Why is esther in the canon

Question God is not mentioned in Esther, so why do Christians regard it as Scripture? Answer R. Sproul states: The question of whether the Book of Esther belongs in the canon of Scripture has been raised from an early period by both Jews and Christians, though the books commendation of the popular festival of Purim argued strongly in favor of its inclusion in the Jewish canon. Objections voiced by some Christians to Esthers canonicity included its absence from some of the earliest lists of canonical books, its lack of citation in the New Testament, its lack of overt references to God and to religious practices, its excessive Jewish nationalism, and its spirit of vengeance.

Some of these objections were alleviated when the early church adopted an expanded version of the Book of Esther found in the Septuagint the Greek translation of the Old Testament. This Septuagint text contains over one hundred verses, not found in the Hebrew text, that made the book more religiously acceptable to some. These additions include a dream of Mordecai about the coming destruction of the Jews and prayers of Mordecai and Esther for deliverance. What lessons that are consistent with Christian faith can we find here?

But when the power of faith gets mixed up with the power of the state, it is rare that the latter does not corrupt the former. It has happened in every major religion right into our own time. A second Truth for us here is that even the best of us can be overwhelmed by a thirst for vengeance under the right circumstances.

Esther risks her life to save her people and shows her wisdom in advising the king on how to get out of the mess that Haman caused. But no one in her situation would be unaffected by the threat of genocide that was almost carried out upon her people.

Like with many who are traumatized, the fear—even if averted—can easily turn to anger and anger to vengeance. Jesus addressed this in a number of ways, most centrally on the Cross when he willingly took the violence upon himself and asked God to forgive those who were responsible. But perpetuating the cycle only makes the earth more like hell than heaven. Jesus showed us another way, and told us to take up our own cross and do the same.

Who knows? However, an argument based on this reference alone is inconclusive because it assumes, rather than proves, than the book precedes the institution of the festival.

As Talmon notes, many scholars consider Purim to be a variation of a heathen festival that pre-dates the time of Esther. Regardless, it is still a useful data point that most likely shows that the book was being used at that time. Besides this, the inclusion of the book of Esther in the Septuagint is clear evidence that the book was widely used by Jews in the time before Christ. However, its inclusion in the Septuagint does not prove whether or not the Jews considered it to be Scripture, since the Septuagint includes both canonical and non-canonical books.

Esther is not listed in the book of Sirach circa B. However, its absence from these places does not conclusively prove that early Jews did not consider it canonical. One of the most important early witnesses to the Hebrew canon is the 1 st century Jewish historian Josephus.

In his work, Against Apion, Josephus refers to a collection of 22 books that he considers authoritative. First, Josephus claims that the 22 books were written from the time of Moses until the time of Artaxerxes, and that while there were historical books written after that point, they are not considered authoritative in the same way.

Likewise, the final book Hebrew canon, which is identical in content to the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles, included the book of Esther. While it is debatable exactly when this canon was officially recognized, the first unambiguous reference to the 24 books is in the apocryphal book 2 Esdras.

Therefore, after evaluating the available evidence, it seems best to conclude that the commonly agreed-upon canon of Scripture among the Jews in the first century A. This is significant for Christians because the New Testament, while never referencing Esther directly, frequently affirms the Hebrew Scriptures as divinely inspired. From the perspective of a Christian, there is another witness to the Biblical Canon that cannot be overlooked.

This is the witness of the Holy Spirit — that is, God Himself in the third person of the Trinity dwelling in the hearts of his people. This was a hallmark of medieval interpretive standards, but there is simply not enough evidence to warrant this overarching interpretation.

I think the book of Esther is talking about the savior who saves the people. It has projected the picture of Jesus Christ who came to earth to free people from sin. A fascinating dissection of the Book of Esther, one of my favorite stories truth be told! Thanks for your hard work, definitely rating this up. Marine Biology. Electrical Engineering. Computer Science. Medical Science. Writing Tutorials.

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