Esther (Queen)

Overview

• Testament: Old
• Role: Jewish queen of Persia who interceded for her people
• Family: Cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai
• Key Books: Esther

Biography

Esther, also called Hadassah, was a Jewish orphan raised by Mordecai in Shushan. After Vashti was deposed, Esther was brought into the royal selection process and became queen in the court of Ahasuerus.

When Haman secured a decree to destroy the Jews, Esther risked approaching the king without being summoned. Through fasting, courage, and carefully timed banquets, she exposed Haman’s plot and became the instrument of her people’s deliverance.

Key Events

• Esther Becomes Queen - Esther enters the palace and becomes queen
• Esther’s Fast - She prepares to risk her life
• First Feast - She begins her appeal to the king
• Second Feast - She reveals Haman’s plot
• Deliverance - Her intercession leads to the counter-decree

Relationships

• Mordecai - Cousin and guardian
• Ahasuerus - Husband and king
• Haman - Enemy of her people
• Vashti - Previous queen

Important Verses

• Esther 2:17
• Esther 4:16
• Esther 7:3-6

Cross-References

• Mentioned in: Esther

Notes

Esther’s movement from concealed identity to public intercession is the central human arc of the book.