Esther 4


Esther 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE. Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book. This chapter describes the reaction of the Jews to Haman's evil decree, focusing on Mordecai's action of mourning and fasting, which eventually forced Esther to take action on her own by risking her life to appear uninvited before King Ahasuerus.

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 17 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus.

Mordecai hears the threat of genocide against the Jews (4:1–3)

When they heard the threat of genocide, Mordecai and the Jews throughout the Persian empire showed religious response publicly, although without referring to God.

Verse 1

This section records the communication between Mordecai and Esther, which passed through three stages:
  1. Esther's gift of clothes to Mordecai was rejected. No words were spoken.
  2. Oral and written messages were sent from Mordecai to Esther, but the words are not reported.
  3. Exchange of words between Esther and Mordecai are narrated.
These stages represent a movement in Esther from ignorance to understanding to decision: Esther eventually took charge and Mordecai went to do 'everything that Esther had commanded him'.

Verse 14

Mordecai's statement assumes the existence of a providential order, although God is not mentioned by name at all.
Some ancient references understand the Hebrew word as a circumlocution for God.

Verse 16