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

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of divided by 2


2-1

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Dream of Mordecai (A:1-17)
He overheard them plotting, investigated their plans, and discovered that they were preparing to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So he informed the king about them (A:13)
Report of Mordecai8 The honor of Mordecai (6:1-14)
the passage occurred in which Mordecai reported Bagathan and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance, for seeking to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. (6:2)
2 Banquet of the king (1:1-9)
Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women inside the royal palace of King Ahasuerus. (1:9)
feast of a queen7 Esther's banquet (D:1-5:14)
And the king ordered, "Have Haman make haste to fulfill the wish of Esther." So the king went with Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. (5:5)
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)
King's letter6 Esther agrees to help the Jews (4:1-C:30)
Likewise in each of the provinces, wherever the king's legal enactment reached, the Jews went into deep mourning, with fasting, weeping, and lament; they all slept on sackcloth and ashes. (4:3)
4 Esther becomes queen (2:5-23)
Esther did not reveal her nationality or family, for Mordecai had commanded her not to do so. (2:10)
Jewish identity5 Haman undertakes to destroy the Jews (3:1-3:15)
When they had reminded him day after day and he would not listen to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecais explanation was acceptable, since he had told them that he was a Jew. (3:4)

2-2

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
8 The honor of Mordecai (6:1-14)
If Mordecai, before whom you are beginning to decline, is of the Jewish race, you will not prevail against him, but will surely be defeated by him. (6:13)
People of the LORD15 Interpretation of dream of Mordecai (F:1-11)
God remembered his people and rendered justice to his inheritance. (F:9)
9 Haman's downfall (7:1-10)
So they hanged Haman on the gibbet which he had made ready for Mordecai, and the anger of the king abated. (7:10)
Death of Haman / promotion of Mordecai14 The honor of Mordecai (10:1-3)
The Jew Mordecai was next in rank to King Ahasuerus, in high standing among the Jews, and was regarded with favor by his many brethren (10:3)
10 Esther saves the Jews (8:1-8)
The king removed his signet ring from Haman, and transferred it into the keeping of Mordecai; (8:2)
Authority of Mordecai13 The feast of Purim inaugurated (9:20-32)
Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews, both near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. (9:20)
11 Pleasure of Jews (8:9-8:17)
Exactly as Mordecai dictated, they wrote to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and officials of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia (8:9)
Edict12 Destruction of the Enemies of the Jews (9:1-19)
When the day arrived on which the order decreed by the king was to be carried out (9:1)

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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