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TEAM TALK
Biblical Hero’s
Who was Esther?
Esther - Women of the Bible
Esther was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin who grew up as an exile in Persia.
Esther was her Persian name. Her Jewish name was Hadassah. The name Esther means 'star' and is a
derivation of the root name of the goddess Ishtar. Hadassah, which means 'Myrtle', is a branch that
signifies peace and thanksgiving. Two things Esther did bring to her people.
Esther was an orphan who was brought up by her older
cousin, Mordecai (Esther 2:5-7).
The book of Esther is unique in the Bible as the name of
God is never directly mentioned there.
The story of Esther
The book of Esther touches on the life of more than
Esther. The other main characters in this story are:
King Xerxes (also spelt Ahasuerus). He was the powerful
King who ruled over 127 provinces.
Queen Vashti, she was the beautiful wife of Xerxes. She refused to show off her beauty to King Xerxes
and unwittingly set in motion the rise of Esther.
Then we have Mordecai, Esther's cousin and guardian. He is another key figure in this story. And finally
there is Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1). Agag is a reference to the royal title of the Amalekites, long
standing enemies of Israel (Exodus 17; 1 Samuel 15).
In Chapter one of the book of Esther we are introduced to king Xerxes who decided to display his abundant wealth for
180 days. As if not enough, it is followed by a seven day feast.
A lavish display of his power indeed.
On the seventh day of the seven day feast, King Xerxes summons Queen Vashti in order to display her beauty to all the
people. She refuses to come and is eventually banished from the kings presence as a punishment. A new Queen is
sought.
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