As a result, she was banned from the presence of the king and the search for a new. Janie, the king mentioned in the book of esther is king ahasuerus, a persian king. Ahasuerus appears most prominently in the book of esther, and the intrigues of the kings court provide the biblical origin of the festival of purim. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes. Although gods name is nowhere mentioned in this book, his providential hand is clearly. So ahasuerus rises up in wrath and has haman executed. Ahasuerus definition, a king of ancient persia, known to the greeks as xerxes. He had banished his former wife and chose esther through a contest. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of jews throughout the empire. The events of the book of esther occurred during the reign of king ahasuerus, xerxes i.
The book of esther is the third part of the old testament and of the hebrew bible. Vashti disappears by the end of the first chapter, but she casts a long shadow over the rest of the book. Esther 3 after these things king ahasuerus promoted haman. He ruled over a vast empire that extended from india to ethiopia. Interestingly, of all the books in the bible, the book of esther is the only book that does not explicitly mention god. This ahasuerus is probably xerxes of history, esther 1. How esther s influence saved the jews twice duration. Instead, we often pit good versus evil mordecai versus haman and treat. Thus, ahasuerus and xerxes are the same individual by different names. The jews of the persian empire were threatened with destruction due to the machinations of haman, the chief minister to ahasuerus.
Esther 1 now in the days of ahasuerus, the ahasuerus who. It wasnt a decision based on his own feelings in the first place, and its based more on what esthers telling him to do now. Esther bible story summary what christians want to know. The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. On that day king ahasuerus gave to queen esther the house of haman, the enemy of the jews. King ahasuerus is identified as the persian king xerxes i, who was born in 519 bce and became king in 486 bce, at the age of 33. As a supposed descendant of the destroyer nebuchadnezzar ii of the first temple. He is said to have ruled from india even unto ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces that is, over the achaemenid empire. Is xerxes the same person as ahasuerus in the book of esther. The book of esther described part of the jewish diaspora that stayed behind in persia and did not return to jerusalem during the restoration. The name of the father of darius the mede 2 is also given as ahasuerus. In esther 910 it tells us that the ahasuerus of esther still had 127 provinces in his th year of reign. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti.
The beautiful queen esther is one of the most important jewish heroines in the old testament. He ruled over the kingdoms of persia, media, and babylonia, from india to ethiopia. During this time the enemies of israel hired counselors to bring false accusations to the ears of the different persian kings. The book of esther describes the jewish heroine esther, who saved the jewish people in persia from annihilation during the reign of king xerxes i ahasuerus of persia, who ruled from 486 to 465 bc. He allows the officials in his court to make all the decisions, including the dismissal of. The ahasuerus in the book of esther is probably xerxes i 1. Ahasuerusit is now generally agreed among learned men that the ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the xerxes who figures in grecian history. The key personalities are esther, mordecai, king ahasuerus or xerxes, and haman. For such a time as this the story of ahasuerus and esther. Ahasuerus is a name that appears in the bible in association with at least three different persian kings. Xerxes is more common in nonbiblical literature, but ahasuerus is the preferred hebrew rendering cf. Although gods name is nowhere mentioned in this book, his providential hand is clearly visible, ruling and overruling in the affairs of men. If the author had any knowledge of persian history, he could not have referred to xerxes ii, because xerxes ii.
The story of esther takes place in the persian empire during the reign of ahasuerus, known more familiarly to us by the greek form of his name, xerxes i. The book of ester is a very special book in the bible, so here are 11 important bible verses from the book of esther. But our sovereign god was going to give ahasuerus a great deal more than good looks, whether he wanted it or not. Different bible translations may use xerxes or ahasuerus, but they technically refer to the same individual, and are likely different throne names. Queen esther continued to be obedient to her uncle mordecai causing her to conceal her race, the kings life to be rescued from an assassination plot, and mordecais good deed to be recorded in the history book 2. The book deals with how esther, a jew who was selected by king ahasuerus as the new queen after removing the previous queen vashti. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. He was the son of darius the great and reigned from 486465 b. He does not act much like a king, let alone a king known to rule the largest empire ever per population percentage of the day. Esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. Esther, for the chance of winning wealth and power, takes her place in the herd of maidens who become concubines of the king. As we encounter vashti in chapter one, we learn the following about her. Jews have traditionally considered esther a national hero, but already early in the twentieth century some readers began to deplore her as passive and devious. In fact, god is not directly mentioned by name in the book of esther.
The book of esther is a romantic and patriotic tale, perhaps with some historical basis but with so little religious purpose the book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus. Despite being the namesake of the book, esthers role is frequently disregarded. Linguists believe that the name transcribed from hebrew as ahasuerus is intended to refer to the persian king xerxes i 486 465 bce. Ironically, despite being the namesake of the book, esthers a.
Esther 110 nkjv the king dethrones queen vashti now. In the rich and complex book of esther, set during the babylonian captivity of the jews, the queen braves her own death in order to save the jewish people by approaching. It further tells us that this was the persian king who laid. At that time king ahasuerus was ruling from susa the capital. However, if you ever see arguments for artaxerxes as the king during the time of estherdont believe it.
Jan 26, 2018 xerxes is more common in nonbiblical literature, but ahasuerus is the preferred hebrew rendering cf. The massacre had been plotted by the kings chief minister, haman, and the date decided by casting lots purim. Apr 18, 2020 ahasuerus appears most prominently in the book of esther, and the intrigues of the kings court provide the biblical origin of the festival of purim. The book of esther confirms that darius i is the most likely candidate for esthers king in another way as well. He invaded greece with an army, it is said, of more than 2,000,000 soldiers, only 5,000 of whom returned with him.
Esther 1 isv the wealth of king ahasuerus bible gateway. He is believed by 19th century commentators to be xerxes i. Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther. Ahasuerus, the persian king of the book of esther, being identified by the rabbis with the one mentioned in dan.
The name of the father of darius the mede darius the mede. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. The city of shushan was his capital during major portions of his rule. In the book of esther, why is king ahasuerus so in love with esther. But esther doesnt, apparently, tell ahasuerus anything he didnt already know other than revealing that she herself is a jew, which is obviously an important piece of information. Taking all this into account, ahasuerus seems kind of weakminded. The ahasuerus of the book of esther is believed to be xerxes i, the son of the persian king darius the great darius hystaspis. Here is the story of esther through a summary of each of the 10 chapters. The book of esther is also rich in types and patterns which expound for us, the purpose of god in redeeming mankind from the power of sin. She tells ahasuerus that haman is wicked and that he ahasuerus should save the jews.
The other king who some historians believe to be the ahasuerus of the book of esther is the persian king xerxes. His predecessor was king darius 522485 bc who is mentioned in ezra 4. Ahasuerus was the king of persia who according to the book of esther ruled from india to ethiopia. King ahasuerus threw a grand party but his wife, queen vashti, refused to attend. The genre of the book of esther is narrative history. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. But it is also a wonderful story of courage and faith. The story megillat esther does not tell you how the rabbis came to imagine ahasuerus as a usurper who halted the rebuilding of the temple and his wife vashti as a wicked and grotesque babylonian princess, who lived as a libertine and persecuted jews.
They are listed, at least as it seems, in chronological dating order. But in this book it seems to be mainly the gift he promises to esther that reverses his position on murdering all the jews. Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews for jesus. All we have is the notice that the king loved esther more than all the other women esth 2. Summary of the book of esther genuine leather bible. The ahasuerus in the book of esther is probably xerxes i. Ahasuerus article about ahasuerus by the free dictionary. Introduction how should we view the women in esther. May 25, 2011 esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. How to pronounce say ahasuerus by bible speak pronunciation. The wealth of king ahasuerus this is a record of what happened during the reign of ahasuerus, the ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from india to cush.
King ahasuerus, the son of darius hystaspes, the husband of queen esther and recorded in the book. The following is an excellent synopsis of the entire book of esther. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther with. In the biblical book of esther, vashti is the wife of king ahasuerus, the ruler of persia. Although vashti and esther never meet, the relationship between them is integral to understanding the events of the book of esther. Achashverosh, as his name transliterates from hebrew, was also mentioned in the books of ezra, daniel and tobit. The book of esther portrays ahasuerus as a manipulable coward. Esther 1, new living translation nlt the bible app. Perhaps this is why the biblical text actually gives no clear reason for the kings love for esther.
Also, ahasuerus is supposedly based on or perhaps the same as the real, historical persian king xerxes i who makes a decidedly different kind of appearance in. What is not always clear, is how wicked men, especially wicked rulers are used by god to fulfill his plan. Ahasuerus xerxes i is shown as ruling over 127 jurisdictional districts, from india to ethiopia. He is believed by 19th century commentators to be xerxes i of persia. God already had a wife picked out for this heathen king. Ahasuerus is given as the name of a king, the husband of esther, in the book of esther.
It further tells us that this was the persian king who laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. The events mentioned in esther therefore happened between. Mar 30, 2008 god is accomplishing his purposes not in spite of ahasuerus but rather he is using ahasuerus to serve his own great purpose, that is, to protect the nation of israel. Although gods name is nowhere mentioned in this book, his providential hand is clearly visible, ruling and overruling in. That in the book of tobit may be cyaxares i, destroyer of nineveh.
In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers, and the military leaders of persia and media, the nobles, and the provincial officials. Ahasuerus is given as the name of the king of persia in the book of esther. Ahasuerus, ruler of a massive persian empire, holds a lavish party, initially for his. King ahasuerus, the son of darius hystaspes, the husband of queen esther and recorded in the book of esther. The ahasuerus king of persia, referred to in ezra 4.
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