Over the first few months of 2023, I plan to preach through the book of Esther.
Below are my notes, resources I found worthwhile, and other things that I found useful.
This is a work in progress – feel free to recommend resources to me!
Structure
Structure:
- A | The King’s glory and banquets (Esther 1:1-22)
- B | Esther’s appointment (Esther 2:1-18)
- Rest from taxes – Est 2:18
- C | Mordecai saves the king, leading to an execution (Esther 2:19-23)
- D | Haman’s rise, the first royal decree (Esther 3:1-15)
- Est 3:8 – rest
- E | Mordecai reveals plan to Esther (Est 4)
- F | [= Esther’s first banquet (Est 5:1-8)
- G | Haman’s boast (Esther 5:9-14)
- Est 5:10, 14 – Zeresh
- >> On that night, the King could not sleep (Esther 6:1-3) <<
- G’ | Haman’s humiliation (Esther 6:4-14)
- Est 6:13 – Zeresh
- F’ | Esther’s second banquet (Esther 7:1-6)=]
- E’ | Esther reveals plan to Ahaserus (Est 7:7-10)
- D’ | Esther’s decree (Est 8)
- Chapter 3 verses are repeated
- C’ | The Jews are saved, leading to a feast (Est 9:1-19)
- Est 9:16, 17, 18, 22 – Rest
- B’ | Purim’s appointment (Est 9:20-32)
- A’ | Mordecai’s glory and banquets (Est 10:1-3)
On either side of the turning point are repeated phrases, some reiterated in reverse order and unusual idioms used three times (first half, second half, and in Esther 5:11-6:3. Note also that entire verses from Esther 3:10-15 are repeated in chapter 8.
Recommended Reading
Articles
Duguid, I. M. (2006) “But Did They Live Happily Ever after? The Eschatology of the Book of Esther,” Westminster Theological Journal, 68
Firth, D.G. (2010) “When Samuel Met Esther: Narrative Focalisation, Intertextuality, and Theology,” Southeastern Theological Review, 1(1), p. 25.
Leder, A. ‘Historical Narrative and Wisdom. Towards Preaching Esther “for Such a Time as This”.’ Acta Theologica 31, no. 2 (14 December 2011): 135–58
Arthur Laurence Georges (2018) “SEEING GOD’S PRESENCE THROUGH HIS PROMISES: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER”
Books
Berg, S.B. The Book of Esther
Dunne, J.A. Esther and Her Elusive God: How a Secular Story Functions as Scripture
Grossman, J, Esther : the outer narrative and the hidden reading
Radday. ‘Chiasmus in Antiquity’, ‘On Humor and Comic in the Hebrew Bible‘
Sun, C.T. (2021) Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther
Sermon Series
You can listen to the sermon series I gave here.
