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Esther

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Esther
Scofield Reference Index
• Esther
Thompson Chain Reference
• Esther
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
• Esther & Nehemiah?: & Wives
Dictionaries
American Tract Society
• Esther, the Book of
• Esther
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
• Esther
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary
• Esther, Theology of
Chabad Knowledge Base
• Scroll of Esther
• Megillat Esther
• Fast of Esther
•   (only first 3 shown)
Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Esther, Book of
• Esther
Fausset Bible Dictionary
• Esther, the Book of
• Esther
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Esther
Hitchcock Bible Names
• Esther
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Esther, Book of
• Esther
Morrish Bible Dictionary
• Esther, Book of
• Esther
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Esther, Book of
• Esther
• Book of Esther
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary
• Esther
People's Bible Dictionary
• Esther (2)
• Esther
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Esther The Book of
• Esther
Whyte's Bible Characters
• Esther
Watson's Theological Dictionary
• Esther
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Esther
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Esther
• Esther, Book of
• Esther, the Rest of
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
• Esther
• Esther Book of
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Champion (Nee Palmer), Esther
• Esther
• Esther, Apocryphal Additions to the Book of.
•   (only first 3 shown)
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Esther, the Book of
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Esther
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Chiera, Esther
• Domeier, Esther
• Esther
•   (only first 3 shown)
Lexicons
• אֶסְתֵּר

The book of Esther is so called, because it contains the history of Esther, a Jewish captive, who by her remarkable accomplishments gained the affections of King Ahasuerus, and by marriage with him was raised to the throne of Persia; and it relates the origin and ceremonies of the feast of Purim, instituted in commemoration of the great deliverance, which she, by her interest, procured for the Jews, whose general destruction had been concerted by the offended pride of Haman. There is great diversity of opinion concerning the author of this book; it has been ascribed to Ezra, to Mordecai, to Joachim, and to the joint labours of the great synagogue; and it is impossible to decide which of these opinions is the most probable. We are told, that the facts here recorded happened in the reign of Ahasuerus king of Persia, "who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces," Esther 1:1; and this extent of dominion plainly proves that he was one of the successors of Cyrus. That point is indeed allowed by all; but learned men differ concerning the person meant, by Ahasuerus, whose name does not occur in profane history; and consequently they are not agreed concerning the precise period to which we are to assign this history. Archbishop Usher supposed, that by Ahasuerus was meant Darius Hystaspes, and Joseph Scaliger contended that Xerxes was meant; but Dean Prideaux has very satisfactorily shown, that by Ahasuerus we are to understand Artaxerxes Longimanus. Josephus also considered Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes as the same person; and we may observe, that Ahasuerus is always translated Artaxerxes in the Septuagint version; and he is called by that name in the apocryphal part of the book of Esther. See ECBATANA , and See AHASUERUS .