Mordecai, Part 2

Early in the story portrayed in the book of Esther, Mordecai’s character is contrasted with that of King Xerxes. While Xerxes was using his power to take women from their families, and to deprive them of ever having a family of their own (concubines would have only been called for if the king remembered their name. Given that probably thousands of women were taken for the process of finding a new Queen, it was likely that many of these women lived in the King’s harem until they died, bereft of any children or other family structure), Mordecai takes Esther, his cousin, into his own house due to the death of her parents. [1]

Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given to them. Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly. Esther 2:2-4.

He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Esther 2:7.

Thus, while Xerxes was dividing families in his lustful and highly sexualized search for a new Queen, Mordecai, honored his uncle and provided for his family by raising Esther. Mordecai created a new family where many were being destroyed.

Now, it is at the king’s gate that Mordecai’s regard for Jewish custom and law comes through when he refuses to bow to Haman. Haman demanded unmerited reverence that would have been similar to recognizing him as divine (Esther 3:3-4).[2] The fact that there was a command by the king that everyone needed to bow to Haman indicates that he was not necessarily a man to be reverenced for any other reason (Esther 3:2).[3] Rather than adhere to the “office politics” of the day, Mordecai held himself to the higher standard of his faith and refused to bow to an ungodly man.

Haman began his plot soon after this event to, not just get rid of Mordecai, but to get rid of all the Jews as well. He was humiliated though, when King Xerxes specially honors Mordecai after realizing his oversight in not doing so previously when the plot to assassinate the king was uncovered (Esther 2:21-23, 6:4-11). As Mordecai’s prominence among the court officials grew with this recognition, Haman became even more enraged at the humiliation he experienced at the hands of a foreigner. Ironically, Mordecai’s recognition  could have only served to encourage him more in his refusal to bow down to Haman, even if it did not necessarily change his status within the palace (Esther 6:12-14). Finally at the end of the story, after Haman was removed from his position and killed, Mordecai was promoted to second in the kingdom (Esther 7:10, 8:15).

Mordecai’s growing reputation reflected the growing fear the other nations had of the Jews. As this was the case, Esther 9:3 indicates that other government officials sought to help the Jews defend themselves against their enemies on the prescribed day. Their voluntary service was most likely an effort to find favor with Mordecai, whose power continued to grow.[4] However in spite of Mordecai’s power and reputation he still carried out his duties with justice, and had a regard for righteousness in state affairs, as demonstrated by the city of Susa’s celebration of his promotion (Esther 8:15-16).[5] Joyce Baldwin concludes, “In making these his aims for the total Israelite population of the empire [Mordecai] would secure prosperity also for the other countries as a whole. Such an effective leader was likely to be popular and revered, not only by his own people but also by the population at large.”[6] Thus, after he oversaw the destruction of the enemies of the Jews, Mordecai effectively fulfilled the Abrahamic Covenant by helping to bless other nations.[7]

Mordecai’s identity was firmly grounded in Jewish theology and values. Though he worked in a secular position as a palace courtier and later as the second highest ranking officer in the kingdom, his concern was first and foremost for his people. In both positions he would deal with different cultures and ways of life. Therefore, his worldview had to be large enough to encompass all the perspectives of the nations he would rule over, yet focused enough through his Jewish heritage to use the wisdom he gained in a righteous manner to the benefit of the Jews and the entire kingdom.

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[1] Jon D. Levenson, Esther: A Commentary, The Old Testament Library (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997), 58.

[2] Joyce G. Baldwin, Esther, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1984), 72.

[3] Baldwin, Esther, 72.

[4] Baldwin, Esther, 103.

[5] Baldwin, Esther, 115. This idea is actually a bit more complex, given the thousands of Persians that die. However, the Abrahamic covenant affirmed that God would “bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse (Genesis 12:3).” As Haman and others like him sought to curse and kill the Jews (Esther 3:5-6), God provided a deliverance for His people (Esther 9:1-2). The second half of Genesis 12:3 says, “and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Therefore, after the enemies of the Jews were destroyed, God then provided a blessing for those who had not tried to harm the Jews. This blessing was the person of Mordecai and his position of second in the Persian kingdom.

[6] Baldwin, Esther, 115.

[7] Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, New American Commentary 10 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1993), 370.