Texts in Conversation
Esther is described as risking her life to visit the king to plead for the release of the Jewish people, echoing Moses in Exodus who is similarly described risking his life to face Pharaoh in order to plead for the release of the Israelites.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 10:28
Hebrew Bible
26 Our livestock must also go with us! Not a hoof is to be left behind! For we must take these animals to serve the Lord our God. Until we arrive there, we do not know what we must use to serve the Lord.” 27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to release them. 28 Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me! Watch out for yourself! Do not appear before me again, for when you see my face you will die!” 29 Moses said, “As you wish! I will not see your face again.”
Esther 4:11
Hebrew Bible
9 So Hathach returned and related Mordecai’s instructions to Esther. 10 Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai: 11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court—that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some 30 days.” 12 When Esther’s reply was conveyed to Mordecai, 13 he said to take back this answer to Esther: “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew who will escape.
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Notes and References
"... Both Esther and Moses are Israelites/Jews who come into a key position at a foreign court. At the beginning the identity of both remains unnoticed. In both stories two main characters act on behalf of their threatened people (Moses and Aaron in the one and Esther and Mordecai in the other case). Aaron speaks for Moses (Exodus 4:10-16) and Mordecai is the silent power behind Esther (he only speaks in Esther 4:13-14). Esther is at first daunted by her task like Moses (Exodus 4), but both afterwards become the heroes of their people. Like Moses, she is an adopted child. Important lexical parallels occur at comparable architectural junctures in both stories.21 In both stories audiences with the king are presented as dangerous (Esther 4:11 and Exodus 10:28) and in both the definitive moment is repeatedly postponed by visits to the king ..."
Loader, James Alfred
Intertextuality in Multi-Layered Texts
(pp. 391-403) Old Testament Essays, 21/2, 2008
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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