Esther, the Rest of
What Are the Additions to Esther?
The Hebrew book of Esther is remarkable for never mentioning God by name. The Greek Septuagint version, however, contains 107 additional verses woven throughout the narrative that explicitly introduce divine activity, prayer, and theological reflection. These additions are found in the oldest Greek manuscripts and were part of the Bible as read by Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians. Protestant Bibles place them in the Apocrypha under the title "The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther," while Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include them as part of the canonical book.
The Six Major Additions
The additions are traditionally designated by the letters A through F:
Addition A (before Esther 1:1): Mordecai has a prophetic dream of two great dragons fighting while nations gather against God's people. He also discovers and reports a conspiracy against the king.
Addition B (after Esther 3:13): The full text of the royal decree ordering the destruction of the Jews throughout the Persian Empire, written in the style of official Persian correspondence.
Addition C (after Esther 4:17): The heartfelt prayers of Mordecai and Esther, in which they plead with God for deliverance. These are the most explicitly religious passages, with Esther confessing her hatred of her royal position and her faithfulness to God's law.
Addition D (before Esther 5:1): An expanded and dramatic account of Esther's approach to the king without being summoned, including her fainting with fear and the king's compassionate response.
Addition E (after Esther 8:12): A second royal decree, this time reversing the first and praising the Jewish people, written in elaborate diplomatic language.
Addition F (after Esther 10:3): An epilogue interpreting Mordecai's dream from Addition A and explaining the origin and significance of the feast of Purim.
Original Language and Date
Scholars generally agree that the additions were originally composed in Greek, not translated from a Hebrew original. The literary style, theological vocabulary, and certain historical references point to a Greek-speaking Jewish author writing in the late second or early first century BC, likely in Alexandria, Egypt. The additions show awareness of the canonical Hebrew text and were designed to supplement it, not replace it.
A colophon at the end of the Greek version states that the book was brought to Egypt in the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, which scholars date to approximately 114 BC or 77 BC.
Why Were They Added?
The most likely reason for the additions is the conspicuous absence of God's name in the Hebrew text. While the canonical book tells a compelling story of deliverance, it never explicitly credits God for the outcome. Jewish readers in the Greek-speaking world apparently felt the need to make the theological dimensions of the story explicit. The prayers of Mordecai and Esther (Addition C) fill this gap most directly, presenting the protagonists as devout Jews whose trust in God drives their courageous actions.
The additions also enhance the narrative's dramatic power. Esther's prayer reveals her inner anguish and spiritual devotion, adding depth to a character who in the Hebrew text acts with remarkable courage but whose interior life remains largely hidden.
Significance for Bible Readers
Whether or not one considers these additions canonical, they provide valuable insight into how ancient Jewish communities interpreted and lived with the book of Esther. They demonstrate that even in the canonical silence about God, faithful readers found His hand at work. The additions also illustrate the ongoing process by which communities of faith engaged with their sacred texts, amplifying themes they found essential.
Biblical Context
The additions are interspersed throughout the Greek version of Esther, supplementing the canonical narrative at six points. They interact with the main text of Esther 1-10 and are referenced in relation to the feast of Purim. The prayers in Addition C echo themes from Daniel 9 and other biblical prayers of petition. The additions are classified among the deuterocanonical or apocryphal writings, depending on the tradition.
Theological Significance
The additions address what many readers consider the most striking feature of the Hebrew Esther: its silence about God. By adding explicit prayers, prophetic dreams, and divine references, the Greek additions make the theological claim that Israel's deliverance was not coincidental but divinely orchestrated. They also demonstrate the importance of prayer, faithfulness to God's law, and trust in divine providence as the foundations of faithful living even in exile.
Historical Background
The additions were composed during the Hellenistic period, when Greek-speaking Jewish communities in Egypt and elsewhere were translating and interpreting their sacred texts. The Septuagint, produced in Alexandria, served as the Bible of the Jewish diaspora and later of the early Christian church. Jerome, who translated the Vulgate from Hebrew, separated these additions from the canonical text and placed them at the end of the book, a practice followed by later Protestant editions that placed them in the Apocrypha.