Should the Book of Esther be in The Bible?

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A

Alnmouth

Guest
#1
The Book of Esther is almost unique. Almost alone among books of The Bible, it does not mention God. (The other book which does not is Song of Songs.)

Maybe in The Song of Songs it really isn't that important - although even so, I'm still not sure what exactly it's in The Bible either. The Book of Esther is different. I want to know why it does not mention God. I want to know whether or not God approved of the extermination of 75,000 people (Esther 9:16).

Here endeth the rant. Comments are welcome.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
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#2
The book of Esther records the preservation of God's people by His intervention, at a time when they were in exile. It is part of the history of the Jewish people, and is both consistent with and integral to the larger story of the Old Testament.
 

trofimus

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2015
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#3
The Book of Esther is almost unique. Almost alone among books of The Bible, it does not mention God. (The other book which does not is Song of Songs.)

Maybe in The Song of Songs it really isn't that important - although even so, I'm still not sure what exactly it's in The Bible either. The Book of Esther is different. I want to know why it does not mention God. I want to know whether or not God approved of the extermination of 75,000 people (Esther 9:16).

Here endeth the rant. Comments are welcome.
There are actually two versions of the Book of Esther, one is Jewish and one is Greek.

You can find this article useful: You're reading the wrong Book of Esther

In history, the Book of Esther was frequently seen as non-canonical, for example by Martin Luther.

I personally read it once or twice in my life and no more... Is it inspired? I do not know. The NT authors never quoted it.
 
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tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
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#4
It is obvious that the power of God is working all through this book so it was left at that. God doesn't approve the extermination of anyone but allows for certain things to happen for His own reasons.
 

MarcR

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2015
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#5
It is obvious that the power of God is working all through this book so it was left at that. God doesn't approve the extermination of anyone but allows for certain things to happen for His own reasons.

Great answer, as usual.

I would like to add this for the benefit of the OP since I am confident that you will agree:

As a general principle, we do not have the standing to critique what God does or refrains from doing.
 
A

Alnmouth

Guest
#6
I see no reason to doubt that the Book of Esther is a true account of an episode in the history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless I am not sure that that alone justifies its inclusion in The Bible.

I still think it ought to mention God at least once. To put it another way, what exactly do I learn about God from this book?
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#7
It is obvious that the power of God is working all through this book so it was left at that. God doesn't approve the extermination of anyone but allows for certain things to happen for His own reasons.
Since God told his people to wipe out all the nations who were living in the Promise Land before them, I have to disagree with you. Sometimes, God not only approves of extermination, he commands it.
 
Dec 12, 2013
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#8
Great answer, as usual.

I would like to add this for the benefit of the OP since I am confident that you will agree:

As a general principle, we do not have the standing to critique what God does or refrains from doing.
I would agree and argue the point that God commanded Joshua as well as King Saul to kill them all..............
 
Aug 27, 2017
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#9
On the Wikipedia website I found:

"Structure[edit]


The Book of Esther consists of an introduction (or exposition) in chapters 1 and 2; the main action (complication and resolution) in chapters 3 to 9:19; and a conclusion in 9:20–10:3.[SUP][8][/SUP]

The plot is structured around banquets (mishteh), a word that occurs twenty times in Esther and only 24 times in the rest of the Hebrew bible. This is appropriate given that Esther describes the origin of a Jewish feast, the feast of Purim, but Purim itself is not the subject and no individual feast in the book is commemorated by Purim. The book's theme, rather, is the reversal of destiny through a sudden and unexpected turn of events: the Jews seem destined to be destroyed, but instead are saved. In literary criticism such a reversal is termed "peripety", and while on one level its use in Esther is simply a literary or aesthetic device, on another it is structural to the author's theme, suggesting that the power of God is at work behind human events.[SUP][9]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Esther

I found:

"The Day of Atonement in 26 A.D. corresponds on the Hebrew calculated calendar (used to determine God's annual Feast Days) to Wednesday, Tishri 10 in the
Hebrew (Jewish) year 3787. If Christ's ministry began on this day, it means it lasted 44 months (Hebrew years 3787 and 3789 had 13 months in them) and 4 days
(444) until his crucifixion on Passover in 3790 (30 A.D.)."

Meaning of Numbers 23, 44, 444, 1,000


[/SUP]
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
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#10
I see no reason to doubt that the Book of Esther is a true account of an episode in the history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless I am not sure that that alone justifies its inclusion in The Bible.

I still think it ought to mention God at least once. To put it another way, what exactly do I learn about God from this book?
Just by observing nature and the heavens you can learn a lot about God without even actually knowing who God is. God knew that this book would be included in the bible, if He didn't approve it wouldn't be there.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
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#11
Since God told his people to wipe out all the nations who were living in the Promise Land before them, I have to disagree with you. Sometimes, God not only approves of extermination, he commands it.
I agree that God approves of extermination and even commands it, but I don't believe that He exterminates people for His own good pleasure. I'm sure that He was probably sadden by what was to take place in these circumstances.
 
K

Karraster

Guest
#12
Tom Bradford is a Torah teacher, free online classes called torahclass.com. I recently listened to his classes on Esther and it was phenomenal..this man really knows scripture. He links the main characters of Esther to their ancestors who were also mortal enemies, and well I'll leave it there as Bradford really ties it all together. It's helpful to have studied Ezra as well, because that gives you a better perspective of the times. Hope you check it out, I'm glad I did.
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
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#13
I see no reason to doubt that the Book of Esther is a true account of an episode in the history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless I am not sure that that alone justifies its inclusion in The Bible.

I still think it ought to mention God at least once. To put it another way, what exactly do I learn about God from this book?
That God is in control and that He can set up people to be in the place they need to be to protect His people. Had Esther not risked her life going before the King and making her request the Jewish people could have been exterminated.

Esther 4:14 (BBE) If at this time you say nothing, then help and salvation will come to the Jews from some other place, but you and your father's family will come to destruction: and who is to say that you have not come to the kingdom even for such a time as this?
 

J7

Banned
Apr 2, 2017
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#14
Esther is really an awesome book. Esther is an intercessor and a paraclete in many ways
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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#15
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther,
“Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

(Esther 4:13-14)

finding God in the book of Esther is as easy as asking,
why did Mordecai believe this ?
 

MarcR

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2015
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#16
History shows us that Ahasuerus, of Esther 1:1 and throughout the book is a title of many Persian kings and identical with Artaxerxes of Ezr 7:1. Hence Esther gives us insight into the times of Ezra and Nehemiah.
 

BibleExplorer

Junior Member
Jul 1, 2017
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#17
History shows us that Ahasuerus, of Esther 1:1 and throughout the book is a title of many Persian kings and identical with Artaxerxes of Ezr 7:1. Hence Esther gives us insight into the times of Ezra and Nehemiah.
And gives us insight into who Darius is as well:

"And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king." "Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be?" (Nehemiah 2:1,6)

"That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old." (Daniel 5:30-31)

"In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." (Daniel 9:1-2)
 

J7

Banned
Apr 2, 2017
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#18
The dating of these books is a matter of dispute, even amongst orthodox Jews. There is more than one Darius and more than one Artaxerxes.

The Church dates Ezra and Nehemiah to 457 BC in order to undergird their usage of the Artaxerxes's decree to kick off Daniel's 70 weeks.

But Ezra and Nehemiah came out of the Babylonian Captivity in 538BC and rebuilt the Temple in 520-516BC, so that pig really does not fly.

The events in Esther occurred around 473BC.
 

BibleExplorer

Junior Member
Jul 1, 2017
18
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#19
The dating of these books is a matter of dispute, even amongst orthodox Jews. There is more than one Darius and more than one Artaxerxes.

The Church dates Ezra and Nehemiah to 457 BC in order to undergird their usage of the Artaxerxes's decree to kick off Daniel's 70 weeks.

But Ezra and Nehemiah came out of the Babylonian Captivity in 538BC and rebuilt the Temple in 520-516BC, so that pig really does not fly.

The events in Esther occurred around 473BC.
That's an awful lot of BC converting by humans. I prefer to stick to the chronological and geographical clues given in the Bible on the belief that God has revealed the chronology of history in a more accurate and trustworthy manner. Sir Isaac Newton would agree with that statement.
 

J7

Banned
Apr 2, 2017
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#20
What is 'BC converting'?