True Bible Study - Esther and Mordechai Book of Esther

Preface

The Book of Esther provides information about the following:

Mordechai and his dream

Esther becomes the Queen

Mordechai rejects idolatry

Plot against the Judeans

Mordechai, Esther, and all Israel supplicate the Lord God

Esther follows God’s instructions

God answers their prayers and God’s people are victorious

Two-day feast of remembrance (Purim)

This book includes verses translated from the Greek old covenant writing, sometimes referred to as the Septuagint. The Septuagint (also identified as: LXX) is a translation of the old Hebrew texts along with the spoken language; it was made by approximately seventy scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus from about 285 to 247 B.C. Some comparisons to the traditional Masoretic Hebrew text (after 1 A.D.) are also provided in this book.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss or comment on this Word Translation and Study via the Contact link on https://www.TrueBibleStudy.com.

Thanks to God for His love and grace.

Maura K. Hill

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Relevant Notes

Unless otherwise stated , all scriptures are quoted from the following:

The True Bible Study Word Translation (TBS)

Esther chapters 1 – 10 are translated from the Greek old covenant writing (Septuagint) by Maura K. Hill.

The various resources and reference materials are listed at https://www.truebiblestudy.com/bible-materials.

In the TBS Word Translation and Study:

Words in a parenthesis () and italicized within a scripture verse are words inserted to help our English understanding of those words which are translated from Greek words.

Words in a parenthesis () in the study of the scripture verse are words of explanation regarding the words prior to the parenthesis.

Additional explanatory insertions within a scripture verse are enclosed in square brackets [] and italicized.

Additional explanatory notes in the study of a scripture verse are enclosed in square brackets [] and are usually in relation to the Greek or Hebrew texts.

A slash in the study of a scripture verse, such as: him/her, indicates an alternative word depending on the context.

A dash, such as: go there – to Jerusalem, indicates that a certain word or phrase is particularly important or deserving of extra emphasis.

Hyphenated words, such as: used-to-go, indicates that there is only one corresponding word in the Greek text.

Non-English words are printed with English letters.

I use an initial capital letter for all occurrences of the words Lord and Master when referring to either God or the Lord Jesus Christ due to my respect for them, therefore the reader will need to carefully consider the context of each particular usage to understand to whom that usage refers.

Where the word spirit refers to God, I use an initial capital or upper-case S - Spirit. But when the word spirit refers to the gift of holy spirit, etc, I use a small or lower-case s - spirit.

Underlined text is used for the English word but when translated from the Greek word alla to show that it implies a strong contrast to that-which has just previously been stated, and/or to strengthen a command.

Underlined text is used for the singular form of the word you to distinguish it from the plural form of the word you which is not underlined.

Underlined text is also used for emphasis.

In order to communicate the fullness of the emphasis when the Greek definite article is repeated both with the noun and its adjective - for example: I Corinthians 15:4 the Greek is te hemera te trite, which literally means the day the third – I translate it as "the day, the third (day)."

Verbs in the imperfect tense are translated with the words used-to and then the meaning of the verb.

For example: used-to teach indicates that the one teaching spent time teaching, his action of teaching continued during a past time that is now finished for some reason, not that it was a quick one-time occurrence. The one teaching taught others taking time to teach, and he may have repeated his teaching at different times and in different ways. This tense is also used to historically describe past events relating what happened.

Verbs in the perfect tense are translated from Greek with a superscript number 2 immediately following the verb - for example: it was written².

This tense indicates an action done during a past time and which has a present continuing result, meaning it is still the same at the time the verb was spoken or written. Therefore, this example could be translated as: it was written and continues written.

The noun love¹ or the verb to love¹ comes from the Greek word agape which is God’s kind of love.

When the Biblical writers wrote, there were no punctuation marks, no chapter or verse divisions indicated, etc, as we see them today in many of our English Bible translations and versions. Therefore we must read the whole context of each particular passage of Scripture for thought-content to more clearly understand the truth of what has been written.

Also, the original language was not English, and therefore when I may write that the writer said or wrote such and such, please understand that the writer actually spoke and wrote in the original language the equivalent to that-which I state in the English language to the best of my knowledge.

I recommend that while reading this book, you also have your usual Bible and Biblical study materials open, so as to compare verses and gain greater understanding of the truth of God’s Word.

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Introduction to Esther and Mordechai

The Book of Esther records details about the Lord God continuing to help His people via Esther and Mordechai in accordance with the good-message regarding the Christ.

Both Esther and Mordechai were descendants of Benjamin, who was a son of Jacob (Israel). They prayed to the Lord God and they believed regarding the Christ, who was first promised by God in Genesis 3:15.

The genealogy of the Christ includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and others including Jechonias during the Babylonian captivity (refer to Esther 1:1; Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38).

The chronological timeframe of the Book of Esther is prior to the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. It was before the emancipation from Babylon of the Judeans.

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Captivity of God’s people

________

Esther 1

Mordechai’s dream and background events

The Book of Esther begins with details about some events that occurred when the Lord God revealed information to a man named Mordechai. He believed what God told him and he helped to keep God’s people alive at that time, as they awaited the coming of the promised Christ.

Note: The Greek and Hebrew texts vary as to the words to be included in verse 1; the Hebrew text omits 1(a).

Esther 1:1(a):

¹:¹(a)(During the) second year of Artaxerxes the great reigning-as-king on (day-)one of Nisan, Mordechai – the (son) of Jairus the (son) of Semeias the (son) of Kisaias from (the) tribe of Benjamin, a Judean man dwelling in Susa the city, a great man attending in the uncovered-area of the king – saw a dream;

but he used-to-be from the captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon captivated from Jerusalem, with Jechonias the king of Judea;

and this (was) his dream:

and look!, sounds and a tumult, thunders and a quake, disturbance on the earth;

and look!, two great dragons went-forth both prepared to wrestle, and there became their great sound and with their sound every nation was prepared into war so-as to war a nation of righteous-people;

and look!, a day of darkness and a dense-cloud, pressure and restraint, bad-treatment and great disturbance on the earth;

even all (the) righteous nation was disturbed, being fearful (of) the bad-things of themselves and they were prepared to destroy-themselves;

and they cried-aloud towards God, but there became from their loud-cry as-if-ever a great river, much water from a small spring;

light and the sun arose, and the humble-people were heightened and they devoured the in-gloried-people.

And Mordechai the (man) having seen² this dream was throughly-raised-up, even something God counseled² to do; he used-to-have it in the heart and in every word; he used-to-intend to fully-know it until the night.

And Mordechai was quiet in the uncovered-area with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, the (men) keeping-watch (regarding) the uncovered-area; he heard both their calculations and their anxieties, he searched-out and he learned that they prepared to throw the hands on Artaxerxes the king; and he pointed-out to the king concerning them.

And the king examined the two eunuchs, and having expressed-agreement they were led-away; and the king wrote these words into a remembrance, and Mordechai wrote concerning these words; and the king arranged-upon Mordechai to attend in the uncovered-area, and he gave to him gifts concerning them.

And Haman, a (son) of Amadathos a Bougaios, used-to-be in-gloried before the king, and he sought-after to do-bad-against Mordechai and his people on behalf of the two eunuchs of the king.

During the 2nd year of Artaxerxes the great (he was large with importance, status, magnitude, eminence) reigning as king (the royal ruler, the sovereign ruling over his royal dominion and government and rule and territory and power, etc) on the 1st day of Nisan (referring to the month previously known as: Abib, which corresponded to March/April timeframe; a month refers to one cycle of the new moon, the period of time before the next new moon starts)...

...Mordechai (or Mardochaios) –

who was the son of Jairus (or Jair) who was the son of Semeias (or Shimei, Shemaiah) who was the son of Kisaias (or Kish)

originating from the tribe of Benjamin (the clan, family group of the descendants of Benjamin who was a son of Jacob/Israel),

a Judean man (a member of mankind, human-being who was a Judean, a descendant of Israel)

dwelling in Susa the city (inhabiting, housing in the walled or fortified town of Susa, Sousa, Shushan, located east of Babylon and the Euphrates river in Mesopotamia, and northeast of the Persian Gulf),

a great man (large in magnitude, rank, importance, etc, he was in a great position relative to the king, plus he was great relative to the Lord God as detailed in the following verses)

attending (treating, being therapeutic, taking care of everything as necessary relative to his position)

in the uncovered-area (an enclosure without a roof in the palace area) belonging to the king –

...saw a dream (during sleep he perceived information that was communicated to him via a specific significant dream; in this context the dream was given to him from God via holy spirit-life, as explained in the following verses)...

but during that past time, historically, he was continuing to be originating from the captivity (referring to the descendants of Israel who were taken captive, captives, prisoners of war, people held captive by an enemy, as having been taken by the spear during the battle),

which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon (or Babel; refer to Genesis 10:10 and 11:9)

captivated (made captive)

out from Jerusalem,

in company and association with Jechonias the king of Judea (this Jechonias was a member of God’s people and an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ);

...and this was Mordechai’s dream:

and look (behold, see - in the sense of calling attention - pay attention, take notice)!,

sounds (voices, uttered-tones)

and a tumult (uproar, clamor),

thunders (rolling, rumbling sounds; figuratively referring to God’s presence and expression of command, judgment, and righteousness/justice in action)

and a quake (a shaking motion, quick or shocking movement, seismic event),

disturbance (trouble, agitation like a pool of water is agitated when something breaks through its surface and it causes a rippling effect over the whole pool)

in the location of the earth (land, ground);

and look (behold, see, pay attention)!,

two great dragons (2 large snakes, serpents or reptiles that can live in the sea and on land)

went-forth both prepared to wrestle (they came before, in front ready to engage in a struggle, sway or vibrate on the ground causing dust to rise up; this word draws attention to the truth that there were two opposing sides contesting against each other),

and there became their great sound (a large voice or uttered-tone from them occurred)

and with (by) their sound all/every nation was prepared into war (every single group of people, ethnic group was made ready, caused to be prepared for battle)

so that the consequence and result for them would be to war a nation of righteous-people (for the purpose of battling against a group of people who are just, justified, in a right/just state, being and doing what is right/just from God’s viewpoint);

and look (behold, see, pay attention)!,

a day (period of time as one unit)

of darkness (the state of being dark, absolute darkness where there is the lack or absence of light)

and a dense-cloud (a thick hazy mass storming furiously – this was not the usual nighttime kind of darkness),

pressure (compression, stress that afflicts, whatever may be pressing-upon or squeezing, whether physical or mental or spiritual)

and restraint (as a crowd of people in a narrow place and in need of space, confinement, restriction),

bad-treatment (forms of badness in progress, the action being performed which is bad from God’s viewpoint, behavior that does not issue from Him, action contrary to His will)

and great disturbance (a large amount of trouble, agitation like a pool of water is agitated when something breaks through its surface and it causes a rippling effect over the whole pool)

in the location of the earth (land, ground);

emphatically to the degree and in explanation that all the righteous nation was disturbed (everyone who was included in the just group of people, the righteous ethnic group was caused to be stirred up, agitated),

being fearful of the bad-things of themselves (being afraid and scared of, terrified of what would be done against themselves which would be actions or activities contrary to God’s will, wrong from God’s viewpoint)

and they were prepared to destroy themselves (made ready to be destroyed due to causing their bad situation, to be utterly ruined, completely lost away from life – in the sense of being killed by the effects of those bad-things);

and they cried-aloud towards God (they bellowed towards Him, shouted out-loud for help from Him),

but there became (occurred) from their loud-cry (bellow)

as if it were a great (large) river with a lot of water emanating away from a small spring (a little well or fountain which was the source or issue of that water);

light (absolute light which is the opposite of darkness) and the sun arose (rose up – the opposite to darkness and a dense-cloud),

and the humble-people (those who are lowly, in a state of lowliness, in a position of humbleness with respect to God and what He says – the people who choose to be humble and behave in this manner)

were heightened (caused to be lifted high, elevated, brought into a high position, exalted)

and they devoured (ate-down or consumed quickly, as a lion eats his prey – in the sense of defeating)

the in-gloried-people (those who were living within importance, splendor, renown in manifestation, evidence, as an exhibition, demonstration, or