Adapted by Jake King from
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Summary of Esther
SUMMARY OF ESTHER
Ch. 1:The Persian king
decided to replace his queen.[In some
translations (NASB, ESV, etc.), this king is called by his Hebrew name,
“Ahasuerus.”In other translations (NIV,
NLT, etc.), he is called by his Greek name, “Xerxes.”]
Ch. 2:The woman chosen
was Esther, an orphan Jew who had been brought up by her cousin Mordecai.Mordecai worked around the palace where, on
one occasion, he saved Xerxes’ life by reporting an assassination plot.
Ch. 3:Some time later a
proud and ambitious man named Haman became chief minister in the Persian
government.Haman hated the Jews, and
when Mordecai refused to bow to him, he determined to destroy all Jews through
the Empire.
Ch. 4:Mordecai
persuaded Esther to appeal to Xerxes to have mercy on her people.
Ch. 5:Haman prepared a
gallows (about 75 feet high!) on which to hang Mordecai.
Ch. 6:Because Mordecai
had saved Xerxes’ life by reporting the assassination plot (see ch. 2), Xerxes
makes Haman honor Mordecai.
Ch. 7:Esther then
revealed to Xerxes that she was Jewish.When Xerxes discovered that Haman wanted to wipe out a people that
included his queen, and in particular that he wanted to kill the man who had
saved the king’s life, he executed Haman.In fact, Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for
Mordecai.
Ch. 8:Mordecai then
became chief minister instead of Haman.
Ch. 9:The day that had
been chosen for the slaughter of the Jews now became the day when the Jews took
revenge on their enemies.The Jews’
celebration of their victory was the origin of an annual Jewish festival known
as the Feast of Purim.
Ch. 10:Through Mordecai
the Jews enjoyed increased freedom and prosperity.
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