Queen Esther's Relationship to King Artaxerxes Explained
Queen Esther was the queen of Ahasuerus, who is widely identified by scholars as Xerxes I, the Persian king who reigned from 486 to 465 BC [4, 8, 7]. The book of Esther records her story, detailing her rise from a Jewish orphan named Hadassah to the queen of the vast Persian Empire, which stretched from India to Ethiopia [4, 2].
Esther's relationship with King Ahasuerus began when she was taken into the royal palace in the seventh year of his reign, in the tenth month, Tebeth [3, 9]. This occurred after King Ahasuerus had deposed his previous queen, Vashti, for refusing to appear before him and his guests during a royal feast [6]. Following Vashti's removal, a search was initiated throughout the 127 provinces of the king's empire to find a new queen [2]. Esther, under the guidance of her cousin Mordecai, was among the many young women brought to the citadel of Susa for this purpose [4].
Esther found favor in the eyes of Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem, and subsequently, she found favor with the king himself [4]. She was chosen from among many virgins to become queen, a position that elevated her to immense power and influence within the Persian court [9]. The text indicates that she was taken to be his wife and was retained in his palace, not merely as a concubine [9].
The relationship between Esther and Ahasuerus was central to the events that unfolded in the book of Esther. Her position as queen allowed her to intercede on behalf of her people, the Jews, when they were threatened with annihilation by Haman, a high-ranking official in Ahasuerus's court [1]. After Haman's plot was exposed, King Ahasuerus awarded Haman's estate to Queen Esther [1, 5, 10]. This act demonstrates the king's trust and favor toward Esther. Furthermore, Mordecai, Esther's cousin, was brought into the king's presence and became a prominent figure in the court after Esther revealed their familial relationship [1, 10].
While the biblical text refers to the king as Ahasuerus, many scholars identify him with Xerxes I, known from Greek historical accounts [8, 7]. For instance, Herodotus refers to Xerxes' wife as Amestris, which some suggest might be a title for a favored wife rather than her actual name, similar to how "Vashti" might be a title [7]. Xerxes I was the son of Darius I and father of Artaxerxes I, who later became king of Persia [7]. The title "king of kings," which was sometimes used by Persian monarchs, including Artaxerxes, signified a powerful ruler over many tributary princes [11]. The reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) is noted for its extensive reach, encompassing 127 provinces [2].
Sources
- Esther “Esther 8:1 (BSB) — That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her.”
- Esther “Esther 13:1 (DRC) — And this was the copy of the letter: Artaxerxes the great king who reigneth from India to Ethiopia, to the princes and governors of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, that are subject to his empire, greeting.”
- Esther “Esther 2:16 (BSB) — She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Esther — The queen of Ahasuerus, and heroine of the book that bears her name. She was a Jewess named Hadas'sah (the myrtle), but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known (Esther 2:7). It is a Syro-Arabian modification of the Persian word satarah, which means a star. She was the daughter of Abihail, a Benjamite. Her family did not avail themselves of the permission granted by Cyrus to the exiles to return to Jerusalem; and she resided with her cousin Mordecai, who held some office in the household of the Persian king ”
- Esther “Esther 8:7 (BSB) — So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.”
- Esther “Esther 1:17 (BSB) — For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’”
- Esther (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Esther 1:9: 1:9 Since Vashti means the best, desired, beloved, this is possibly the title for a favored wife rather than her actual name. Ancient Greek historians refer to her as Amestris (e.g., Herodotus, Histories 7.114). Her son, Artaxerxes I, became king of Persia (465–424 BC) after Xerxes’ death (see Ezra 4:7-23; 6:14; 7:1, 7, 11-26; 8:1; Neh 1:1; 2:1; 5:14; 13:6).”
- Esther (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Esther 1 (introduction): AHASUERUS MAKES ROYAL FEASTS. (Est. 1:1-22) Ahasuerus--It is now generally agreed among learned men that the Ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the Xerxes who figures in Grecian history.”
- Esther (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Esther 2:16: So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his house royal,.... Did not return on the morrow to the house of the women, as those who only became the king's concubines did, Est 2:14, but she was taken to be his wife, and designed for his queen, and so was retained in his palace, and placed in an apartment suitable to the dignity she was about to be advanced unto: and this was done in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth; and answers to part of December and part of January; not the twelfth month Adar, as the Septuagint version, and so Josephus (q), contrary t”
- Esther (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Esther 8:1: On that day did the King, Ahasuerus, give the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, unto Esther the queen,.... That, and all the goods in it, and estate belonging to it; which being confiscated to the king, he gave to Esther, who would have been the sufferer, had his scheme taken place; so the Targum adds,"and the men of his house, and all his treasures, and all his riches:" and Mordecai came before the king; was introduced into his presence, became one of his privy counsellors, one of those that saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom, Est 1:14 for Esther had ”
- Ezra (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezra 7:12: Artaxerxes, king of kings--That title might have been assumed as, with literal truth, applicable to him, since many of the tributary princes of his empire still retained the name and authority of kings. But it was a probably a mere Orientalism, denoting a great and powerful prince, as the heaven of heavens signified the highest heaven, and vanity of vanities, the greatest vanity. This vainglorious title was assumed by the kings of Assyria, from whom it passed to the sovereigns of Persia. unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven--T”