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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of Book of Esther in Greek

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of whole text


1-1

1 Dream of Mordecai (A:1-17)
  2 Banquet of the king (1:1-9)
    3 Abdication of queen (1:10-2:4)
      4 Esther becomes queen (2:5-23)
        5 Haman undertakes to destroy the Jews (3:1-3:15)
          6 Esther agrees to help the Jews (4:1-C:30)
            7 Esther's banquet (D:1-5:14)
              8 The honor of Mordecai (6:1-14)
            9 Haman's downfall (7:1-10)
          10 Esther saves the Jews (8:1-8)
        11 Pleasure of Jews (8:9-8:17)
      12 Destruction of the Enemies of the Jews (9:1-19)
    13 The feast of Purim inaugurated (9:20-32)
  14 The honor of Mordecai (10:1-3)
15 Interpretation of dream of Mordecai (F:1-11)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Dream of Mordecai (A:1-17)
In the second year of the reign of the great King Ahasuerus, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream. (A:1)
Dream of Mordecai15 Interpretation of dream of Mordecai (F:1-11)
I recall the dream I had about these very things, and not a single detail has been left unfulfilled (F:2)
2 Banquet of the king (1:1-9)
During the reign of Ahasuerus-this was the Ahasuerus who ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia(1:1)
power of Ahasuerus14 The honor of Mordecai (10:1-3)
King Ahasuerus laid tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. (10:1)
3 Abdication of queen (1:10-2:4)
He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, to the effect that every man should be lord in his own home. (1:22)
letters to all the provinces13 The feast of Purim inaugurated (9:20-32)
9:30 when Mordecai sent documents concerning peace and security to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom. 9:31Thus were established, for their appointed time, these days of Purim which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had designated for the Jews, just as they had previously enjoined upon themselves and upon their race the duty of fasting and supplication.(9:30-31)
4 Esther becomes queen (2:5-23)
2:8 When the kings order and decree had been obeyed and many maidens brought together to the stronghold of Susa under the care of Hegai, Esther also was brought in to the royal palace under the care of Hegai, custodian of the women. (2:8)
The stronghold of Susa12 Destruction of the Enemies of the Jews (9:1-19)
9:6 In the stronghold of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. (9:6)
5 Haman undertakes to destroy the Jews (3:1-3:15)
3:13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the royal provinces, that all the Jews, young and old, including women and children, should be killed, destroyed, wiped out in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, and that their goods should be seized as spoil.
Letters of the king11 Pleasure of Jews (8:9-8:17)
8:11 In these letters the king authorized the Jews in each and every city to group together and defend their lives, and to kill, destroy, wipe out, along with their wives and children, every armed group of any nation or province which should attack them, and to seize their goods as spoil (8:11)
6 Esther agrees to help the Jews (4:1-C:30)
4:8 He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction which had been promulgated in Susa, to show and explain to Esther. He was to instruct her to go to the king; she was to plead and intercede with him in behalf of her people. (4:8)
Petition to the king10 Esther saves the Jews (8:1-8)
8:8 you in turn may write in the king's name what you see fit concerning the Jews and seal the letter with the royal signet ring." For whatever is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked. (8:8)
7 Esther's banquet (D:1-5:14)
5:14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Have a gibbet set up, fifty cubits in height, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king in good cheer." This suggestion pleased Haman, and he had the gibbet erected.
Gibbet of Haman9 Haman's downfall (7:1-10)
7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gibbet which he had made ready for Mordecai, and the anger of the king abated. (7:10)

Citations of the Bible are from New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible.

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Literary Structure of the Bible by Hajime Murai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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