Women of the Bible: Esther

Esther is one of two women who have Bible books named after them. I won't post any scripture about Esther, since, to do so, would require posting almost the entire book. Esther is mentioned at least once in all nine chapters. As many people have pointed out, God is not mentioned even once. However, God's providence is graphically and dramatically illustrated throughout the book.

As part of the story, Esther was made queen. Although the king apparently had concubines (other, subordinate, women -- perhaps a sort of sex slave), and doesn't seem to have consulted with women about important matters very much, Esther must have been important, at least more so than most or all other women of the kingdom.

Perhaps the most quoted part of the book of Esther is this:

¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

¹² They told Esther’s words to Mordecai. ¹³ Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Note that this exchange between Esther and Mordecai, who had been her guardian, was not direct. A eunuch, Hathach, passed the messages between them. (Mordecai and other men were not allowed in the women's quarters.)

Esther ascended to the throne because of a beauty/personality contest. Abishag also won such a contest. (see here.)

I have known women named Esther.

Thanks for reading!

"One Night With the King" -- yes, there is a Hathach

In a previous post, I questioned any telling of the story of Esther without mentioning the role of Hathach, who speaks what many people think of as the most important lines in the Book of Esther. At the time, I was relying on the IMDB listing of the cast (See previous post for link) and Hathach was not listed as one of the characters. I was disappointed.

Well, now I have seen the movie. I hope it isn't giving away too much of the plot to any of the infinitesimally small fraction of the inhabitants of this planet who use the Internet, read this blog, and will have a chance to see "One Night With the King." and plan to see it, to say that there is a Hathach in the movie, after all, and that he does speak those lines to Esther. Like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Esther herself, Hathach is presented as having both a Jewish and an Mesopotamian name. Perhaps the original Hathach was Jewish by birth. Perhaps not.

I thank Claw of the Conciliator (See Some of the feeds I subscribe to, on the right, for a link) for pointing me to a review of the movie by Ben Witherington. Having seen the movie, I mostly agree with him. I thought that Tiffany Dupont had tremendous appeal as Esther.

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Addendum, November 8th: When I originally posted this, I hadn't included a link to the movie's web site. (Duh . . .) I have now done so. On visiting the site, I was surprised to see that the only actors mentioned on its front page are Dupont, Omar Sharif, and Peter O'Toole. Dupont had the main role. O'Toole had a very brief part, what I think is called a cameo appearance. Sharif did well in a supporting role. John Rhys-Davies, as Mordecai (aka Gimli in the Tolkien movies), had almost as much screen time as Dupont, and did his job well. I'm surprised that he wasn't mentioned on the front page.

I should have also said that the film was free of objectionable language and gratuitous (or any other kind of) sex and of gratuitous violence. There was a little violence, but it wasn't lovingly caressed (or hugged and fondled) as it sometimes is in the movies.

I should have also said "Thanks for reading!"

Movie about Esther -- no Hathach?

I haven't seen "One Night With the King," which is currently showing in some theaters, and is about the story of Esther. We may see it. The Christianity Today review indicates that the movie probably puts too much peripheral material into the story, rather than concentrating on what actually happened. (The reviewer does recognize that lots of interesting things that really must have happened aren't in the Bible.) The review indicates that the production company is Christian, and gives them good marks for production values/artistic merit.

One thing I was interested in is whether Hathach, the eunuch, is part of the movie's story. Apparently, based on the IMDB cast list, he isn't. That's interesting, because, although most Christians (and probably Jews) don't seem to realize it, he played a critical part in the story, according to the Bible.

Thanks for reading.

Hathach: Lessons from a Eunuch

"for such a time as this" was not spoken by Mordecai to Esther. Not really.

Here's the entire verse:
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this? Esther 4:14, KJV

Most people familiar with the Bible would know that the "thou" in this verse is Esther. I doubt seriously that many would answer correctly if asked "who said it to her?" They would probably answer "Mordecai." Mordecai was her guardian. Mordecai sent this message, but it was actually delivered by Hathach, a eunuch in Esther's service. Esther was in the harem in the palace, and Mordecai wouldn't have been allowed there. Esther, even though queen, was probably confined to the palace most of the time.

Communication
Hathach communicated someone else’s message, and he did it effectively. He didn't:
listen to something, or someone, else
put off telling her
leave out anything important
add to the message: make it his message, not Mordecai’s
say, “this is over and above my job”
think, “I have something more important to do”

He must have previously showed Esther that he was trustworthy.

Mordecai had a message, but he had to rely on someone else to deliver it. So does God. I need to be sure that I am an effective communicator, because God's message is important. Lives depend on it.

Commitment
Easton's Bible Dictionary, available through the Blueletter Bible, says that eunuch meant ". . . literally bed-keeper or chamberlain, and not necessarily in all cases one who was mutilated, although the practice of employing such mutilated persons in Oriental courts was common. Moses excluded them from the congregation (Deu 23:1)."

A eunuch was someone who had given up sex, or, rather, been deprived of his sexual powers.

Jesus pointed out that there were different categories of eunuchs:
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from [their] mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it]. (Matthew 19:12)

Giving up sex is a serious matter. Our society isn't in tune with that idea. The U. S. is now subsidizing drugs to cure erectile dysfunction through Medicare. (There are, of course, other things that we should give up, at times, not just sex. But I could hardly leave that idea out when writing about a eunuch!)

Jesus never asks us to give up something that is, really, good for us. Giving up something for Christ does not go unrewarded.

Isaiah had this to say:
For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56:4-5)

Mark wrote:
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)

We may have to make serious commitments, in order to communicate the message effectively. If so, we will be rewarded.

There is a message that needs to be communicated effectively, passionately. It needs trusted, committed, messengers. I hope that I am one.

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The above was posted at 4:27 AM, EDT, Feb 11, more or less. My eldest daughter pointed out that I had not spelled Hathach's name consistently, so I am changing the title to correct this. Thanks to her. Thanks for reading.