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(from
chapter 1 in Reading
Esther as an Invitation to Play with Biblical Texts, Linda
Monyak. Master's Thesis, Luther Seminary, 1996.)
Ignored
or derided, the book of Esther has always held an uneasy position in the canon.
Esther’s position in the biblical canon has long been a puzzle since the book
neither mentions the name of God, nor makes any overt allusions to religious
practices. Named after its heroine, Esther has been considered by many to serve
the primary purpose of giving the historical background of the Jewish festival
of Purim. Since Purim appears to be mainly a holiday of political liberation
rather than religious salvation, with possible origins in an older Persian
holiday, even this justification has been called into question.
The
date of Esther’s origin is no doubt late, with scholars assigning it to
periods ranging from the Persian Period to the Hellenistic
Period.[1] The
setting of Esther in the Persian court at Susa has obviously determined the
earliest date assigned to Esther. Later dates often reflect the genre a
particular scholar has discerned for Esther. The types of genre proposed for
Esther are many and varied, including: historical
novel,[2] festival
legend,[3]
historical account,[4] wisdom
narrative,[5] Persian
chronicle,[6] and comedy or
farce. The humor of the book of Esther has been noted by many scholars and is
evident in the opening lines of the book with the lavish setting in the Persian
court of Susa and its exaggerated aspects (such as 127 provinces). Other
elements which contribute to the comic aspects of Esther include the clear
distinction between heroine/hero and villain and the ubiquitous use of irony.
Sasson has called Esther a travesty in the best literary sense of treating
serious matters with levity.[7]
Sasson
has captured the spirit of Esther nicely. This book is serious fun. When the
times are threatening and danger looms all around, what else is to be done but
laugh? An analogous contemporary situation existed in this country during the
cold war era. When Cuban missiles were pointed at American cities, many children
and not a few adults went home to watch “The Rocky and Bulwinkle Show.” The
names of the villains were all it took to identify Boris and Natasha as Russians
and the heroes that we cheered for were a squirrel and a moose. The author of
Esther did not use “Fractured Fairy Tales,” but did, I believe make use of
“messed-up mythologies.” The ancient reader of Esther got the author’s
point because they knew those myths so well. In short, I believe that the author
of Esther relied on his audience’s knowledge of biblical texts as well as
other ancient texts to make his point with the finesse of humor. Small phrases
remind the reader or listener of entire biblical narratives such as creation,
Passover, and those associated with biblical characters like Joseph, Ruth, and
Abigail, among others. The range of biblical narratives addressed allows the
author to present a complex viewpoint of the monarchy and related power issues.
Who has power? How is power used wisely? Who is really king here?
In
the time of Samuel’s service to Eli, we are told that “the word of the Lord
was rare in those days” (1 Sam 3:1). In Esther, even the word “Lord” is
absent from the text. What are the people of God to do in times like this? How
does one behave in the courts of those traditional “enemies” of God, Egypt
and Babylon? Could the author of Esther be telling us something about living in
times when God seems so distant as to be absent? What does it mean when the
people of God are indistinguishable from everyone else? Where is God when “the
word of the LORD is rare”? Do the actions of God’s people matter? Do they
make a difference? Can we remain people of God and participate in secular
society? Does the presence of God’s people bring anything of value to those
who claim no relationship to God?
These
are serious questions. So let us accept the invitation of Esther’s author and
play with the biblical texts which are suggested in Esther.
Overview
of Biblical Themes Suggested in Esther
In
this thesis, I am proposing that certain key phrases, often in connection with
other aspects of Esther, such as narrative events or even other phrases, evoke
many other biblical narratives. Some phrases, such as 
(a good day) are associated primarily with one specific narrative, in this case,
the creation narrative. Other phrases, such as  
(to send a hand against), are associated with a variety of narratives, including
the creation text, other exilic narratives, and the Psalmist’s description of
God’s salvific action. Creation themes are evoked in Esther primarily through
the use of the phrase “a good day,” repetitive statements which center on
those things which please the king, women who are pleasing to the eyes, the
phrase “to send (or stretch out) a hand,” the frequent use of the number
seven, and the towering importance of a tree (as gallows, in this case). While
none of these alone recall the creation narrative, together they play with
critical aspects of that older story in a new setting. Other phrases and aspects
of Esther are reminiscent of the narrative of Passover. In Esther, the verb
for pass over, is used more frequently than it is in the Passover narrative of
Exodus. The presence of horses and consultation of wise men plays a significant
role in both texts as well. In addition, the phrase “to stretch out a hand”
also appears as a minor element of the Passover narrative. These elements in
Esther are heightened by another key event in Esther, the casting of lots by
Haman, which occurs on the day before
Passover. The themes of law and power and
the place of the monarchy are overtly played with in Esther. The law 
of Persia is not the Torah or instruction given by God. When combined with other
aspects of Esther mentioned above such as the role of horses, wise men (and
wisdom), “stretching out a hand,” and trees, I believe it is possible to
discern the hand of an author who is skillfully evoking the entirety of biblical
traditions for a people who think they have lost everything. Religion as a theme
in Esther is generally held to be unexpectedly absent in this canonical book.
However, given the high level of literary skills exhibited by the author of
Esther, it is probable that this author is also at home with other texts of the
ancient world, especially the mythological narratives of Babylon. The names of
the central characters (Esther, Mordecai, and
Haman) play a critical role here.
Even Esther’s Jewish name, Hadassah, which means myrtle, may play a role in
suggesting the intent of the author in giving undeniably Jewish characters the
names of pagan deities. Additional phrases in Esther recall a variety of biblical
narratives. In particular, the phrase “to be merry with wine” recalls a
group of narratives including the story of the Levite and his concubine, Abigail
and Nabal, Amnon and Absalom, and Ruth. This phrase in combination with the role
of horses in Esther may point to a clever author making a moral point with
humor. The role of 
or favor in Esther is critically important to the plot of the book.
also plays an important part in several other biblical narratives such as
Joseph, the search for Rebekah, Ruth, Daniel, and Passover.
Using
a few well-placed phrases and devices in this short narrative, the skillful
author of Esther has managed to suggest a wide range of other biblical
narratives without ever mentioning God. Without the use of religious language,
Esther addresses the serious religious questions of a people who thought they
had lost their ties to their religious heritage. With tongue well in cheek, the
author reminds his people of their identity even when appearances suggest that
they are indistinguishable from the pagans among whom they live.
[1]
For
a complete discussion of possible dates for the composition of Esther, see Edwin
M. Yamauchi, “Archaeological Backgrounds of the Exilic and Postexilic Era.
Part 2: The Archaeological Background of Esther,” Bibliotheca Sacra 137 (546)
101-102 and Susan Niditch, “Legends of Wise Heroes and Heroines,” in The
Hebrew Bible, ed. Douglas A. Knight and Gene M. Tucker (Philadelphia: Fortress
Press, 1985) 445-446.
[2]
The
Persian setting of Esther and the use of many Persian loan words in conjunction
with some similarity to Hellenistic romances have made the historical novella a
favored genre for some scholars. See
Niditch, Hebrew Bible, 446-448.
[3]
This
is the view held by Gaster, Ringgren,
Dommershausen, and Bickerman as documented
by Niditch, Hebrew Bible, 447. For certain peculiarities surrounding the
celebration of Purim, such as its late establishment and the mixed linguistics
of its name, see Sybil Sheridan, “The Five
Megilloth,” in Creating the Old
Testament, ed. Stephen Bigger (Cambridge, Ma: basil Blackwell, 1989) 293 &
315.
[4]
Few
scholars adhere to the view that Esther is based on historical events. For two
who accept the historical basis of Esther, see Yamauchi, Bibliotheca, 99-112 and
Robert Gordis, “Religion, Wisdom, and History in the Book of Esther: A New
Solution to an Ancient Crux,” JBL, 100(3) 382-388.
[5]
For
a discussion of Talmon’s analysis of Esther as a wisdom narrative based on the
secular nature of the book and its congruence with wisdom theodicy in which the
righteous flourish and the wicked perish, see
Gordis, JBL, 366-368.
[6]
The
“Persian Chronicle” genre was developed by Gordis to explain the seeming
lack of religiosity of Esther, its connection to Purim festivities, and the
literary refinement found in Esther as a whole. For a complete explanation of
Esther as a Persian Chronicle, see
Gordis, JBL, 375-378.
[7]
Jack
M. Sasson, “Esther” in The Literary Guide to the Bible (Cambridge: Belknap
Press of Harvard University Press, 1987) 339.
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