon 
after this he gave Haman the Agagite, his prime minister, power and 
authority to kill and extirpate all the Jews throughout the Persian 
empire. By the interposition of Esther this terrible catastrophe was 
averted. Haman was hanged on the gallows he had intended for Mordecai 
(Esther 7); and the Jews established an annual feast, the feast of 
Purim (q.v.), in memory of their wonderful deliverance. This took 
place about fifty-two years after the Return, the year of the great 
battles of Plataea and Mycale (B.C. 479). 

Esther appears in the Bible as a "woman of deep piety, faith, courage, 
patriotism, and caution, combined with resolution; a dutiful daughter 
to her adopted father, docile and obedient to his counsels, and 
anxious to share the king's favour with him for the good of the Jewish 
people. There must have been a singular grace and charm in her aspect 
and manners, since 'she obtained favour in the sight of all them that 
looked upon her' (Esther 2:15). That she was raised up as an 
instrument in the hand of God to avert the destruction of the Jewish 
people, and to afford them protection and forward their wealth and 
peace in their captivity, is also manifest from the Scripture 
account."