History
St. Esther is certainly a well known Old-Testament saint who is remembered not only for the dramatic biblical narrative in which she is featured but also for her intriguing character and background.
A quick perusal of the various ways that the Church has historically remembered St. Esther makes it clear that many artists throughout Christian history have been drawn to her story. Moreover, while the Scriptures may be the only authoritative source that we have to tell us about Esther’s place in Israel’s story, many of these artists have freely taken “artistic license” in their depictions of her, many of which can be found in this article.
From such a long list of artistic depictions of Esther and her story, one can easily see that Christians throughout history have seen reflection on this particular Old-Testament saint as a worthwhile and edifying devotional exercise. In that spirit, we recommend a particular way to meditate on St. Esther in commemoration of her day.
Apocryphal Esther
Of course, one of the best ways to meditate on Esther is to spend time reading and reflecting on the biblical book that bears her name. We would recommend reading Esther on any day of the year and especially on this day that the Church has set aside to commemorate her.
We are sure that many of our readers will find the version of Esther found in the English Standard Version—and most other English-language bibles—familiar. Some may be less aware, however, that there are multiple versions of the biblical book of Esther. This is because the version found in most English-language bibles is the version found in the Hebrew text of Esther; however, the Church also has another ancient version of the book of Esther: the Greek version of Esther often called Apocryphal Esther. This Greek version contains the same story as the Hebrew text, yet it sometimes describes things differently or contains additional details that will doubtlessly intrigue the careful reader.
While the notion of a “different” version of the biblical book of Esther may sound strange at first, it’s important to recognize that for many Christians throughout history, the Greek text of Esther was not a “different” book: it was simply the biblical story to which they had access. Reading this version, then, can also help us to connect with the way millions of Christians before us have understood Esther and her role in the history of God’s people.
Consequently, for those who would like to read another ancient take on Esther, we would recommend that they take the time on St. Esther’s Day to read Greek, or Apocryphal, Esther. Those who own The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes from Concordia Publishing House will be able to find it there. For those who don’t, other translations like this one can be found online.
Regardless of where you find the text of Esther—or which ancient biblical text you see fit to read—we hope that you will take this day as an opportunity to meditate on what God did for his people through this woman and what that means for his people today.
