| Esther 4 | |
|---|---|
 The Hebrew text of the Book of Esther in a scroll from 19th century, ink on vellum, with a case of gilded silver. | |
| Book | Book of Esther |
| Category | Ketuvim |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 17 |
Esther 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1] The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE.[2] Chapters 3 to 8 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book.[3] This chapter describes the reaction of the Jews to Haman's evil decree, focusing on Mordecai's action of mourning and fasting, which eventually forced Esther to take action on her own by risking her life to appear uninvited before King Ahasuerus.[4]
- ^ Halley 1965, p. 238.
- ^ Meyers 2007, p. 324.
- ^ Clines 1988, pp. 387–388.
- ^ Meyers 2007, p. 328.