Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A book of the Old Testament: "Esther" is the name of a book in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament that narrates the story of a Jewish queen in Persia who saved her people from destruction.
   • A biblical figure: "Esther" is the name of the Jewish heroine in that book, originally named Hadassah, who became queen of Persia and used her position to prevent a genocide of the Jewish people.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun (Book):

  • The story of Purim is recounted in the Book of Esther.
  • We studied the themes of courage and providence in Esther.

• Proper noun (Person):

  • Queen Esther revealed her heritage to the king to save her people.
  • The festival commemorates Esther's bravery and intervention.

Advanced Usage

• "Esther fast": A traditional three-day fast observed by some Jews, commemorating the fast undertaken by Esther before she approached the king.
  • They observed the Esther fast in the days leading up to Purim.

Variants and Related Words

• Estherian (adj): Pertaining to the Book of Esther or its themes.

  • The scholar presented an Estherian analysis of the text.

• Purim (n): The Jewish holiday that celebrates the events described in the Book of Esther.

  • The story of Esther is read during the festival of Purim.

Synonyms

• Hadassah: The Hebrew name of Esther.
  • She was known as Hadassah among her people.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• The Scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther): The specific scroll containing the biblical book, read during Purim.

  • He chanted from the Scroll of Esther during the service.

• Feast of Esther: Another term sometimes used for the celebration of Purim.

  • The community prepared for the Feast of Esther.

Noun

1. an Old Testament book telling of a beautiful Jewess who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre
2. (Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)