Esther
Purpose
Tells how God preserved his exiled people through Esther and Mordecai when a decree threatened their destruction.
Author
Traditionally Mordecai; unknown
Time Period
Written c. 470 BC or later; events c. 483-473 BC in Persia
Key Themes
- Providence
- Courage
- Deliverance
- God unseen but present
- Purim
Outline
Esther becomes queen (ch. 1-2); Haman's plot and Mordecai's stand (ch. 3-4); Esther's intervention and deliverance (ch. 5-9); Mordecai's advance and Purim (ch. 9-10).