Bible Word Study
אֶסְתֵּר
ʼEçtêr · Ester, the Jewish heroine
אֶסְתֵּר
Ester, the Jewish heroine
Definition
אֶסְתֵּר is the Hebrew name for Esther, the Jewish heroine of the Book of Esther. She was a young Jewish woman, originally named Hadassah (Esther 2:7), who became queen of Persia and used her position to save her people from a planned genocide. The name is of Persian origin, meaning 'star,' which may symbolize her role as a guiding light for the Jewish people in a time of darkness. Her story is central to the festival of Purim, commemorating the deliverance she facilitated (Esther 9:26-28).
Biblical Usage
The name אֶסְתֵּר is used exclusively in the Book of Esther, appearing 45 times. It is used to identify the character in narrative contexts, from her introduction as Mordecai's cousin (Esther 2:7) to her coronation as queen (Esther 2:17) and throughout her courageous advocacy before King Ahasuerus (e.g., Esther 5:1-2, 7:3-4). The usage consistently highlights her identity and pivotal actions within the Persian court.
Etymology
The name אֶסְתֵּר is a direct borrowing from Old Persian, likely derived from the word 'stāra-' meaning 'star.' It is also related to the name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. In the biblical text, her Hebrew name is given as Hadassah (הֲדַסָּה, H1919), meaning 'myrtle.' The use of a Persian name in the narrative reflects her life in the diaspora and her role within the Gentile royal court.
Semantic Range
Esther's story is a profound narrative of God's providence and hidden deliverance. Although God is never explicitly mentioned in the book, His sovereignty is implied through 'coincidences,' timing, and Esther's rise to power 'for such a time as this' (Esther 4:14). It teaches themes of divine placement, courage, and the preservation of God's covenant people even in exile. Understanding her Hebrew and Persian names enriches the theme of dual identity and God's work through cultural assimilation. In its original setting, bearing a Persian name like Esther while having a hidden Jewish identity (Esther 2:10) was a strategic adaptation for survival in the diaspora. The name's possible connection to the goddess Ishtar would have been culturally familiar in the Persian Empire but stood in contrast to her worship of Yahweh. This reflects the tension and negotiation of Jewish identity in a foreign, dominant culture. הֲדַסָּה (Hădassâh, H1919) — Esther's original Hebrew name, meaning 'myrtle.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]