Esther. The Outer Narrative and the Hidden Reading

Front Cover......Page 1
Front Matter......Page 2
Series Page......Page 3
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 8
On the Hidden Reading of 
Biblical Narratives......Page 10
The Artistic Structure of the Book of Esther......Page 21
Historical Setting......Page 25
Where Should the Narrative Begin?......Page 34
Who Is the Protagonist of Esther?......Page 36
The Kingdom of Ahasuerus (1:1)......Page 47
Ahasuerus’s Feasts: 
Generous King or Arrogant King? (1:2–8)......Page 48
“In Addition, Queen Vashti Gave a 
Banquet for Women” (1:9–12)......Page 54
The King’s Judgment: 
Responsible or Ridiculous Rule? (1:13–22)......Page 57
The Treatment of Women (2:1–20)......Page 66
Presentation of Mordecai and Esther......Page 76
“When the Virgins Were Assembled 
a Second Time” (2:19–20)......Page 84
The Attempted Rebellion 
against the King (Esther 2:21–23)......Page 86
Chapter 5: “Some Time Afterward”: The Promotion of Haman (Esther 3:1–6......Page 90
Haman, Son of Hamedatha, 
the Agagite (3:1)......Page 91
“And Placed His Seat above All the Officers 
Who Were with Him” (3:1)......Page 92
“Mordecai Would Not Kneel 
or Bow Low” (3:2)......Page 94
Mordecai as Vashti 
(and Haman as Ahasuerus)......Page 100
Chapter 6: The Casting of the Lot......Page 102
Chapter 7: Did the King Know of Haman\'s Decree? (Esther 3:8–11......Page 107
Mordecai Tells Esther (4:7–8)......Page 110
Esther Tells Ahasuerus (7:3–4)......Page 111
The King, Haman, and the 
“City of Shushan” (3:15)......Page 118
Without Clothes (4:1)......Page 120
Hathach’s Disappearance (4:1–15)......Page 124
Chapter 9: Esther’s Plan (Esther 5:1–8)......Page 133
Chapter 10: The Gallows (Esther 5:9–14)......Page 141
In the Morning......Page 150
In the Street......Page 153
Haman’s Return Home (6:12)......Page 158
Haman at Home with His Advisers (6:13)......Page 161
Chapter 13: Esther’s Second Party (Esther 6:14–7:10)......Page 165
“Haman’s Face Was Covered” (7:8)......Page 173
“Also Harbonah Is Remembered for Good”......Page 175
Mordecai’s True Reward......Page 179
Haman’s Estate......Page 181
Esther’s Plea to the King......Page 182
Chapter 15: Mordecai’s Letters (Esther 8:9–16)......Page 188
Chapter 16: “Not One Good Thing Was Lacking”......Page 194
Indiscriminate Slaughter?......Page 197
Martin Luther Adopts an 
Extreme Manner of Speaking......Page 198
Chapter 17: Stages of the Festival’s Acceptance (Esther 9:15–32)......Page 203
Chapter 18: The Greatness of the King and the Greatness of Mordecai (Esther 10)......Page 217
The Joseph Narratives and the Book of Esther......Page 219
“All His Mighty and Powerful Acts 
Are Recorded” (10:2)......Page 222
“Dynamic Analogies” in the Book of Esther......Page 227
Changeover and Reversal......Page 241
From “Literary Carnivalesque” Genre to 
“Theological Carnivalesque” Genre......Page 242
Attitude toward Women......Page 249
Attitude toward Honor......Page 250
Attitude toward Exile......Page 251
Attitude toward God......Page 252
The Uniqueness of the Book of Esther......Page 253
Index of Authors......Page 256
Index of Scripture......Page 260