Why in megillat esther is the name of god not mentioned even once, considering that it was the hand of god that altered a near catastrophe for the jewish people living in persia. Is it really the inspired word of god if it makes no mention of him. The 2 books of the bible that dont mention god overviewbible. Introduction to esther the book of esther is a unique and somewhat different book within the bible. The book demonstrates how god works in the lives of his people, both then. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. It has been observed by many that no divine name or title is found in the book of esther. The book of esther, like much of the bible, tells the story of gods involvement with his people.
Instead, the hebrew name ahasuerus accords with an inscription of the time that notes that artaxerxes ii was named also. Similar to the song of solomon, gods name is not mentioned in the book of esther. For the religion of the jews, god appears as a character in the national book, the hebrew bible. I wonder if gods name is not included in the book to help us understand how the jews likely felt during this account. In order to present my case to you i will look at the character and key actions from lives of king ahasuerus, haman, mordecia and esther. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide. Indeed, there is no direct reference to god at all. Because gods name is not mentioned in this book some have regarded it as useless to the canon. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. While gods name is not mentioned in the book, his presence is obvious as he worked providentially through esther to save his people. In fact, gods name is not mentioned once, though his influence permeates the narrative.
Gods rescue of his people unfolds in a book in which god is never mentioned. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of gods name did not mean that god was absent from the book. One, the first letters of four sequential words in e. The book of esther was written to a jewish audience long after the events it portrays, and sought to portray the jews in a positive light. And although the book doesnt mention god by name, it mentions that esther prayed and fasted for three days before asking the king to save the jewish people and she also asked the jews to also do the same esther 4. So whether god is ever mentioned or not, this book contains a pivotal story in the march toward the coming of jesus. But is it really a problem or are there lessons to learn in this book that clearly point to the intervention of the creator, even though his name is not mentioned. However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. Gods name is not mentioned one time in the book of esther, however the biggest theme of the book is the belief in gods control over everything that happens to his people both in the history of the peopleasawhole the nation and in the lives of individual believers. Because of gods promise, he is obligated to overrule all efforts to destroy the jewish nation, and he will do so, though often with a hidden face. I think the primary reason esther is there is to show the hand of god in preserving the line of his messiah. In our family we actually dont think too highly of esthers character.
Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. 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. The book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention god by name. The book of esther is the only book in the bible where the name of god is not mentioned, but while the name of god is not mentioned his. So, is the book of esther the only book in the bible which does not contain the name of god. The hidden name of god in esther the background the book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. Curiously, god is not mentioned in this volume of scripture and there is no indication that god was involved in any way in helping esther and mordecai save the jews of persia from the evil machinations of haman, who planned to kill them. Its full text is read aloud twice during the celebration, in the evening and again the following morning. Gods name is never mentioned explicitl y in the book of esther but is hint ed at throughout. However, both books should be read in context with gods covenant with israel. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. God, in fact, is not mentioned, esther is portrayed as assimilated to persian culture, and jewish identity in the. Which books of the bible is gods name not mentioned in. Why is the name of god not mentioned in megillat esther.
It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god. It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third section ketuvim, writings of the jewish tanakh the hebrew bible and in the christian old testament. The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark. But mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. 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.
I also intend to provide my explanation of how even though gods name is not mentioned in the book, his work is clearly evident in the life of each character represented in the book of esther. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it. Jesus, the godman, is the main character in all four books. Others have not been quite so hostile, but many scholars have regarded the book as worthless. Megillas esther, notes that rabbi elazar ashkenazi circa 1500 found encrypted references to the hebrew word for the divine name in two places in esther. It doesnt matter because you can see gods divine fingerprints over everything that happens. 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. It is about the life of a orphan girl who is a jew. It is possible that this historical account written by mordeci could have been stored in official persian records. Unlike the rest of the bible, however, this book shows gods work indirectly. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god. Why is god not mentioned in the book of esther answers. There are some who see a big problem with this since it is in the bible.
The main people in the book also are symbols for god, gods messiah, israel and the adversary, aka hasatan. We celebrate the festival of purim pronounced poorim to commemorate gods saving power as recorded in the book of esther you have heard the story of esther before. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. It is only in the jewish edition of the hebrew scriptures from centuries after chris. The greek septuagint remedied this situation by adding six passages which include the name of god. Well, the answer is that it depends on whether one reads esther in the original hebrew, or another language. Esther was a historical book, and not a religious book, as god is not mentioned even once. Martin luther was so hostile to the book of esther that he wished it did not exist at all.
A young jewish girl becomes queen of persia and happens to be in a position to counter a. The book of esther is the only one not found in the dead sea scrolls. 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. Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account. As the great bible scholar matthew henry says of this book, but, though the name of god be not in it, the finger of god is, directing many minute events for the bringing about of his peoples deliverance. We know that prayer and fasting is certainly a religious act associated with gods worship. Jesus, the god man, is the main character in all four books. Nonetheless, on every page his hand is seen and his providence manifested. A longer consideration of this book could address esthers irony and parallels which point to gods sovereignty and shadows of what is to come. Mordecai sent a message to queen esther which said, do not think. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it. The prayers of esther and mordecai are especially noteworthy. 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.
All through the book of esther, we see god working behind the scenes to save the jewish nation. Morde chai is teaching esther the most important lesson of leadership. The name of jehovah in the book of esther kindle edition. In short, esther risks her life to prevent an act of genocide against her people. 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 the books of the ketuvim writings of the tanakh the hebrew bible and of the historical books of the old testament. For this reason, some have questioned its inspiration and even its place within the cannon of scripture. For example, the book of esther accurately describes the way persians honored a man. Presence of hashems name in esther avigdor bonchek, in whats bothering rashi. 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. Gods name, yhwh, meaning he god is in a state of continuous and eternal being, is not mentioned in the esther scroll.
Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. Why is gods name not mentioned in the book of esther. The image of god that appears in the national, canonical book. She was willing to disobey gods law by sleeping with the king. We mentioned in the introduction and promised to say more on the matter the common misconception that the book of esther does not contain either the name or any title of god, and we have been led to that belief by an untold number of western bible commentators, critics and scholars. Many have noticed that god is not once mentioned in the book of esther. This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. The jews, the hebrews, for understandable reasons, did not write down the full name of god. Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther.
Finally, the book of esther may not mention god because the emphasis is on gods providence. The book of esther does not specifically name its author. When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. 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.
When god seems far away book of esther unlocking the bible. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop. The book of esther and gods providence jack wellman. Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther. The book of esther is one of the twentyfour books of the hebrew bible. 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. Gods providence in the book of esther 1616 words bartleby. The book of esther or the megillah is the basis for the jewish celebration of purim. Two, the last letters of four sequential words in e. Niv the story of haman and the story of mordecai are linked to the story of esther. There are two books that dont directly mention gods name in them. Gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 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.
So, even though gods name is not directly mentioned, esther is involved in a religious observance meant to supplicate gods mercy. 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. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the time that mordecai saved the kings life esther 6. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. Without esther s intervention the jews would have been destroyed and the line of the messiah crushed. It really doesnt matter why gods name was never mentioned in the book of esther but the fact is, the book of esther is canonized and is part of the inspired word of god, so the book of. 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. Actually, in the book of esther, god is explicitly mentioned in the catholic bible, and in the greek septuagint which was the bible that our blessed lord used. The bible is a story of gods relationship with mankind, and most books put god front and center.