CHARACTERISTICS OF ESTHER IN THE BIBLE
Esther is one of the greatest women that ever lived. An absolute superstar and gem of a person! But exactly what kind of woman was Esther in the bible that earned her such high respect?
The bible is filled with the stories of many powerful men and women of God…heroes and heroines who lived lives that we could emulate. However, even amongst all the significant historical figures that paved the way for Christianity, Esther stands out.
The circumstances surrounding Esther’s emergence as a prominent individual in the Bible, her faithfulness to God and God’s people, coupled with how she handled situations, solidified her status.
Let’s undertake a little Esther bible study and learn a bit about one of the most remarkable women ever.
Esther Bible Study – The Background
586 B.C. – King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Jerusalem.
580 B.C. – King Nebuchadnezzar takes the Jews into captivity, in Babylon.
539 B.C. – Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. He declares that the Jews are free to return to Jerusalem, if they wish.
537 B.C. – The first group of Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem, led by Zerubbabel.
486 B.C. – Xerxes the Great (also known as King Xerxes I or King Ahasuerus, in the Hebrew bible) begins his rule as King of Persia.
483 B.C. – The story of Esther in the bible begins.
What Kind of Woman was Esther in the Bible?
Esther’s Humble Beginnings
At the time when Esther resided in Persia, the Persian Empire was the most dominant kingdom in the Middle East, spanning over 127 provinces. Many Jewish exiles chose to set up permanent residence in Persia, instead of returning to Jerusalem, when they were granted freedom during the reign of King Cyrus.
The Jewish exiles that chose to stay would have either established themselves to the point that they were living comfortable lives or chosen to stay out of fear of the journey back to their homeland. The trip from Persia to Jerusalem was known to be quite hazardous.
For whichever of these reasons, Esther’s parents chose to stay and build their life in Persia, instead of traveling back to Jerusalem. Upon their passing, a young Esther was adopted by her older cousin Mordecai, whose parents were also deceased.
Mordecai was born in the city of Susa, which had become one of the capitals of the Kingdom of Persia, after Babylon was conquered. He was a descendent from the Tribe of Benjamin and held a senior position among the Jewish people residing in Persia, during the reign of King Xerxes I.
King Xerxes reigned from his palace in the citadel of Susa. Mordecai kept close relations with palace officials and had frequent interactions with the affairs of the palace. He took in Esther as a young orphan and raised her as his own daughter. She eventually blossomed into a beautiful woman.
Story of Esther in the Bible & Xerxes’ Queen
The Persian people were a very proud people and King Xerxes often came across as a bit egotistical. However, his personality was greatly influenced by Persian culture and traditions.
During a great banquet, dedicated to displaying the wealth of the Persian Kingdom, King Xerxes called for his wife, Queen Vashti. He wanted her to make an appearance in front of his guests, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty. Queen Vashti refused, causing the king to become infuriated.
After consulting with his royal officials and advisors, as customary, it was decided that Vashti’s actions were unacceptable, disrespectful, and had the potential to negatively influence the people. Vashti was banished and barred from ever interacting with the king again.
Xerxes, along with his advisors, agreed that a search should be conducted for suitable replacements for Queen Vashti. Many beautiful young virgins were gathered from across the kingdom and brought to the king’s harem in Susa. This included Esther.
The plan was for the young women to participate in a beauty contest, under the care of the king’s eunuch, with the hopes of finding a new queen.
Esther Becomes Queen
The king was immediately captivated by Esther’s beauty and assigned the best care to her. She was placed in the most prized spot in the harem. Women had to go through a beautification process for an entire year before being officially introduced to the king in his royal residence.
Esther was instructed by Mordecai not to reveal her Jewish identity and she agreed. He checked up on her whereabouts on a daily basis.
When it was a woman’s turn to leave the harem for the first time and enter the king’s palace, she had the option to take whatever she wanted with her. However, when it was Esther’s turn, she did not request anything special [1]. Esther was taken into the residence of the Persian king after 10 months of beauty treatments.
The king was immediately attracted to Esther when she entered his palace [2]. He approved of her over all the other virgins. Esther was appointed as Queen of Persia, as replacement for Vashti. Xerxes held a huge celebration across the kingdom to commemorate the occasion.
The Display of Heroic Characteristics of Esther in the Bible
Esther & Mordecai Save the King
Esther grew up with utmost respect and obedience for her adopted father, Mordecai [3]. As per Mordecai’s instructions, she never revealed her Jewish background, even after she moved into the king’s palace [4].
One day while Mordecai was at the king’s gate, he overheard a conspiracy by two of the king’s guards who were plotting to assassinate King Xerxes. Mordecai reported the plot to Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king [5], citing Mordecai [6]. The king was able to take action, execute the conspirers and preserve his own life.
According to Persian law, a man or woman could only approach the king, in the inner court, after being summoned. If one was not summoned, it was up to the discretion of the king to spare their life or not. Approaching the king, without being called was at their own risk.
Esther Rescues the Jewish People
On a subsequent date, King Xerxes appointed Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agatite, as his chief official. According to the king’s order, Haman would be honored by persons kneeling before him. This was fairly common according to Persian practices. However, Jewish people believed that only God could be honored in such a manner.
As a result, Mordecai, who was known to be a Jew, refused to bow and worship Haman. Haman was the descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites, who were ancient rivals of Israel. Infuriated by Mordecai and compounded by his hatred for the Jews, Haman plotted to destroy the Jews in Persia.
Haman convinced King Xerxes that a royal decree be set out in the kingdom, instructing the destruction of all Jews, including men, women and children. This was printed and distributed across all of Persia. When Mordecai learned of this, he went into mourning, put on sackcloth and desperately called on Esther to help her people.
Esther sent clothing to Mordecai to change outside the palace gates [7], in order to enter the palace with appropriate attire. Sackcloth was not permitted. Mordecai refused to change but was able to convey his messages to Esther via a helper [8].
Esther was terrified to approach the king without being summoned, out of fear for her own life. After discussing the issue with Mordecai, she accepted that it was the will of God to her have her in that position, where she could influence the king on behalf of her people and rescue the Jews [9].
Esther instructed her staff and the Jewish people to fast for three days, along with her, in order for her to gain favor from God and approach the king [10]. She was willing to risk her life to approach King Xerxes [11]. She actually said that if her actions resulted in her death, so be it.
Esther fasted, and strategized her approach. She put on her royal robes and politely went towards the king at his royal throne. She was able to stir up his adoration for her, and gained his favor and invitation to speak [12]. Esther then invited the king to a series of banquets, which she hosted. She continued to woo King Xerxes, building his eagerness for her to chat with him.
After setting the right mood and having the king in the perfect emotional state, Esther shared her concerns with the king [13]. Esther revealed her identity as a Jew and uncovered Haman’s evil intentions against the Jewish community, which she was actually a part of.
King Xerxes was furious after he learnt how he was manipulated by Haman and had him executed. He then declared that the Jews were to be respected, remain free and had the power to protect themselves. Mordecai was then promoted to become a high ranking official in the Kingdom of Persia.
Esther risked her life and saved her people!
Esther’s Characteristics: What Kind of Woman was Esther in the Bible?
In the introduction to Esther’s story we can learn a bit about her background and personal situation.
Esther was:
1. A Jew residing in Persia.
2. Orphaned and adopted by her cousin.
3. A physically attractive young woman.
As we dive deeper into the actual story of Esther in the bible, we can explore her personality and the characteristics that made her admirable.
The instances where these characteristics became showcased were highlighted and numbered during the summary of her heroics (above), for easy reference. Esther was:
[1] Unselfish and Contented.
Esther could have taken whatever perfumes, dresses or jewelry that she wanted to adorn herself with. However, she was modest enough to take along the bare minimum as recommended by Hegai, the king’s eunuch.
[2] Likeable.
The king immediately fell for her and everyone liked her, wherever she went. Therefore, she possessed beauty, charm and an affable personality.
[3] Humble and Obedient.
Esther was humble enough to accept instructions. She was obedient to Mordecai, who was senior to her, and took advice from the experienced palace personnel.
[4] Respectful of her roots.
Even though she moved on from Mordecai’s house and progressed to a high position, in the palace, she still took advice from her adopted father.
[5] Brave and Bold.
Esther was courageous enough to approach the king to make a report and share concerns which were brought about by Mordecai. Since persons could not simply approach the king however they liked, there was a great deal of risk to this.
Esther could have easily lost her life if the king was displeased with her approach. She was willing to take the risk since her intent was positive.
[6] Gave Credit when Due
Esther was a believer in paying respect, rightfully. She was not praise or glory seeking and ensured that Mordecai received the credit for reporting the assassination plot. This worked well for Mordecai as this deed was recorded in the king’s chronicles. He later received high praises for this action.
[7] Compassionate.
When Esther heard that Mordecai was distraught and outside the palace, wearing sack cloth, she quickly sent clothing for him and attempted to comfort him. She was concerned with his concerns. Esther never neglected him, even though she could have easily done so, since she was already queen.
[8] Respectful of the law and rules.
Esther knew of the cultural practices of the Persians and the laws regarding interacting with those in authority. She was mindful of the fact that she was in a foreign land and acted appropriately.
[9] Faithful to God.
Esther trusted that it was God’s plan to have her in the position of Queen. She believed that God put her there for a reason, which was to save the Jewish people from destruction.
[10] A servant to God and believed in God’s process.
Esther fasted from food for 3 days and nights while devising the plan to rescue her people. She asked that her helpers do the same, along with the Jews in Persia. This showed humility towards God and dedication towards God’s will.
Fasting is a sign of devotion and service to God. It is an act that shows our commitment to Him. It is a process that must be done to welcome God’s help and influence whenever we are undertaking a big decision or celebrating a major milestone.
Esther fasted so that God’s plan would have been aligned with hers.
[11] Selfless.
Despite the risk of angering the king and losing her own life, Esther was willing to take it, since it meant rescuing the people. She put her own safety in jeopardy for the sake of saving others.
[12] Intelligent and situationally aware.
Even though Esther had a tough mission, she respected boundaries during her approach. It took emotional maturity and sensibility to toe the lines of respect, while still getting her message to the king.
[13] Strategic and possessed exemplary planning skills.
Esther did not just frantically approach the king and pour out all her concerns to him. She baited him in slowly to ensure that she had his attention and favor. She also respected the rules of “time and place”, setting an appropriate mood and occasion before revealing her worries to King Xerxes.
Additional Characteristics of Esther in the Bible
In addition to the characteristics which were directly referenced to her sections of her story, we can see the following qualities being showcased as Esther went about her business:
14. Esther was not hasty. She practiced self-control, restraint, strategy and wisdom when executing her plans.
15. She was a godly woman. She was committed to God and her people, even at the expense of her own life.
16. She stood up for justice and what was right.
17. Esther was knowledgeable of the law.
18. She was mindful of cultural differences, traditions and acceptable processes, even though she was brought up under a different set of cultural rules.
19. She was charismatic and persuasive.
20. Esther was focused on using her influence to better the lives of others, not herself.
21. She was a great leader. Esther was able to rally the support of those around her to execute her plans, as a woman with limited authority, in a Persian palace. She was authoritative enough to instruct her staff to fast along with her.
6 Powerful Life Lessons from Esther in the Bible
A combination of personality traits and godly attributes made Esther live her life in an admirable manner. These characteristics influenced how she dealt with times of major crisis. From her story we can adopt several life lessons:
1. Stand up for what is right.
2. Be humble enough to accept advice.
3. Remember where you came from.
4. Trust in God and serve Him.
5. Be wise in your approach to every situation. Understand the concept of the right time and the right place!
6. Know that God has placed you where you are for a reason.
Frequently Asked Questions for the Story of Esther in the Bible
FAQ: What is the main message of the Book of Esther?
The main message of the Book of Esther is that God places His people in a position or situation for a reason. As Romans 8:28 says: “all things work together for good to them that love God”. Esther’s story is a perfect example.
Be sure to use your influence for good and practice wisdom and faith while doing so. We need to let God take the lead and allow Him to work through us!
FAQ: What does the Book of Esther teach us?
God is in control and has a plan for everything and everyone. Trust in Him, put Him in control of your life and allow His perfect plan to unfold.
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Final Thoughts on Esther’s Characteristics
There are so many characteristics of Esther that we can emulate in our daily lives. She was a heroine, not because she held a fancy title of queen, but because she used her influence and wisdom to benefit others.
Esther was God fearing, selfless and willing to step out of her comfort zone to preserve the lives of others. Even if it meant risking her own life! What an amazing person!
Are there any other heroic traits that you think Esther possessed? Do you have any comments on what Esther did and what we can learn from her? Share with us in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
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What Kind of Woman was Esther in the Bible: 21 Characteristics of Esther
