The Book of Esther: A Summary Christian Commentary and Outline
The casting of “pur” or “lot” in the Book of Esther is like the rolling of dice, but as we know from Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.“
An Exposition of the Book of Esther: The Little Known (Little Understood?) Book of Prophecy that Reveals God’s Magnificent Plan of Salvation Through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ
NOTE to the reader: The following is only an excerpt of a much longer, more complete, and more in-depth study, please see: The Book of Esther: a Christian Commentary
Introduction
The Book of Esther, Like All of the Books of the Bible, Displays God’s Providence for His Glory and Honor
The Book of Esther is read every year to the assembled congregations of the Jewish people in their synagogues to the present day. It is read as part of the celebration of the Feast of Purim (also known as the “Feast of Lots” which are objects used as a form of divination, something like “dice”, and from which we get the term “lottery”.) The feast is celebrated to remember the deliverance of the Jews from Persia, whose date of destruction, their judgment day, was pre-determined by the casting of “pur” or “lot” (Esther 9:24). The predetermined time was to be at the end of the year, but was ultimately, amazingly, turned into a day of deliverance and salvation, in accordance with God’s Will (Proverbs 16:33). And because of that deliverance of the Jews in Persia, God enabled them to return from captivity, and to restore Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in advent of the coming of The Lord Jesus Christ, The Jewish Messiah, about 450 years later.
The Book of Esther is About Deliverance and Salvation Through Jesus Christ
The Book of Esther is indeed about the miraculous physical deliverance of the Jews of national Israel (the physical descendants of the patriarchs from the first, Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob and David). More importantly, however, it is about the miraculous eternal deliverance of the true Jews, the body of believers, the church of Jesus Christ (those who are of the faith of Abraham, which include a remnant of both National Israel and the Gentile nations – – Romans 2:28–29; Romans 4:13–16; Galatians 3:26–29). Because the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, it is an “Historical Parable“, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“.
The Book of Esther Reveals God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan Through Jesus Christ…From Beginning to End and Forever
Perhaps the most important of God’s purposes for the Book of Esther was to convey (albeit in a concealed manner) most, if not all, of the key elements of God’s magnificent salvation plan in one short (ten chapter) account.
The messages of the Book of Esther is the same Gospel message that can be found everywhere else in the Bible as it focuses on the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ. The only difference is that, each time Jesus is found in the Bible, we can learn more about Him and God’s Gospel plan through Him (which glorifies God in the process). However, to truly “see” Jesus (to believe with our hearts and not just our minds), we must have our “spiritual eyes” opened by God. Given that this can be the case, then another purpose for God having provided us with the Book of Esther is that it will edify and strengthen the faith of the saints (the elect of God, the believers).
Perhaps just as significantly, the Book of Esther is also a book of Prophecy, because it culminates with a picture of Judgment Day at the end of creation and the eternity in Heaven that will follow for all who are counted among the people of Jesus… and the eternal death and destruction in hell for all those who are not.
So where do we see Jesus in the Book of Esther?
Some Christian commentaries conclude that it is Esther who, “as the advocate for her people,” is the deliverer of salvation to her people and therefore portrays Jesus Christ. Is that correct? Let’s look at the six main characters in the order of their appearance:
1) King Ahasuerus: A very great and powerful king who reigned over a “glorious kingdom” with the “honour of his excellent majesty.”
2) Queen Vashti: A beautiful queen, the first wife of the king Ahasuerus. When she was bidden by the king (by his “commandment”) to a great feast, she refused to come while holding her own feast for the women; so the king decreed that she could never again come into his presence. He also decreed that her royal estate be given “to another that is better than she.” King Ahasuerus sent letters to all his provinces to be published “to every people after their language.”
3) Mordecai: A certain Jew, “the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite“, who lived in the king’s palace and sat in the king’s gate. He was the nearest kinsman to Esther, being her elder cousin.
4) Esther: A fair and beautiful maid, a virgin, (and an orphan, because “for she had neither mother or father”) who was brought up by Mordecai, and he “took for his own daughter“… “when her father and mother were dead“.) Esther pleased king Ahasuerus and “she obtained kindness of him.” “And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.“
5) Hegai (Hege): The King’s Chamberlain, the keeper of the women (evidently a eunuch). (We also read about another King’s Chamberlain in Chapter 4, named Hatach, who is evidently also a eunuch.)
6) Haman: A chief prince of king Ahasuerus who because he saw that Mordecai bowed not to him (Haman), nor reverenced him, “Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.“ Esther 7:6 “And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman.“
Synopsis
King Ahasuerus replaces his first queen, Vashti, for her disobedience, and gives her royal estate to Esther (the Jewish orphan raised up by her elder kinsman, Mordecai) who has been anointed by the King’s Chamberlain, Hegai. Later, prince Haman, in his prideful wrath, determined (by the casting of lots, or pur) a specific day at the end of the year to destroy Mordecai and his people (the Jews), and then convinced the king to decree the destruction of “a certain people” (the Jews) from throughout the land by accusing that they did not keep the king’s laws. Haman also sought to have Mordecai hanged on the highest gallows that Haman had made. When Mordecai heard about it, he put on sackcloth and ashes outside the palace gate. “Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it [was], and why it [was].” Later under commandment from Mordecai, Esther went into the kings presence (at the risk of death, but walking by faith…”if I perish I perish“) to inform the king (over time through two sequential banquets) of Haman’s plot to kill her people. However, Mordecai, because of an earlier act of faithfulness to the king (which Esther had “certified the king [thereof] in Mordecai’s name” in Esther 2:22, although the king had forgotten for a time), was subsequently honored by the king, and arrayed in the king’s royal apparel wearing the king’s royal crown and allowed to ride through the street of the city on the king’s horse. This was the very honor that Haman, because of his pride, had sought for himself. Instead of receiving that honor as he expected, Haman was subsequently humiliated. Moreover, when Esther later revealed Haman’s plot to the king, and, as the king soon supposed Haman was about to assault Esther, Haman was ordered to be hung from the same gallows that he had made for Mordecai.
Because Mordecai had subsequently been granted the king’s authority (which had previously been under Haman), Mordecai made a new decree, which while not nullifying the earlier decree, provided the means by which the Jews could defend themselves and kill all those in league with Haman at the end of the year. And we also know that there was a great “conversion” during this interim period between the third month (associated with the Feast of Firstfruits/Pentecost) and the end of the year, for we read, “…And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.“
In the final battle, at the end of the year, where Haman had planned to have all the Jews destroyed and consumed in one day, all those who hated the Jews, including all of the ten sons of Haman were themselves removed “with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction.” The next day, after this great battle, the Jews rested from their enemies and “made it a day of feasting and gladness,” to be remembered and kept throughout every generation.
Finally, because the king had advanced Mordecai “next unto the king” (his right-hand man, so to speak), Mordecai was “great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.” We also read earlier, after the death of Haman, that “Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.“
The Spiritual “Types” Represented by Each Person In the Book of Esther
If we compare this historical account with the rest of the Bible, we can find some amazing and unequivocal parallels between the following:
1) King Ahasuerus with Heavenly Father (or more generically, Almighty God)
2) Queen Vashti with National Israel of the Old Testament
Vashti was a beautiful first queen, but she rebelled against the King and refused to come to his feast, but rather held her own feast for the women in the royal palace that belonged to the King. Deuteronomy 31:16-18 explains how this can be so.
3) Mordecai with Jesus Christ (God as Savior)
It is Jesus Christ who delivers His people, the “Jews.” He is the one who ascended to the Right Hand of God the Father. Jesus is the One Who we read about in Revelation 19:11-16. Jesus wears the “many crowns”, riding the “white horse”, and Jesus bears the Name that is “Faithful and True“. He is the one who Satan sought to destroy on the cross, but it was Jesus who instead vanquished Satan at the cross. Jesus (as the God-Man) is the One Who nurtures the believers by serving in the role of their near kinsman. We also know that at the Great Battle at the end of the age, on Judgment Day, all who are in league with Satan (the unbelievers) will be destroyed with him at that time. Then will the “Jews” (the true believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, please see Romans 2:28-29) find rest from their enemies. We also know that the believers are referred to throughout the Bible as the Bride of Jesus Christ (and Jesus Christ is also God). That bride is described in the Bible with all the attributes ascribed to Esther. The true believers replaced national Israel (pictured by Vashti), God’s former chosen people, whom He effectively divorced at the cross (please see Jeremiah 3:8 regarding the initial divorce by God of the first ten tribes of Israel, see also Isaiah 50:1) because they would not come when bidden to the final Passover Feast (they rejected Jesus as Messiah, the Perfect Passover Lamb of God, see also Luke 14:15-24).
4) Queen Esther with the Body of Believers (from both Jews (the remnant) and Gentiles; the true “Jews” or the eternal Israel)
5) Hegai (Hege) and Hatach, the King’s Chamberlains, with God, the Holy Spirit
Hegai (Hege) (הֵגֵא (hēḡē’) H1896 was a chamberlain eunuch appointed by King Ahasuerus to attend Queen Esther whose name means either “eunuch” or “Meditation“; “Word“; “Groaning“; “Separation”, who prepared Esther to come into the presence of the King by purifications with nothing but what Hegai appointed, and that was “six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women.” Remembering that in Romans 8:26 we read, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“
Another of the King’s Chamberlains, who also would have had to have been a eunuch like Hegai, is named Hatach, הֲתָךְ (hăṯāḵ)H204 meaning either “a Gift” or “Verily” (hence “Truly” or “Truth“), and both attributes are clearly used in the Bible as representations of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit Anoints the believer, Is An Intermediary for them in prayer to God the Father, Is “The Gift from God”Acts 10:45, and also Is “The Spirit of Truth” John 16:13 Who leads the believer into all Truth (Jesus)! (Please see: The Book of Esther: a Christian Commentary)
6) Haman with Satan
Regarding Haman’s role, from Isaiah 14:12-15, we clearly see that Satan, the chief prince of all the angels that became devils, in his great pride sought to “be like the most High,” but was subsequently consigned to Hell. Satan wanted to exalt his throne above the “stars” of God; as we read in Isaiah 14:13, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”
It is particularly noteworthy that in Esther 7:6 we read, “And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman.“ In the original Hebrew, the word frequently translated into English for “adversary” is שָׂטָן (śāṭān)H7854. So it should be abundantly clear that Haman is being used as a “Type” of the devil (Satan), who is most certainly both wicked as well as the enemy of God, God’s Word, and God’s people. This is also entirely consistent with 1 Peter 5:8, where we read, “¶Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:“
We also see this is God’s condemnation of Edom, hence Esau, hence Haman (and therefore: the devil) in Obadiah 1:4, “Though thou exalt [thyself] as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
God dealt with Haman’s (and the devil’s) pride exactly as God Will Do on Judgment Day (“The day of the LORD of hosts”) as we read in Isaiah 2:12, “For the day of the LORD of hosts [shall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he shall be brought low:“
In the Bible the “stars” represent the believers, typified by Esther (whose very name means “Star”). We see this also clearly in Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.“ And please note also how the words “stars” and “sons of God” are used together in this verse: Job 38:7, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Remember also, in Matthew 4:8-10, how the devil, like Haman to Mordecai, having been given the power by God to rule this world upon the Fall of Adam, desired for Jesus to “fall down and worship” him, and Jesus answered, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Expositional Outline of the Prophetic Book of Esther:
Comfort for the Believers at all Times (God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan Explained in Ten Chapters)
(Psalm 68:5, “A father of the fatherless (i.e.,Esther), and a judge of the widows (i.e.,Ruth and Naomi), [is] God in his holy habitation.“)
Chapter I. God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan: National Israel (under the Law) rebels: making a way for the remnant of both Jews and Gentiles (under Grace)(Esther 1:12 and Esther 1:19) Please see Deuteronomy 31:16-18 and Romans 4:15.
Chapter II. God Remembers His Covenant: The Establishment of the New and Better Covenant (Esther 2:1-4) Please also see Hebrews 8:6-13.
- Jesus Christ (Mordecai) Shows Mercy to the Fatherless (Esther) (Esther 2:7)
- The Work of the Holy Spirit in Purifying the Believer (Esther) to enter into God’s presence: (Esther 2:15)
- A Rebellion Against the King by Those (possibly eunuchs) Who Kept the Door, Bigthan and Teresh (possibly representing the fallen angels of 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6 Revelation 12:9?) (Esther 2:21-23)
Chapter III. Satan Given Dominion Over This Creation Immediately Upon the Fall of Adam (Esther 3:1 and Esther 8:5) Please see Romans 6:23
- The Temptation of Christ, Satan Seeks to Destroy Jesus and His People by Accusing the People for Being Sinners…Not Keeping the King’s Laws (Esther 3:6-8), Please see: Revelation 12:10
Chapter IV. The Atonement of Jesus Christ (Esther 4:1) followed by “three days and nights” of fasting.
Chapter V. The Faith of the Saints (Christ’s Faith, Ephesians 3:11&12) (Esther 5:1&2) Please see Hebrews 12:2, Numbers 24:17, and Psalms 45:6 (note that Esther did not put on “royal apparel” until the “third day”)
Chapter VI. Palm Sunday (Esther 6:11)
Chapter VII. The Last Passover Feast and Christ’s Victory over Satan at the Cross (Esther 7:10)
Chapter VIII. The Great Commission and the New Testament Era Beginning at Pentecost (Esther 8:1-17)
Chapter IX. Judgment Day and the Transition to Eternity
Chapter X. Eternity in Heaven (Esther 10:3) Please see Galatians 3:16 & 29
NOTE: There is not one direct reference to God found anywhere in the Book of Esther. As a result, Martin Luther declared it to be an apocryphal book. It is also the only Old Testament book missing from the Dead Sea Scrolls, possibly because the Essene sect believed that Esther was not sufficiently faithful to the Mosaic Law, i.e., she married the “Gentile” Persian king. Nonetheless, it is important to also note that Mordecai is specifically mentioned among those who returned to Jerusalem in the restoration following the initial captivity into Babylon as can be found in both Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7. This double witness validates that Mordecai was a real person in history during the associated time period. The Book of Esther is a valid part of the Holy Scripture and was perfectly crafted by God the Holy Spirit as an Historical Parable.
Conclusion
The Book of Esther provides us with an accurate account of an actual period in history, but it was nonetheless orchestrated, recorded, and written under the inspiration of Almighty God, by His Holy Spirit, and it is incorporated into God’s Word the Bible for the edification and consolation of His people, which glorifies God in the process. The Book of Esther is, therefore, an historical vignette orchestrated by God in the first instance (historically), and written down as precisely crafted in the Bible in the second instance (spiritually) to fulfill God’s own purposes. Those purposes include the conveyance (albeit in a concealed manner) of most, if not all, of the key elements of God’s magnificent salvation plan in one short (ten chapter) account.
For a longer, more complete, and more in-depth study, please see The Book of Esther: a Christian Commentary
Bereansearching Bible Studies 
March 18, 2024 at 8:41 pm
A good analysis of Esther. Thanks! 😊