Additions to the Book of Esther

Book of the Apocrypha. The additions include six passages (107 verses) in the Septuagint not found in the Hebrew version of the Book of Esther. Jerome removed them from the text in his Latin translation and appended them to the end of the canonical book.

The first addition concerns Mordecai's dream, interpreted in the sixth addition as foreshadowing the salvation of Israel by Esther, and the discovery by Mordecai of a conspiracy against the king's life (10:4-11:1, 11:2-12:6). The second addition (13:1-7) is the text of Ataxerxes' decree to destroy the Jews, the third (13:8-14:19) consistes of the prayers of Esther and Mordecai. In the fourth addition (15:1-16) Esther appeals to the king. The fifth (16:1-20) is the edict revoking the first decree. On certain points the additions contradict the canonical book, e.g. Mordecai's discovery of the plot against the king in the second year of his reign (11:2) as opposed to the seventh in Esther 2:16, 21.

The additions were apparently produced by a number of authors, in different times and places (most likely between the first century BCE and the first century CE), some in Hebrew, some in Greek.

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Six passages in the Greek translation of the Book of Esther that are not found in the Hebrew version. Jerome's Latin translations removed these additions, appending them together at the end of the canonical book. According to one of the additions, the Greek translation was made by "Lysimachus the son of Ptolemy, one of the residents of Jerusalem" (11:1), which indicates that the translation dates to c. 1st century B.C.

One of the purposes of these apocryphal additions could have been the introduction of certain religious elements absent in the Hebrew text, such as the name of God and some prayers. Some additions contradict the Hebrew text. For example, according to the Hebrew, Mordecai discovered the plot against King Ahaseurus in the seventh year of his reign (Est 2:16, 21), whereas an addition suggests that this occurred in the second year (11:2).

The first addition is Mordecai's dream foreshadowing the victory of the Jews (Est Add. 10:4-13; 11:2-12:6) and the discovery by Mordecai of the conspiracy of two eunuchs against the king, for which he is rewarded by appointment to serve in court. The second addition (13:1-7) gives the text of Artaxerxes' edict to destroy the Jews. The prayers of Mordecai and Esther form the third addition (13:8-14:19). In the next addition Esther risks her life by appealing to the king (15:1-16). The fifth addition contains the king's edict revoking his earlier decree (16:1-20). The last addition gives the interpretation of Mordecai's dream and the conclusion that God remembered his people and that his loving kindness should always be remembered (16:21-24).

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