1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther by 
Esther and Daniel by
The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible advances the assumption that the Nicene creedal tradition, in all its diversity, provides the proper basis for the interpretation of the Bible as Christian scripture. The series volumes, written by leading theologians, encourage Christians to extend the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition to our day. In this addition to the acclaimed series, two respected scholars offer a theological exegesis of Esther and Daniel. As with other volumes in the series, this book is ideal for those called to ministry, serving as a rich resource for preachers, teachers, students, and study groups.
Exalting Jesus in Esther by
Exalting Jesus in Esther is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition presented as sermons and divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy reading, practical and friendly commentary. The author of Exalting Jesus in Esther is Landon Dowden.
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther by
The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text.
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther by
Subject: "This book is a commentary on the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther"--Provided by publisher.
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther by
The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers get at the meaning of Scripture, passage by passage, through the entire Bible. Each Bible book is prefaced by a substantial book introduction that gives general historical background important for understanding. This is volume 5b in the series.
The Message of Esther by
By any assessment, Esther is a rather strange book to find in the Bible. Not only is it, along with Daniel, the only book of the Bible to be set entirely outside of the Promised Land, it also shows no interest in that land. More than that, Esther is the only book in the Bible which definitely does not mention God. None of this should be taken as meaning that the book has no theological intention--on the contrary it has a developed theology, but it is a theology which operates precisely because it does not mention God directly. In this volume in the Bible Speaks Today commentary series, David Firth explores this paradoxically important book and its implications for our own contemporary context, where the reality of God's presence is experienced against a backdrop of God's relative anonymity and seeming absence.
The Books of Esther by
The Books of Esther applies form-critical tools to the Septuagint and non-Septuagint ('Lucianic') Greek texts of Esther. Differences in vocabulary, content and style show that the Greek books of Esther are independent traditions stemming from, and aimed at, two distinct religious communities. The'Lucianic'version appears more personal, orthodox, nationalistic and Jewish; its audience is Palestinian and it intends to foster communal identity. The Septuagint version breathes a more matter-of-fact, reportorial, Hellenistic style, with an eye to tolerance of heretics and audience entertainment. The Masoretic version became canonized because it is the most multivalent of the Esthers, appealing to both religious and secular elements of Judaism.
Empire and Gender in LXX Esther by
A new perspective on essential aspects of Esther's plot and characters for students and scholars Empire and Gender in LXX Esther foregrounds and highlights empire as the central lens in this provocative new reading of Esther. This book provides a unique synchronic reading of LXX Esther with the Additions, allowing the presence and negotiation of imperial power to be further illuminated throughout the story's plot. Stone explores and demonstrates how performances of gender are inextricably intertwined with the exertion and negotiation of imperial power portrayed in LXX Esther and offers examples of connections to the range of imperial power experienced by Jewish people during the late Second Temple period. Features: An exploration of the tenets and methodology of imperial-critical approaches Focused attention to the final form of LXX Esther Construction of early audiences for LXX Esther in first-century BCE Ptolemaic Alexandria and Hasmonean Judea
Esther's Revenge at Susa by
Why are the names of the chief characters in the biblical Book of Esther those of Mesopotamian deities? Stephanie Dalley argues that the narrative reflects real happenings in seventh-century Assyria, where the widespread belief that revenge belongs to the gods explains why Assyrian kings described punitive campaigns as divine acts, leading to the mythologizing of certain historical events. Ashurbanipal's sack of Susa, led by the deities Ishtar and Marduk, underliesthe Hebrew story of Esther, and that story contains traces of the cultic calendar of Ishtar-of-Nineveh. Dalley traces the way in which the long-term settlement of `lost tribes' in Assyria, revealed by the fruits of excavation in Iraq and Syria, inspired a blend of pagan and Jewish traditions.
Esther: The Outer Narrative and the Hidden Reading by
Using narrative devices such as allusions and free associations, multivalent expressions, and irony, the author of Esther wrote a story that is about a Jewish woman, Esther, during the time of the Persian exile of Yehudites, and the Persian king, Ahasuerus, who was in power at the time. At various junctures, the author also used secret writing, or we could say that he conveys mixed messages: one is a surface message, but another, often conflicting message lies beneath the surface. For instance, the outer portrayal of the king as one of the main protagonists is an ironic strategy used by the author to highlight the king's impotent, indecisive, “antihero” status. He may wield authority—as symbolized by his twice-delegated signet ring—but he remains powerless. Among all the concealments in the story, the concealment of God stands out as the most prominent and influential example. A growing number of scholars regard the book of Esther as a “comic diversion,” the function and intention of which are to entertain the reader. However, Grossman is more convinced by Mikhail Bakhtin's approach, and he labels his application of this approach to the reading of Esther as “theological carnivalesque.” Bakhtin viewed the carnival (or the carnivalesque genre) as a challenge by the masses to the governing establishment and to accepted social conventions. He described the carnival as an eruption of ever-present but suppressed popular sentiments. The connection between the story of Esther and Bakhtin's characterization of the carnivalesque in narrative is evident especially in the book of Esther's use of the motifs of “reversal” and “transformation.” For example, the young girl Esther is transformed from an exiled Jewess into a queen in one of the turnabouts that characterize the narrative. Many more examples are provided in this analysis of one of the Bible's most fascinating books.
Esther and the Politics of Negotiation by
Was Esther uniquean anomaly in patriarchal society? Conventionally, scholars see ancient Israelite and Jewish women as excluded from the public world, their power concentrated instead in the domestic realm and exercised through familial structures. Rebecca S. Hancock demonstrates, in contrast, that because of the patrimonial character of ancient Jewish society, the state was often organized along familial lines. The presence of women in roles of queen consort or queen is therefore a key political, and not simply domestic, feature.
God Behind the Scenes by
Although the book of Esther contains no direct references to God, his fingerprints can be found all over it. In God Behind the Scenes, Wayne K. Barkhuizen helps us trace the unseen hand of God throughout the Esther narrative, while pointing out how the book is still relevant today. As we walk through the book, we'll see how God was indeed active in preserving the people through whom the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would one day come.
Jews and Anti-Judaism in the Book of Esther by
The purpose of this book is to demonstrate the relevance of the biblical book of Esther to historic and current anti-Semitism, as well as anti-Judaism in the Church.
Ruth, Esther: When God Seems Absent by
Streams of Mercy: Ruth and Esther -- When God seems absent. The Streams of Mercy Series is dedicated to helping God's people drink deeply from his life giving Word. A fast-paced study of the Old Testament books of Ruth and Esther.
Dynamic Women of the Bible by
Though we often focus more on the male heroes and villains in the Bible, the pages of Scripture are brimming with women who are edgy, strong willed, and controversial. Far from the stereotype of sweet and submissive, many women of the Bible steal the show despite being cast in the supporting roles. What parts did these women have in the vast family of God? What challenges did they face that we face even today? And what can we learn from them if we allow them to be the three-dimensional people they really were? In Dynamic Women of the Bible, the lives of more than fifty biblical women are summoned from their graves to live again by the author who brought you The Biographical Bible. Scripture references, biographical profiles, sidebars (featuring twenty additional women of the Bible), discussion questions, and life applications make this book perfect for small groups, Bible studies, book clubs, and personal reading.
Esther by
This handbook in the Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible series provides students of Hebrew with the translation of Esther paired with an exhaustive word by word morphological analysis of the text. Through careful syntactic and textual investigation, Holmstedt and Screnock bring to life one of the most loved biblical books. Esther enables a linguistic understanding of the Old Testament Hebrew text through solid contextual interpretation.
Esther by
Using narrative devices such as allusions and free associations, multivalent expressions, and irony, the author of Esther wrote a story that is about a Jewish woman, Esther, during the time of the Persian exile of Yehudites, and the Persian king, Ahasuerus, who was in power at the time. At various junctures, the author also used secret writing, or we could say that he conveys mixed messages: one is a surface message, but another, often conflicting message lies beneath the surface. For instance, the outer portrayal of the king as one of the main protagonists is an ironic strategy used by the author to highlight the king’s impotent, indecisive, “antihero” status. He may wield authority—as symbolized by his twice-delegated signet ring—but he remains powerless. Among all the concealments in the story, the concealment of God stands out as the most prominent and influential example. A growing number of scholars regard the book of Esther as a “comic diversion,” the function and intention of which are to entertain the reader. However, Grossman is more convinced by Mikhail Bakhtin’s approach, and he labels his application of this approach to the reading of Esther as “theological carnivalesque.” Bakhtin viewed the carnival (or the carnivalesque genre) as a challenge by the masses to the governing establishment and to accepted social conventions. He described the carnival as an eruption of ever-present but suppressed popular sentiments. The connection between the story of Esther and Bakhtin’s characterization of the carnivalesque in narrative is evident especially in the book of Esther’s use of the motifs of “reversal” and “transformation.” For example, the young girl Esther is transformed from an exiled Jewess into a queen in one of the turnabouts that characterize the narrative. Many more examples are provided in this analysis of one of the Bible’s most fascinating books.
Esther and Her Elusive God by
What if the way the book of Esther has been taught to us in church and retold to us in films, cartoons, and romance novels has missed the original point of the story? Far from being models of piety and devotion, Esther and Mordecai seem indifferent to the faith of their ancestors. How then did this story become part of the Bible and gain the broad acceptance that it has? If the church should not neglect the story, how should it be read? Esther and Her Elusive God calls Christians to avoid the common attempts to make Esther more palatable and theological, and to reclaim this secular story as Scripture. Readers will be encouraged to see in Esther a profound message of God's grace and faithfulness to his wayward people.
Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought by
The book of Esther was a conscious reaction to much of the conventional wisdom of its day, challenging beliefs regarding the Jerusalem Temple, the land of Israel, Jewish law, and even God. Aaron Koller identifies Esther as primarily a political work, and shows that early reactions ranged from ignoring the book to 'rewriting' Esther in order to correct its perceived flaws. But few biblical books have been read in such different ways, and the vast quantity of Esther-interpretation in rabbinic literature indicates a conscious effort by the Rabbis to present Esther as a story of faith and traditionalism, and bring it into the fold of the grand biblical narrative. Koller situates Esther, and its many interpretations, within the intellectual and political contexts of Ancient Judaism, and discusses its controversial themes. His innovative line of enquiry will be of great interest to students and scholars of Bible and Jewish studies.
Focusing Biblical Studies by
This volume makes a positive intervention into maximalist/minimalist debates about Israelite historiography by pointing to the events that happened during the Persian and Hellenistic periods. During this historical epoch, traditions about Israel and Judah's founding became fixed as markers of ethnic identity, and much of the canonical Hebrew Bible came into its present form. Concentrating on these events, a clearer historical picture emerges. The entire volume is set within the context of Douglas A. Knight's contributions, which have encouraged a rigorous social-scientific and tradition-historical approach to the Hebrew Bible and ancient Israel in general.
The Megillah by
Purim is one of the most festive days on the Jewish calendar, but the trappings of joy and merrymaking mask a more serious message. Join Rabbi Norman Lamm as he thoughtfully reveals the underlying themes of Megillat Esther and the Purim holiday. OU Press and RIETS/Yeshiva University Press are proud to offer Rabbi Lamm s unique and eloquent insights into Torah, human nature, God s role in history, the relation of God and humankind, and other timeless themes. This compelling commentary consists of Rabbi Norman Lamm s insights on Megillat Esther and the Purim holiday, as well as on Tefillat Ma ariv, the evening prayer service, gleaned from the vast corpus of his oral and written offerings. Together with several complete derashot on other days of thanksgiving, this new presentation of Rabbi Lamm s thought provides a broad canvas on which Rabbi Lamm portrays, in his inimitable style, God s repeated salvation of His people, a salvation which is sometimes clear and bold, at others times ambiguous and obscure. The holiday of Purim takes on new and deeper meaning with Rabbi Lamm s keen insight and nuanced perspective. From Rabbi Lamm s commentary: A famous Talmudic statement concerning Purim is that one ought to drink more than his usual standard of sobriety. It permits one to drink so that he does not distinguish between accursed Haman and blessed Mordecai (Megillah 7b). This does not mean, assuredly, that one must intoxicate himself to the point where he loses his capacity for analytic distinctions. Rather, it means that one must drink only slightly more than usual so as, on the contrary, he gains greater spiritual insight. This spiritual insight will show that, indeed, there is truly no difference at all between accursed Haman and blessed is Mordecai. . . . It is when the anti-Semite accuses us of fostering the unity of Israel, the differentness of Judaism, and the resistance to idolatry that is part of our national character, that we can rise to our fullest stature as being loyal to our spiritual destiny and vocation. There is, and there should be, no difference between Haman s curse and Mordecai s blessing. Haman s indictment is a true bill, it points to the source of our strength and our blessing.
Pathways by
Summary: "God has a purpose for your life. Every action or event that occurs within it has been used to make that purpose a reality. The story of Esther appears to be a series of coincidences strung together to deliver the Jews from certain death. However, God selected Esther for a particular purpose at a particular time. Discover your own pathway to purpose through learning principles on providence as Tony Evans takes us on a journey of epic proportions."--Back cover. Summary: "The power of providence. My hope for this book is that in reading it, you learn to discover the power of providence in the midst of your personal pain, fear, gain, loss, and even love. What's more, I want you to discover the very personal nature of God aas he maneuvers humanity along multiple pathways, intersecting each of us in His intended aim."--Jacket flap.
Preaching the Women of the Old Testament by
Summary: Women played an important role in the Old Testament. However, their stories are often untold in both the classroom and from the pulpit-- until now. Inside Preaching the Women of the Old Testament author Lynn Japinga explores the stories of over forty fierce, faithful, and strong women featured in the Old Testament, including Eve, Rebekah, Dinah, Tamar, Miriam, Deborah, Jael, Abigail, Bathsheba, and Vashti. Along with providing an interpretation of their stories, Japinga demonstrates how each woman's story has been read in Christian tradition and offers sermon ideas that connect each story to various contemporary issues. This unique resource is ideal for pastors who want to know more about the many women in the Old Testament and how to better incorporate them into their sermons. - back of the book.
