WHERE IS GOD IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER?

This week Jews around the world celebrate the festival of Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from Haman’s genocidal edict, as recorded in the biblical Book of Esther. This is a particularly unusual biblical book because there is no explicit mention of God anywhere.

This absence troubled many ancient readers of the book. In the 3rd century BCE, Greek-speaking Jews living in Egypt composed additions to Esther which infused the story with more godliness. Other Jews simply refused to incorporate Esther into their biblical canon. This was apparently the attitude of the Jewish sect that composed the Dead Sea Scrolls. Remnants of every biblical book have been found among the dozens of scrolls, with one notable exception: Esther.

But if we read very closely, we can see that the book of Esther contains “secret” allusions to God hidden in acrostics. For example, the following verse looks at first to be rather standard, with no mention of God:
"Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king.” (Esther 5:4)

But in Hebrew you can see that it contains a hidden surprise.
"וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר, אִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב--יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן הַיּוֹם, אֶל-הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂיתִי לוֹ"

The four Hebrew words “let the king and Haman come today” each begin with one of the letters of God’s name: Y-H-W-H (י-ה-ו-ה). There are numerous other examples like this. It is fitting that this book should contain hidden allusions to God. Esther, the protagonist, must hide her religion in order to gradually rise up through the royal hierarchy, getting closer to the king so that she may save her people from Haman. Although she was forbidden from practicing her Judaism outwardly, inwardly she stayed faithful to God. This verse effectively illustrates the manner in which one can secretly worship God by finding spiritual value in apparently mundane places.

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