Is the name of god in the book of esther

A robust treatment of esthers defects would surely include the books famed failure to mention the name of god or to recognize divine providence. This is the more remarkable, since, in this short book of only 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his name 1 ahasuerus is given 29 times. The 26 times the book of esther mentions god click to tweet. Martin luther favored eliminating it from the bible on this basis. The greek septuagint remedied this situation by adding six passages which include the name of god. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. Without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages.

Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god. God works through the daily events in the lives of his people jew and gentile. Nonetheless, in this short book consisting of just 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. Weve also compiled some resources for you to use as you study. Esther is a reminder to jews and christians alike that our god is a mighty god, and his deeds and actions are worthy of the highest praise. Dear students of gods word, there is a study by professor e. Even though gods name is never mentioned by name or directly referenced, its evident that his presence is. However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. There are no coincidences in the great plan of god. The story of esther is one of drama and excitement that depicts heroes and villains. Note that this was not a form of secret bible code but of literary composition.

How can a book which fails to mention not only the name of god, but also prayer, worship, the coming messiah, heaven, hell or faith, be included in the canon of the old testament. Mordecai is a man of integrity, and esther is a selfsacrificial heroine. However, the silences of gods word, like its utterance, are full of instruction, and e w bullinger has found much teaching in the absence of jehovahs name from this old testament book. This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. Well put on gospel lenses and examine the text for the fingerprints of god together. Why is the name of god not mentioned in megillat esther. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of gods name did not mean that god was absent from the book.

It has been observed by many that no divine name or title is found in the book of esther. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts. Thus begins the book of esther in which the name of god is not found, but which has his hand on every page. So, is the book of esther the only book in the bible which does not contain the name of god. Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. On the surface, it appears to be a story about survival, prejudice, and politics. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the name of jehovah in the book of esther. God, in fact, is not mentioned, esther is portrayed as assimilated to persian. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop. The name of jehovah in the book of esther kindle edition by bullinger, e w. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark.

He is in the book of esther as the god of providence and as a picture of christ interceding for his chosen people. Interestingly, it appears john is telling us in john 5 that jesus celebrated purim so that is possibly another link between esther and christ. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. This is the more remarkable, since, in this short book of only 167. One may think a thing is a result of gods providence, but that can never be known for certain until and unless god reveals it to him. There are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. As a result of the use of acrostics, the name of god is indeed found. The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. Many teach that while esther declares for us the incredible providence of god, it never uses the name of god himself.

Even though the name of god is not mentioned in it, no book of the bible teaches his providence more forcefully. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The image of god that appears in the national, canonical book. It seems the author of the old greek also found it odd that god is never. The book of esther does not specifically name its author. Esther was a jewess, although her husband, king xerxes.

The book of esther never mentions god by name, there is never the word prayer uttered, and the only spiritual discipline that is mentioned is fasting but that never says anything about prayer and fasting. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Mordecai and esther act in faith throughout the book. Though his name is not mentioned, he is not absent. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. The jews, the hebrews, for understandable reasons, did not write down the full name of god. Satans work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of a redeemer. Despite all that, however, esther shows gods work in preparing for the coming of the messiah. We dont know for sure if mordecai had gods promises to abraham and david in mind when he claimed that the jews would be delivered es 4. The book of esther is the answer to that question, and shows us that when god could not own them in any way whatever, and where, too, they were not owning him publicly, when there was no sign on gods part, nor on the peoples part where the name of god, therefore, is now entirely in the secret is not named once throughout the. Nonetheless, on every page his hand is seen and his providence manifested.

The book covers a period of about 12 years, falling somewhere between the events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of ezra. The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Even though the name of god is technically not mentioned in esther, the holy spirit is seen weaving redemptive history thorough its pages esth. The hidden name of god in esther randy white ministries. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if. Esther is probably the greatest example in all the bible of the providence of god at work. The book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. Though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. The silence of god doesnt mean the absence of god and so it is in the book of esther, where gods never mentioned by name, but he is inferred. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god.

God s name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. The additions, called the rest of the book of esther, are specifically listed in the thirtynine articles, article vi, of the church of england as non canonical. As you dig into the book of esther, we pray you will find this old testament book as a new opportunity to discover the fingerprints of god. Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account. The lord gave me that very book to read yesterday as i waited in our car for my wife to do attend to some administrative works. But words from god would make a good foundation for those beliefs. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it. For example, when esther asks the jews to fast, we can assume this included prayer est. It would harp on her lack of consideration for classic old testament doctrines such as covenant and circumcision and point out that ultimately she would never be quoted in the new testament, either.

The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it. The book of esther is the only one not found in the dead sea scrolls. And in fact, the whole story of esther is a bit like a game of hide and seek first of all, you may have noticed that god himself is hiding in the book of esther he is not mentioned at all. Your new name is a beautiful tool to help us do just that. For the religion of the jews, god appears as a character in the national book, the hebrew bible.

The name of jehovah in the book of esther kindle edition. It is in the midst of the seemingly difficult trials that people go through that god appears to be hard at work. The main people in the book also are symbols for god, gods messiah, israel and the adversary, aka hasatan. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. Esther may have been a different hebrew interpretation from the proto. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. Perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. The story of esther turns on a series of seeming coincidences.

His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. Even though his name is not mentioned, you can still see his presence through many convenient happenings in the book. I remembered reading once that gods name appears in esther in. Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther.

The most popular traditions are mordecai a major character in the book of esther, ezra, and nehemiah who would have been familiar with persian customs. It has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. Levi lusko, lead pastor of fresh life church esther fleece allen calls believers to walk in the strength and hope of their godgiven identity and does so with great depth, compassion, and richness of biblical teaching that we find restorative. In esthers story, gods involvement is implicit rather than explicit. The book of esther is one of only two books in the hebrew bible that never mention god the other is the song of songs.

Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. Many have noticed that god is not once mentioned in the book of esther. All the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. Esther fits the mold of other old testament heroes who were clearly guided by the lord. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of god s name did not mean that god was absent from the book. The book of esther and god hidden and revealed lutheran. It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there.

When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. The hidden god of esther scroll of esther from the jewish museum near the dohany synagogue in budapest, hungary. The prayers of esther and mordecai are especially noteworthy. Well, the answer is that it depends on whether one reads esther in the original hebrew, or another language. Esther the book of esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. But for those who know the larger story of the bible, gods hidden hand can be discerned in these events, working to protect and preserve israel. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god.