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The Book of Esther: Yahweh in Hiding
by Ed Nelson

One of the most fascinating and intriguing books of the Bible is the Book of Esther. Traditionally read publicly during the festival of Purim, it was intended to be read in Hebrew. The unique literary nature of the book makes it one of the least understood books of the Bible today as to its Hebraic message to expatriate Israel.

Once we grasp the purpose and subtleties of this book, we reap the reward of a better understanding of Yahweh’s Presence with us in life’s most trying times.

The Rabbinic system of Judaism that began to emerge at the end of the first century era is wrapped up in a set of books known as the Talmud, a multi-volume set of tractates based on the Mishnah (circa A.D. 220). The sages who wrote the Talmud between A.D. 220 to 700 described the events in the Book of Esther as the last of the miracles to be written as Scripture. Of course, they did not reckon the Messiah Yeshua and his miracles and wonders as part of the Bible as do those with a more complete Hebraic understanding of Scripture revealed in Him.

What is this miracle told in the book of Esther? The book records the first attempt at genocide by Israel’s enemies. In this setting, it describes how this evil plot was thwarted, the Jewish people being delivered from horror and, to cap it off, being honored throughout the ancient Gentile empire or the Medes and Persians.

The Jewish people and their perception of Yahweh’s absence. What strikes with importance in the reading of the story, especially for Jews mired in an existence where God’s hand seems to be absent, is the profound fear that Yahweh may have abandoned them as his chosen nation. Of course, this is not true, but reality and perception are often disparaged, as in this case.

The perception that God abandoned the Jews living in the Medo-Persian Empire is played out in the telling of the story. His Name is not mentioned once in the narrative. The absence of his Name is critically important to the telling of the story and to the perception of Yahweh’s absence.

Most serious Bible readers are aware of the fact that the Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible in which the name of God is not plainly recorded. But fewer realize that, indeed, his holy Name does occur, and that several times, but always hidden in the details of the book’s literary features.

At this precipitous time in Jewish history when Yahweh concealed Himself from the Jews who did not return to Israel after the exile ended, a Jewish man named Mordecai [Hebrew, Mardekai] enters the scene. Chapter 2, verse 5, in the Hebrew text simply reads: “A Jewish man lived in the palace in Shushan, and his name was Mardekai.” With his appearing, the story is afoot.

What heightens Mordecai’s appearance more is that his name is far from being Jewish. It is Babylonian, and provocatively so. In ancient times Jewish names often told something about the Almighty God of Israel at the event of birth. Likewise, Babylonian names were often names describing their pagan views of their deities. Mordecai’s name is thoroughly paganized, probably reflecting the amalgamation of his generation into Babylonian practices. It stems from the name of the Babylonian deity, Marduk. Prior to the Babylonian exile, no one would have dared give his son such a “goyish”name.

What satire is at play in this true story! This Jewish man with his pagan name, in a series of events, turns a doubting and fearful nation to believe that, indeed, God is aware of them and is concerned for them. Moreover, Mordecai shows that Yahweh can and will deliver them.

In this saga of near catastrophe, the Jewish people come to realize after all that nothing was left to chance. All the pieces fit. Yahweh was watching over them all along. All that He wanted to take place in his hiding from them was for them to turn and seek Him. If they turn and seek Him, He would be more than ready to be found by them. In fact, He is only hiding from them at the very place they turned away from Him. Like a prodigal son leaves his father for a far country, truly it is the son who departs and hides away from his father’s presence. The son is really the lost person, and so it was in this case with these Jews who did not return to their homeland after the exile ended.

With this historical story in mind, we should inquire about the nature and shape of the book itself. For not only is the account of Esther and Mordecai and their encompassing events important, but how the story is told is wonderfully valuable for understanding the whole picture of God’s revelation to his chosen people.

What Type of Hebrew Literature is the Book of Esther?

To understand the book in this light, the question is asked, “What type of Hebrew literature is the Book of Esther?” The answers are at least six-fold.

1. Esther is a satire of Jewish history and experience. To some it may appear strange to describe the book as satire, but, indeed, this is the case. It is also filled with irony. Throughout the book, in order to strengthen the story, several points are not explicitly stated, not even God’s Name. This is the power of satire. Hence, it is listed among the group of books in the Tanakh (Old Testament) known as the Ketuvim, or the Writings, though it is equally prophetic in its message.

Is not Queen Vashti's behavior similar to that of Israel’s after the Babylonian exile by refusing to return home to Jerusalem? Is not the king's conclusion similar to God’s conclusion? Is not the fear that all the women in the Persian kingdom will now disobey their husbands ironic? If Israel, destined to be Yahweh’s “light to the nations” [‘or la-goyim] does not respond to its divine calling, what can God expect from the other nations? Will Israel’s disobedience lead to the obedience of the Gentiles? In fact, it eventually does (cf. Romans 11:11-12). Recall as well that Israel is often compared to Yahweh’s wife in the Bible (Hosea 2:4, 16-18).

Furthermore, who is the real king in the story of Esther? The ancient sages who wrote the Talmud raise the possibility that the word ha-melech [“the king”] in the book of Esther may be a hidden reference to God and not to Achashverosh.

The satire and irony is prophetic. Behind the covers of the story the future Messiah is depicted as King of kings ruling an indivisible kingdom which embraces the Gentiles as well as Israel, like Achashverosh, the Gentile emperor, does with his Jewish bride, Esther. The Messiah King, like Achashverosh, will be rejected by his first wife who refused to come to his first banquet in the greatest month of celebration and festivity, the seventh month. Then, because of her rejection of him, he puts her away and marries his second bride, a remnant virgin of Israel.

2. Esther is a trustworthy historical account. Although the book is satire, yet marvelously the writing captures the historical account of the Jewish people’s deliverance from certain holocaust in the Medo-Persian Empire. This feature of the book as a dependable historical record is highly unusual for a book of satire. How can history and satire mix together without either being distorted? But such is not the case with Esther. The history in the book is impeccably flawless while the satire remains uncommonly pungent.

3. The inspired writer of Esther is prophetic. The entire book in both its historical and satirical style has the force of prophecy. Because of its surface-level silence about God, the omission of prophetic formula (“Thus says the LORD…”) along with other factors, the narrative is not listed among the prophetic books. But it is prophetic literature in the form of inspired satire retelling a historical event of God’s deliverance of his people from what appeared to be certain catastrophe at the hands of their enemies. The prophetic potency of the message, once grasped in the subtleties of its Hebraic literary framework, remains true for today’s Bible student.

Bearing in mind this prophetic book is filled with satire and irony, the frequency in repeated references to common themes about God and his people is ironic. In this short book of only 167 verses, the Persian king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom 26 times, and his name Achashverosh, which means “Chief Royalty” 29 times. The frequency of these common Hebrew concepts of Yahweh and his kingdom are subtle reminders about Yahweh being the Chief Royalty and King of kings, his righteous and obedient people as being destined for his kingdom.

4. Esther is complimentary to the book of Deuteronomy in a prophetic sense. Because all books of the Bible are rooted in the Torah, Esther is likewise. Specifically, the book is a companion book to the fifth book of the Torah, the Book of Deuteronomy [Devarim].

In Deuteronomy 31:14 through 32:47, Moses prophesies about Israel’s future when, tragically, the chosen people, due to their disobedience to Yahweh, will be subdued and subjected to ruthless Gentile overlords as a corrective discipline. The book of Esther records the playing out of Moses’ prophecy and Yahweh’s disciplinary action. When the Book of Esther is understand as the fulfillment of these passages of Deuteronomy, Esther’s story of the Jewish people takes on a deeper sense of angst, regret and pain, and portrays on the canvas of history the dramatic need for the people to repent and turn again to God.

5. Esther is complimentary to the book of Zechariah regarding themes of Jerusalem. Jewish sages of old found several parallel themes between the Book of Esther and the prophetic book Zechariah [Zecharya]. In these instances, all parallel themes connect in relation to Jerusalem [Yerushalayim].

Zechariah 1:1-3 thematically connects to Esther 1:11-12

Zechariah: In the eighth month of the second year
of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet,
the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, “Yahweh
was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them,
‘Thus says Yahweh Sabaoth, “Return to Me,”
declares Yahweh Sabaoth, ‘that I may return to you,’ says
Yahweh Sabaoth.”

Esther: [The king commanded] … to bring Queen
Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order
to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was
beautiful. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's
command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king
became very angry and his wrath burned within him.

Zechariah 1:8-12, 16 thematically connects to Esther 2:7, 13a and 6:8-10

Zechariah: I saw at night, and behold, a man
was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the
myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel,
and white horses behind him. Then I said, “My lord, what are
these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me,
“I will show you what these are.” And the man who was
standing among the myrtle trees answered and said,
“These are those whom Yahweh has sent to patrol the earth.” So
they answered the angel of Yahweh who was standing
among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have patrolled the
earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet.” Then the
angel of Yahweh answered and said, “O Yahweh Sabaoth, how
long will you have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities
of Judah with which you have been indignant these seventy
years?” Therefore, thus says Yahweh, “I will return to
Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be built in it,”
declares Yahweh Sabaoth, “and a measuring line will be
stretched over Jerusalem.”

Esther: He raised Hadassah [literally, “Myrtle,”
Myrtle-tree], that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she
had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful
of form and face, and when her father and her mother died,
Mordecai took her as his own daughter. . . the young lady would
go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given
her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace…

“… let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the
horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal
crown has been placed. And let the robe and the horse be handed
over to one of the king's most noble princes, and let them array the
man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on
horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him,
‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.’”
Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and
the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew,
who is sitting at the king's gate. Do not fall short in anything
of all that you have said.”

Zechariah 2:5-8 thematically connects to Esther 9:19 in the celebration of Purim

Zechariah: “For I,” declares Yahweh, “will be a wall of
fire around her [Jerusalem], and I will be the glory in her
midst. Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares
Yahweh, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the
heavens,” declares Yahweh. “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are
living with the daughter of Babylon. For thus says Yahweh
Sabaoth, “After glory He has sent me against the nations
which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple
of his eye.”

Esther: Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who
live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month
Adar for rejoicing and feasting and a good day for sending
portions of food to one another.

Zechariah 7:4-9 thematically connects to Esther 9:22

Zechariah: Then the word of Yahweh Sabaoth came
to me, saying, “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests,
‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months
these seventy years, was it actually for me that you fasted?
When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves
and do you not drink for yourselves? Are not these
the words which Yahweh proclaimed by the former prophets,
when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities
around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?”

Then the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah saying, “Thus has
Yahweh Sabaoth said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice
kindness and compassion each to his brother …”

Esther: … because on those days the Jews rid themselves
of their enemies, and it was the month which was turned
for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a good
day that they should make them days of feasting and
rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts
to the poor.

Zechariah 8:16-19 thematically connects to Esther 9:22, 29-31

Zechariah: “These are the things which you should do:
speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and
judgment for peace in your gates. Also let none of you
devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury;
for all these are what I hate,” declares Yahweh. Then the word of
Yahweh Sabaoth came to me, saying, “Thus says Yahweh Sabaoth,
“The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh
and the fast of the tenth months will become joy,
gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. So love
truth and peace.”

Esther: … because on those days the Jews rid themselves
of their enemies, and it was the month which was turned
for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a
good day; that they should make them days of feasting and
rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another
and gifts to the poor…

Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew,
wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.
He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom
of Ahasuerus, words of peace and truth to establish these
days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew
and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had
established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions
for their times of fasting and their lamentations.

6. Esther is a Hebrew, not an Aramaic Book. Why was Esther written in Hebrew when it is about the Jewish people living outside of Israel, preferring the life of the Medes and the Persians? Why wasn’t it written in Aramaic, the language of Babylon instead?

Other books contemporary with the times have ample passages in Aramaic instead of Hebrew. When the Book of Daniel was written about Israel’s Babylonian exile, it was written with parts in both Hebrew and Aramaic (Daniel 2:4b-7:28). Aramaic, the language of the land of their exile, is also found in Ezra 4:8-6:18 and 7:12-26. Smaller segments are found in Jeremiah (10:11), as well as in Genesis (31:47a).

The Book of Esther, on the contrary, is written exclusively in Hebrew citing only Persian names. Why is it not a mixture of languages as are the relatively contemporary books of Daniel and Ezra? The entire story is set in the land of pagans from Cush to India where Aramaic, Persian, and many other dialects were spoken. But no, the inspired writer of Esther does not employ the literary license of Daniel and Ezra.

Why Hebrew only, then, for Esther? The answer lies in a simple reminder to the Jewish people that the revelation of God is predominantly in Hebrew, the language of choice for his revelation to Israel. These post-exilic Jews in the Medo-Persian Empire who, for whatever cause, failed to return to the land of Israel after their freedom was gained to rebuild the nation and the temple, needed to be reminded of their roots. The Hebrew language of Esther does this with both satire and prophetic force. Yahweh has not changed his promise about the land. Nor should his people after their freedom is gained from exile.

What is fascinating in the book of Esther is that, even with the Hebrew language being used, is that the prophetic writer is reluctant, almost begrudgingly so, to yield any obvious information about Yahweh in Hebrew. These people who failed to return to Jerusalem after the exile ended have chosen the wrong path in their freedom. They are neither in the land God gave them, nor preferring the language of God’s self-disclosure. The prophetic writer sees to it that the Hebrew language itself hides God from them. It is a beckoning call to return to God, to their roots of faith in Yahweh, so they may find Him again.

Understanding the Satire

The nature of the satire has to do with Yahweh’s silence, and the begrudging information the Hebrew language yields about Israel’s covenant relationship to God. Only about 40,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. Even they did not return with enthusiasm. The greater majority remained in the Medo-Persian Empire showing zero enthusiasm or inclination to return to the Holy Land.

Those who refused to return to the land of Israel rejected the opportunity to participate in the greatest task offered the Jews of their generation. Instead, the greater majority remained by choice scattered among the 127 provinces of their new homeland of the Medes and Persians. This, of course, was unacceptable to Yahweh. He, therefore, sought for a means to remind his people that they belonged only to Him. The evil villain Haman was more than willing to oblige.

Whereas the prophet Ezekiel anticipated the Babylonian exile by explaining it in terms of Yahweh being driven from the Temple and the land (cf. Ezekiel 8-10), the inspired writer of Esther after the exile shows that Yahweh is yet not far away if his people will seek Him.

When we study the book of Esther in the Hebrew language, we readily see through structural analysis of the literature that Yahweh, though silent, revealed Himself in the deep cover of the narrative. His Presence appears in obscure ways in the inspired Hebrew language of the book. His glory may have departed before the exile as documented by the prophet Ezekiel, but a lingering sense of his Presence is still apparent to the prophetic writer. Neither Mordecai nor Esther, his first cousin, seems to be aware of Yahweh’s Presence, let alone the remaining Jewish people in this pagan empire. Only Mordecai’s actions and wise counsel and Esther’s sense of destiny for Yahweh’s covenant people show traces of their knowing God experientially.

Concealment and Revelation in the Word

How did God who is concealed from his people show that He was near them in the literary structure of the book? Key ways are cited below.

The name “Esther” is prophetically curious. Deuteronomy 31:16-18 is the first passage of the Torah to anticipate the missional purpose of the woman Esther. It reads:

Yahweh said to Moses,
“Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers;
and this people will arise and play the harlot
with the strange gods of the land
into the midst of which they are going,
and will forsake me and break my covenant
which I have made with them.
Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day,
and I will forsake them and hide [sathar] my face from them,
and they will be consumed,
and many evils and troubles will come upon them;
so that they will say in that day,
‘Is it not because our God is not among us
that these evils have come upon us?’
And hiding, I will hide [haster ‘astir] my face
in that day because of all the evil which they will do,
for they will turn to other gods.”

In Hebrew the literally translated phrase, “And hiding, I will hide…” is transliterated as haster ‘astir. If you sound these two repeating words out, both from the root word sathar which means “to hide,” the sound of the name Esther is echoed. The name “Esther” is taken from the same root word sathar (“to hide”) as are these two repetitive, doubly emphatic words, haster ‘astir—“hiding, I will hide.” In fact, in Esther 2:7 we discover that the name “Esther” is the young woman’s nickname and not her given name. Her given name is Hadassah, meaning “Myrtle” (-tree).

And he [Mordecai] raised Hadassah,
that is Esther, his uncle's daughter,
for she had neither father nor mother.

The acts of Esther manifested Yahweh in hiding. Why is the emphasis on her nickname and not her given name? Her nickname hints prophetically at the nature and purpose of the story, fitting well the satire at work. Her name “Esther” tells us that the story is about hiding, of hidden things. Perhaps Mordecai, who raised her, gave her this prophetic name unwittingly, seeing her hide about from place to place as some children do. He called her “the Hiding One”—Esther.

Yet, in the prophetic fullness of her name, God hid himself. Metaphorically, Yahweh hid his face in her. Esther became the person in whose character He cloaked his Presence. Thus, she became the one in whom God disclosed Himself ever so discreetly, but ever so profoundly.

Further, her name reminds us that most assuredly the Presence of Yahweh is hidden in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 31-14 to 32:47. And many things, indeed, are hidden in the book for the Hebrew reader to find. It is a “seek and find” book.

The prophetic Song of Moses. This leads us to the prophetic Song of Moses which lyrics are found in Deuteronomy 32. The introduction begins in 31:24. What is known as a kal v’chomer [light and heavy] statement is made by Moses in the introduction. Usually a kal v’chomer statement is characterized by a “light” statement followed by the phrase “how much more,” and then immediately the “heavy” statement. Yeshua used this style of speech frequently (cf. Matthew 7:9-11, et al). Moses uses it forcibly in his speech to the Levites to draw attention to Israel’s rebellious attitude towards Yahweh.

For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness.
Behold, while I am still alive with you today,
you have been rebellious against Yahweh.
How much more, then, after my death?
(Deuteronomy 31:27)

He then assembled Israel together to warn them about their rebelliousness. In his song he laments:

I will hide [astirah] my face from them,
I will see what their end shall be,
for they are a perverse generation,
sons in whom is no faithfulness.
They have made me jealous with preferring
what is not God;
they have provoked me to anger with their idols.
So I will make them jealous with those
who are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation…”

This is the third time a form of the Hebrew verb “to hide” appears in the Deuteronomy passage. The word is not lost, or should not be lost, on the Jewish reader of the Book of Esther. The book deals with the tragic outcome of Israel’s rebellion and profound disobedience of Yahweh and his purpose for the Jewish nation to be a light to the Gentile nations.

Because the people of Judah turned away from Yahweh to prefer not only other gods, as before the exile, but now another land after the exile, Yahweh remains in place, silent by Israel’s choice, and hidden from their eyes. Yahweh is in such deep cover in the Book of Esther that his name is not obvious to the casual reader. Only those who seek his Name in the book shall find it. The same is true for those Jewish people the story is about. In their utter calamity, they must turn back to God in repentance and seek his name. The story of Esther is about this transition to repentance, so much so that in the end, the Gentiles are positively influenced with many choosing to turn from paganism to become Jews.

The prophetic meaning of the king’s name. The Persian king in the story is, of course, a Gentile. He rules with enormous authority and power over 127 provinces ranging from India [Hodu] to Egypt [Cush]. Incidentally, the number 127 is indivisible, which indicates the king’s rule to be the same. His Persian name is Achashverosh, usually rendered in corrupt English as Ahasuerus. It is derived from the combination of two words, achash (“satrap,” “royalty”) and rosh (“top,” “head,” “chief”). The inserted letter represented by the sound of ve- [AchashVErosh] connect the two words together in the same manner our word “and” joins two thoughts. In Persian, the name, or more likely, the king’s title, means, “First Royalty,” or “Chief Royalty.” It fits well the satire and irony in the Hebraic story of Esther.

As learned, the name “Esther” means “in hiding,” or “hidden.” The Persian king who eventually marries her is the “chief royalty” who discovers her hidden among the other virgins of Persia. He, like Yahweh, takes his Jewish bride from among the nations.

Glimpsing the satire in the story. Could this prophetic satire set in a historical pagan land be really about Yahweh as King, the “chief royalty,” who first chose and later married Israel out of Egypt, the land of Gentiles? Yet because she later rejected Him at the time of his appearing in the pinnacle month of months of Yahweh’s self-disclosure, i.e., satirically “the seventh month,” He was forced to select Remnant Israel as his second wife.

Of course, the story is unmistakably such a prophetic message of Yahweh to the Jewish people to repent and become his bride as Remnant Israel. It further should remind Israel of the three final festivals of the seventh month of Tishrei—Yom Teruah (Day of Awakening Blast), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkoth, the festival of booths. All are appointed times to meet with God. The context of the first wife refusing the king’s wishes in the seventh month to attend his festival has poignant meaning. The new bride is the one who accepts the king’s offer to meet him at his appointed times.

Further in-depth Look at the Hebrew Text

In the ancient Hebrew text of the book of Esther, the holy name Yahweh is found five times embedded in the narrative in the form of acrostics. A sixth acrostic is the name Ehyeh, meaning “I AM.” In some ancient Hebrew manuscripts the letters that form the acrostics were enlarged so the Hebrew reader would be drawn to them and not miss them.

Another name of God is a combination of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alephbet, namely, Aleph and Tav, meaning the First and Last. Of course, we know that the expression Aleph-Tav was an established way of speaking about the Messiah from the most ancient times of biblical Hebrew. The combination of Aleph-Tav in the book of Esther appears 100 times.

With the abundance of times that the LORD’s Name was encrypted in the Hebrew text for the Hebrew reader to discover, the reader is drawn to the grand conclusion that no matter how dark the times were for Israel, Yahweh was there for them all the time, waiting for them to call upon Him.

In one way we may say that Yahweh hides his Name from his people in the book so that, if they find Him, they must seek his Name. In another way, we can say He reveals Himself to his people in hidden ways for those who are eager to find Him, for they will not be disappointed. They find Him waiting, usually at the very place he was forsaken by them.

The five acrostics of the Divine Name Yahweh. The five Hebrew acrostics of the holy name Yahweh are found in the book of Esther in verses 1:17, 1:20, 5:4, 5:13 and 7:7.

1:17 – In this verse, the Jewish author of the book states that the Persian king commanded “Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she would not come.” In this phrase of four Hebrew words, the four letters Y H V H [Yod He Vav He] appear as the last letter of each of the four words in consecutive order. The author of the book, of course, is not only Jewish, but is in right standing with God. He writes God’s Name in perfect order.

1:20 – In this verse, the Persian king, Achashverosh, has a trusted servant, a eunuch named Memucan. Like the king, he, too, is a Gentile. Memucan utters four Hebrew words that translate into English as “all the wives shall give.” The first letter of each of these four words spells out Yahweh’s Name, but peculiarly in reverse order. Instead of Y H V H [Yod He Vav He], the letters are H V H Y [He Vav He Yod].

Why this peculiarity and exceptional concealment of the name of Yahweh? The answer lies in the fact that Memucan is not a believer in the God of Israel, but not that he does not want to be. He is a pagan man totally dependent on Israel to give him the light of truth to him about the One True God. No one of Israel has told him anything about God at this point though Israel is called to be a light to the nations. In this regard, Israel has failed to do its mission in this foreign land. Therefore, the fact that his Hebrew phrase has Yahweh’s Name in reverse letters bespeaks the tragedy of his confusion about God and his spiritual lostness.

Because he is a Gentile and not a servant of Almighty God, the four letters of Yahweh (YHVH) are given in reverse order. It also says to Israel that even when pagans tread upon God’s chosen people, Yahweh is in charge of the affairs of this world and of life. Even pagan people are useful to accomplish his means.

5:4 – In this verse, Queen Esther speaks. Being Jewish, she knows God’s Name as Yahweh. In her four word statement, “Let the king and Haman come this day,” the four letters of Y H V H appear as the first letter of each word in consecutive order.

5:13 – In this verse, another Gentile speaks, none other than the evil man named Haman. Haman, likewise, utters four words in Hebrew that, translated into English, are “All this means nothing to me.” This time the four letters Y H V H are in reverse order again, but as the last letter of each word.

7:7 – In this verse, the author of the book of Esther again speaks to his audience, saying, “That there was evil determined against him,” a reference to the king’s anger that bristled against Haman upon learning of his treachery against Mordecai and the Jewish people. This phrase again is four Hebrew words, each word beginning with a consecutive letter of the name Yahweh in correct order. Again, the speaker is not a Gentile.

You probably observed that when Yahweh’s Name appears in the acrostics in proper order, a Jewish person is speaking who is in obedience to God. In the occasions when it is reversed, it is because a Gentile speaks who does not know God nor his ways.

Reverse concentric symmetry. In this unique group of five Hebrew phrases in the book of Esther is embedded the four letter name of Yahweh (YHVH), called the Tetragrammaton. Careful analysis of these five occurrences reveals intriguing information as well as insight into the formation of the literary structure of the book itself. The five occurrences of the acrostics of Yahweh conforms to the literary style known as reverse concentric symmetry. The central, or middle statement in reverse concentric symmetry is the pivotal and emphatic point.

A     ha'b'(-al{w> wyn"ßp'l. hK'²l.M;h; yTióv.w:-ta,     
       Jewish author of book writes the acrostic YHVH from 
       the four letter Hebrew phrase: “…Vashti the queen to 
       be brought before him, and she would not come” (1:17). 
       Appears as acrostic of last letters of each word.
       
B          WnÝT.yI ~yviªN"h;-lk'w> ayhi_
             Gentile eunuch speaks a four letter Hebrew phrase, 
             “… all the wives shall give” (1:20). Appears as 
             a reverse acrostic as first letter of each word.


C               ~AYëh; ‘!m'h'w> %l,M,Ûh; aAb’y"
                  The Jewish bride, Queen Esther speaks: 
                  “Let the king and Haman come this day” (5:4) 
                  Appears as acrostic of first letters of each 
                  word. This line is the central and main
                  point of the five acrostics.

B¹        yli_ hA<ßv WNn<ïyae hz<¨-lk'w>
            Gentile evil man, Haman, speaks a four letter 
            Hebrew phrase, “All this means nothing to me” 
            (5:13). Appears as a reverse acrostic as 
            last letter of each word.



A¹    h['Þr"h' wyl'²ae ht'îl.k'-yKi(
        Jewish author of book writes acrostic YHVH from 
        four letter Hebrew phrase: “That there was evil 
        determined against him” (7:7). Appears as 
        acrostic formed from the last letters of each word.

The delicate symmetry of the five acrostics reveals that these five acrostics are intentionally placed in the story for the true seeker of Yahweh to find Him.

The single acrostic for the Hebrew letters of Ehyeh [I AM]. In Esther 7:5 is the phrase in English, “Who is he, and where is he?” King Achashverosh, the Persian king, speaks, inquiring to Queen Esther about the identity of the man betraying the Jews. We should not be surprised from what we have learned that the acrostic of Ehyeh [I AM - hyha], is written in reverse order as ahyh]]. A Gentile, of course, is speaking, not a righteous Jew. Further, it is an acrostic formed from the last letter of four successive words as shown below. Notice the enlarged letters that form the acrostic (Hebrew reads right to left).

The Hebrew phrase is as follows: aWhê hz<å-yae(w> ‘hz<

More embedded references to Yahweh in Esther. In Hebrew writing, a common practice to reference the name of Yahweh without writing the Tetragrammaton [YHVH] was to write a double yod [yy].

In the book of Esther, six pairs of the letter yod, representing the name of Yahweh, appear in the spelling of the words “of the Jews” [bi-Yeduhim] (4:7; 8:7), “the Jews” [ha-Yeduhim] (8:1, 13; 9:15), and “and-the-Jews” [ve-ha-Yeduhim] (9:18). Nowhere else in biblical Hebrew does this alternate spelling occur. The inspired writer’s intention, of course, in writing the word “the Jews” this peculiar way is to draw attention to Yahweh’s name being embedded within the Jewish people, no matter if they disobey his commands or refuse his Presence.

What do we learn from all these hidden references to God in the book of Esther? You will draw some conclusions yourself. But the careful and intentional hiding of God’s Name in the book of Esther is a lesson on God’s faithfulness, even when we are unfaithful. He is hidden in the details of our lives, our events, and in his Word. His Name is so wonderfully interwoven in the text of the Bible that no enemy can ever succeed in removing his holy Name. Rather, the promise lies for the people of faith in Him. He will succeed throughout all generations to the end of the age. We, too, in Him, should remain faithful and endure to the end. His Name will carry us through all things we face in this life, and for eternity.