Lexical Summary Ester: Esther Original Word: אֶסְתֵּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Esther Of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine -- Esther. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition "star," Ahasuerus' queen who delivered Isr. NASB Translation Esther (52), Esther's (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֶסְתֵּר proper name, feminine Esther (Persian stâra, star) — daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of tribe of Benjamin; made queen in Vashti's place by Ahasuerus; her Jewish name הֲדַסָּת q. v. Esther 2:7,8,10,11,15 (twice in verse); Esther 2:16,17 47t. Esther. Topical Lexicon Overview Esther is the Jewish woman whom God raised up to become queen of Persia and the central human instrument through whom He preserved the covenant people from genocidal destruction during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, 486–465 B.C.). Her account is narrated in the Book of Esther, where her name occurs about fifty-five times, underscoring her pivotal role. Though the book never mentions the divine name, Esther’s life displays the unseen sovereignty of the LORD, His faithfulness to the Abrahamic promises, and His protection of the messianic line. Historical Setting • Exile context: The events unfold roughly fifty years after the first return under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–6) but before Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s missions. Many Jews remained in the vast Persian Empire; Susa, the winter capital (Esther 1:2), became the stage for divine intervention among the diaspora. Character and Qualities of Esther 1. Modesty and wisdom (Esther 2:10; 2:15). Occurrences and Narrative Flow Below is a representative survey of her appearances: Esther 2:7 – first mention, “Hadassah—that is, Esther.” Esther 2:17 – “the king loved Esther more than all the other women.” Esther 4:14 – Mordecai’s challenge regarding her royal position. Esther 5:2 – the king extends the golden scepter to Esther. Esther 7:3 – Esther’s petition for her life and her people. Esther 8:1–2 – Esther receives Haman’s estate. Esther 9:29 – Esther and Mordecai confirm Purim. The repeated use of her name intertwines her personal identity with national destiny. Theological and Typological Themes • Providence: God’s hidden but decisive governance ensures covenant continuity (Romans 8:28 echoes). Ministry Applications 1. Sovereign purpose in ordinary circumstances: Believers can trust God’s positioning (“for such a time as this,” Esther 4:14) even when He seems silent. New Testament Echoes Though Esther is not directly cited in the New Testament, its themes resonate: Commemoration in Jewish and Christian Tradition Purim remains an annual feast (Esther 9:28). Within Christian teaching, Esther is valued for illustrating providence, encouragement in diaspora living (1 Peter 1:1), and affirmation that God’s promises stand irrespective of geopolitical tides. Summary Esther’s fifty-plus appearances spotlight an orphan exalted to queenly influence, whose steadfast faith and strategic courage preserved God’s people and advanced redemptive history. Her narrative invites every generation to trust the unseen hand of God, to intercede boldly, and to live faithfully amid secular powers until the greater King completes His story. Forms and Transliterations אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֶסְתֵּ֖ר אֶסְתֵּ֗ר אֶסְתֵּ֛ר אֶסְתֵּ֜ר אֶסְתֵּ֣ר אֶסְתֵּ֤ר אֶסְתֵּ֥ר אֶסְתֵּ֨ר אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ אֶסְתֵּר֙ אסתר אסתר׃ וְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר ואסתר לְאֶסְתֵּ֔ר לְאֶסְתֵּ֗ר לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר לְאֶסְתֵּר֙ לאסתר מֵֽאֶסְתֵּ֣ר מאסתר ’es·têr ’estêr esTer lə’estêr lə·’es·têr leesTer mê’estêr mê·’es·têr meesTer veesTer wə’estêr wə·’es·têrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Esther 2:7 HEB: הֲדַסָּ֗ה הִ֤יא אֶסְתֵּר֙ בַּת־ דֹּד֔וֹ NAS: up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's KJV: Hadassah, that [is], Esther, his uncle's INT: Hadassah that is Esther daughter his uncle's Esther 2:8 Esther 2:10 Esther 2:11 Esther 2:15 Esther 2:15 Esther 2:16 Esther 2:17 Esther 2:18 Esther 2:20 Esther 2:20 Esther 2:22 Esther 2:22 Esther 4:4 Esther 4:5 Esther 4:8 Esther 4:9 Esther 4:10 Esther 4:12 Esther 4:13 Esther 4:15 Esther 4:17 Esther 5:1 Esther 5:2 Esther 5:2 55 Occurrences |
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