Historical Books of the Old Testament: Esther

The Anchor Bible Commentary is the collaborative effort of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from around the world.

Among the books of the Old Testament, the book of Esther presents significant interpretive problems. The book has been preserved in Greek and Hebrew texts that diverge greatly from each other. As a result, Jews and Protestants usually read a version of the book of Esther that is several chapters shorter than the one in most Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Jon D. Levenson capably guides the reader through both the longer Greek version and the shorter Hebrew one, demonstrating their coherence and their differences. This commentary listens to the voices of modern scholarship as well as rabbinic interpretation, providing a wealth of interpretive results.

Presents an interpretation of Esther, written especially for teachers and preachers, looking at the historical setting, literary structures, and theological themes in the story of the courageous and faithful biblical queen.

This interdisciplinary commentary ranges from early midrashic interpretation to contemporary rewritings introducing interpretations of the only biblical book not to mention God.

Old Testament reading guide, 25.

A Michael Glazier Book from the Berit Olam series

Word biblical commentary, v. 9.

Contents: General Introduction -- A Guide to Using This Commentary -- Abbreviations -- Introduction to 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther -- Commentary on 1 Kings -- Commentary on 2 Kings -- Commentary on 1 Chronicles -- Commentary on 2 Chronicles -- Commentary on Ezra -- Commentary on Nehemiah -- Commentary on Esther

UBS Handbook series by Roger L. Omanson and Philip A. Noss.

Text of original work given in Judeo-Arabic and English translation. Commentary chiefly in English.

Contents: Part 1: The work of the exegete -- Jewish sources for exegesis -- Non-Jewish sources for exegesis -- Literary concerns -- Theological issues -- Part 2: The world of the exegete -- Persia through European eyes: geography, architecture, customs, and institutions -- Jewish-Gentile relations and Jewish attitudes to Gentiles as reflected in the commentaries -- The state of the Jewish people in the diaspora: perceptions of antisemitism -- The Royal court -- The Jews and the monarchy: the role of Ahasuerus in the book of Esther

Contents: I. THE HEBREW ESTEHER : 1. The Story of Esther in its Masoretic Form -- 2. The Literary Art of the Esther scroll -- 3. The Ending of the Ether Scroll -- 4. The Appendices of the Esther Scroll -- 5. The Proto-Masoretic Story of Esther -- II. THE GREEK ESTHER -- 6. The Septuagint Esther -- 7. The A-Text Esther -- III. The ELDER HEBREW ESTHER -- 8. The Pre-Masoretic Story of Esther -- 9. The Question of Sources for the Esther Scroll -- IV. A SEQUENCE OF ESTHER STORIES -- 10. Five Esther Stories and their Meaning

Contents: Dominant motifs : banquets -- Dominant motifs : kingship and obedience/disobedience -- Themes and structure -- The Book of Esther and the story of Joseph -- Date, "theology" and concluding remarks

Contents: Introduction / Sidney White Crawford. -- 'It takes a village' to produce a commentary : a case in point / Carey A. Moore. -- The book of Esther : writing a commentary for a Jewish audience / Adele Berlin. -- Esther and the future of commentary / David J.A. Clines. -- Esther in text- and literary-critical paradise / Kristin De Troyer. -- Three Esthers / Michael V. Fox. -- Esther and Judith : contrasts in character / Sidnie White Crawford. -- Esther's Volkcentrism and the reframing of post-exilic Judaism / Timothy S. Laniak. -- Double take : another look at the second gathering of virgins of Esther 2.19a / Elizabeth Groves. -- kosher adultery? / Barry D. Walfish. -- Images and the book of Esther : from manuscript illustrations to midrash / Ori Z. Soltes. -- The ecumenical Esther : queen and saint in three western belief systems / Judith S. Neulander. -- Reading a text backwards / Scott M. Langston. -- From maidens and chamberlains to harems and hot tubs / Leonard J. Greenspoon

Dramatization of the story of Esther, a Jewish woman loved by King Ahasuerus, who persuades him to show her people mercy, thus averting a planned genocide of the Jews by the King's right-hand man Haman.