Esther’s Fast
Overview
- Testament: Old
- Book: Esther
- Chapters: Esther 4
- Summary: Mordecai urged Esther to approach the king unsummoned to plead for her people; Esther called all Jews in Susa to fast three days on her behalf; she resolved to act with the famous declaration “if I perish, I perish.”
Details
When Esther’s maids told her of Mordecai’s mourning, she sent clothes to cover him; he refused. She sent her attendant Hatach to learn what was wrong. Mordecai sent back the text of Haman’s decree and urged her to go to the king and beg for her people. Esther sent back a practical objection: anyone who goes to the king unsummoned faces death unless the king extends his golden scepter — and she had not been called to the king in thirty days. Mordecai’s reply became one of the most famous passages in the book: “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther’s response was decisive. She sent word to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” Mordecai went and carried out all that Esther commanded. The phrase “if I perish, I perish” is one of scripture’s most memorable statements of courageous submission — accepting the risk of death in obedience to a higher calling.
Key People Involved
- Esther — The queen who accepted the risk and called the fast
- Mordecai — Who challenged Esther with the “such a time as this” argument
- Hatach — Esther’s attendant who carried messages to Mordecai
Key Places
- Susa — Where the fast was called
Important Verses
“And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14
“If I perish, I perish.” — Esther 4:16
Cross-References
- Preceded by: Genocide Decree
- Followed by: First Feast
- Related books: Esther
Notes
Esther 4 is the theological center of the book. Mordecai’s statement that “enlargement and deliverance shall arise from another place” is the book’s closest approach to theological language — it implies confidence in a deliverer without naming God. The phrase “for such a time as this” has become one of the most frequently cited texts for Christian calling and vocation. The three-day fast parallels other three-day periods of transformation in scripture (Jonah, Jesus’ burial). Esther’s transformation from passive recipient of royal favor to active agent of her people’s salvation is the narrative’s turning point.