Why was Esther chosen to be queen?

Answer 1

From the king's (Ahasuerus's) point of view, she was chosen as queen because she was the most beautiful and graceful of the women (Esther ch.2). From Mordecai's point of view, there was no choice in the matter. She was taken without regard to his feelings.

From God's point of view, she became queen because she would later use her position to save the Jews (Esther ch.3, ch.4, and ch.7; and especially 4:14).

See also the Related Links.

Link: More about Esther

Link: Archaeology

Link: Debunking Bible-criticism

Answer 2

The Book of Esther opens by telling us that King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of Persia held a great feast in his capital, Shushan, to celebrate the third year of his reign, while his consort, Queen Vashti held another feast for the women. On the seventh day of partying, Ahasuerus called for Vashti to be brought, so that the people and the princes could see her beauty, but she refused to come at the king's command, and he was angry (1:11-12). The wise men said this public disobedience could not go unpunished, lest women throughout the empire despise their husbands. Ahasuerus was told that his only option was to send Vashti away and find a new queen. The king's servants said he should appoint officers to search the kingdom for fair virgins, and whoever of these pleased Ahasuerus should be his queen.

The Book of Esther then tells us that Xerxes chose Esther to marry and become his queen. From a historical point of view, the two queens, Vashti and Esther, are both indisputably fictional. Leonard J Greenspoon, in The Oxford History of the Biblical World, 'Between Alexandria and Antioch: Jews and Judaism in the Hellenistic Period', says there was no known Jewish queen in Persia.

Answer 3

The Book of Esther never mentions God, not once. So, we can not say that God chose Esther for anything.

Answer 4

The Book of Esther states (ch.2) that the King found her to be the most beautiful and desirable.