Esther 10 Study Notes

10:1-3 The mention of Ahasuerus imposing a tax (Hb mas) throughout the land seems out of place. Some interpreters suggest this may be another example of reversal, as the tax relief given to the empire when Ahasuerus married Esther (2:18) was now made up for with the new tax. More likely this is an echo of Joseph and his role as second in command in Egypt (Gn 41:40). Like Joseph before him, Mordecai the Jew helped a Gentile king bring prosperity to the crown.

The book of Esther ends with a picture of peace and tranquility, with Jewish people “living in harmony and mutual goodwill with the Gentile majority, under Jewish leaders who are respected and admired by the rulers, yet who are openly identified with the Jewish community and unashamed to advance its interests and to speak out in its defense” (Jon D. Levenson, Esther).