Ahasuerus, king of the Persian empire, reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces from his throne in Shoushan (Susa). He divorced his wife, Vashti, for disobedience. Ahasuerus was an absolute monarch; the king's orders were never questioned; the king's command could never be countermanded; the king's degree could never be annulled.
Ahasuerus ordered that his servants assemble a collection of "fair young virgins" from which to select a new queen. This new queen was to be the most beautiful woman in the land.
Among the virgins collected was a lovely girl, known as Esther. Esther was an orphaned Diaspora Jew, dwelling in the Persian empire, under the rule of King Ahasuerus. Orphaned at a young age, Esther's identity as a Jew remained hidden for many years. Her kinsman, Mordecai, the son of Jair, who had adopted Esther and raised her from a child, had always advised Esther to remain "in the closet" about her heritage and religion.
Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.Esther was originally named Hadassah, which in Hebrew meant "myrtle." When she was born, her hair was as black as a deep blue-black myrtle berry. The beauty of the myrtle tree (Myrtus communis) is a symbol for the beauty of Esther. An evergreen, with dark-green leaves, it generally grows 7 to 10 feet in height, but can grow to a queenly height of 30 feet tall. The beautiful myrtle has fragrant clusters of white blossoms and blue-black berries. The spicy oil of the myrtle is still used in manufacturing perfumes. Yet, this intoxicating and spicy oil in the leaves and berries is not released unless it is bruised. There was always an air of beauty and graciousness surrounding Esther, like the scent of the beautiful myrtle flowers. Esther was neither haughy nor proud towards other people around her. Thus, Esther "obtained favor in the sight of all of them that looked upon her," i.e. she was naturally shrewd enough to be graciously diplomatic and polite to anyone she came into contact with.
Esther 2:10
These virgins were taken to the house of the women in the palace in the care of the king's chamberlain, Hege, "keeper of the women."
One by one, each virgin was sent to Ahasuerus to sent to spend a night with him so that he could pick his new queen.
Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house. Esther 2:12-13Numerous virgins ended up as lowly concubines in the "second house of the women," in the custody of the king's chamberlain, Shaashgaz, because they each failed to impress King Ahasuerus. Some were never summoned to the king's bed again, because Ahasuerus didn't even remember their names.
It seems that Esther, however, both wise and gracious to everyone--and shrewd enough to know whose advise to take about how to really impress King Ahasuerus--who most certainly did not forget Esther's name.
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 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. Esther 2:16-17After Esther was proclaimed queen, Mordecai sat almost daily at the king's gate. No doubt, he was still concerned for the well-being of his adoptive daughter, but perhaps he hoped that she might procure some kind of lucrative position in the king's palace for him. Likely, Mordecai trusted in Esther's diplomacy and wisdom to serve her and her kinsfolk well.
While waiting at the king's gate, Mordecai overheard a plot by two chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, to assassinate Ahasuerus. Mordecai sent a message to Queen Esther who in turn informed Ahasuerus of the plot. When Bigthan and Teresh were apprehended and hanged, Mordecai's service to the king was duly noted in the daily record of the book of the chronicles.
Sometime after the above plot--because there seemed to have been a purge of staff in the palace, probably related to the plot--Ahasuerus appointed Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, as the new prime minister.
Waiting at the king's gate, Mordecai managed to attract Haman's disfavor when Mordecai did not bow to Haman. The king's servants in the king's gate mentioned to Haman that Mordecai was a Jew. Thus Haman ploted to exterminate the entire Jewish population.
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. Esther 3:8-11Having obtaining Ahasuerus' permission, Haman cast lots ("purim") to choose the date for this dastardly deed--the 13th of the month of Adar. When Mordecai learned of Haman's plot, he put on sackcloth and ashes. There was mourning and weeping among the Jewish community about their forthcoming fate. When Queen Esther discovered that the king had signed a royal decree for a pogrom against all the Jewish people at the behest of Haman, she sent Mordecai the following message:
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. Esther 4:16Queen Esther fasted for three days, together with her handmaids, before offering her prayer to God:
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you--for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God.On the third day, Queen Esther sought an audience with Ahasuerus, during which she invites him to a feast in the company of Haman.And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.
During the feast, Ahasuerus asked her, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you, even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed."
Queen Esther petitioned Ahasuerus and Haman to attend a second feast the next evening.
Meanwhile, Haman is again offended by Mordecai's continued refusal to bow to him, orders a gallows contructed fifty cubits high on which to hang Mordecai the Jew.
Yet that night, Ahasuerus, suffering from insomnia, requested the daily records from the book of the chronicles be read aloud to him. Ahasuerus was reminded of the services rendered by Mordecai in the earlier plot by the chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, against his life. Ahasuerus asked what honor was given to Mordecai as a reward and was informed that Mordecai received no recognition for saving the king's life.
Just then, Haman came to speak to the Ahasuerus about hanging Mordecai on the fifty cubits high gallows.
Ahasuerus asked Haman, "What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?"
Haman, assuming that Ahasuerus referring to honoring Haman, suggested, "The man whom the king delights to honor should be dressed in the royal apparel and set upon the king's own horse and the royal crown should be set upon this man's head. He should be led on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaiming: 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!'"
To Haman astonishment, Ahasuerus instructed him to give this honor to Mordecai, feeding Haman's internal fury against Mordecai.
Of course, the king's orders were never questioned; the king's command could never be countermanded; the king could never be disobeyed. Haman arranged that Ahasuerus commands concerning Mordecai were carried out and then went to his own home and sulked and pouted all day.
Later that evening, Ahasuerus and Haman attended Queen Esther's second banquet, during which Ahasuerus asked her "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? It shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom?"
Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish."
Ahasuerus asked, "Who is he, and where is he, that dares presume in his heart to do so?"
Queen Esther replied, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman--sitting here."
Having revealed that she is a Jew, Queen Esther had certainly runined Haman's plan to exterminate the Jews, as that would include her, the king's favorite.
In his wrath, Ahasuerus instead orders Haman hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then, the king's anger was pacified.
As the previous king's decree against the Jews could not be annulled, so the Ahasuerus allowed Mordecai and Esther to write another decree as they wish. According to this decree, the Jews could preemptively kill those thought to pose a lethal risk. As a result, on the day of the 13th of Adar, 500 attackers and Haman's ten sons were killed in Shushan. Throughout the empire 75,000 of the Jews' enemies were slain. On the 14th, another 300 are killed in Shushan.
After this purge, Mordecai assumed the position as the new prime minister and instituted an annual commemoration of the delivery of the Jewish people from annihilation by the bravery, and wisdom, and shrewd cunning of Queen Esther.