Purim

Biblical Text

Purim is instituted in Esther 9:20–32. During the reign of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, the royal official Haman resolved to destroy the entire Jewish people after Mordecai refused to bow to him. He cast lots to fix a date (Esther 3:7), and a decree was then issued ordering the destruction of the Jews on the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month (Esther 3:13). Queen Esther risked her life to approach the king and expose Haman's scheme, and Haman was executed. A new decree was then issued allowing the Jews to defend themselves, and on the appointed day they overcame their enemies (Esther 8–9).

Afterward Mordecai sent letters to the Jews in every province, instructing them to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar each year with feasting and gladness, sending portions to one another, and giving gifts to the poor (Esther 9:20–22). Esther also sent a letter confirming these instructions (Esther 9:29–32).

Name and Background

"Purim" is the plural of "pur," which the Bible explains as meaning "the lot" (Esther 3:7; 9:24–26). The festival takes its name from Haman's casting of lots to determine the date. It is widely accepted that pur is a loanword from Akkadian.

The text also explains why the festival lasts two days. The Jews in the provinces fought on the thirteenth and rested on the fourteenth, while the Jews in the capital, Shushan, fought on the thirteenth and fourteenth and rested on the fifteenth (Esther 9:17–19). Ahasuerus is commonly identified with Xerxes I, although scholars differ on the historicity and dating of the narrative.

Purim is not a festival prescribed in the Law of Moses. Because it was instituted after the exile, it is distinguished from the festivals of the Law such as Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The name of God never appears explicitly in the Hebrew text of Esther. Even so, the book tells a story in which seemingly coincidental events converge to bring about the deliverance of God's people. For this reason, church tradition has read the book and the festival of Purim as illustrating the hidden working of God's providence.

Purim is not mentioned by name in the New Testament. Some interpret "a feast of the Jews" in John 5:1 as Purim, but others identify it as Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, or another festival, and the question remains unsettled.

Interpretive Issues

• Canonicity: Esther is known to be one of the books whose inclusion in the canon was debated in antiquity. No manuscript of Esther has been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Septuagint version of Esther contains additions, such as prayers, that are absent from the Hebrew text. The Catholic Church accepts these additions as Scripture, whereas Protestants regard only the Hebrew text as canonical.
• The killing of enemies: Interpretations differ concerning the record that the Jews killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies (Esther 9:16). Some regard this as self-defense authorized by the king's decree, while others hold that its ethical implications require separate consideration.
• Distinguishing the text from later customs: In Judaism today, the scroll of Esther is read aloud in the synagogue. Congregants make noise to drown out Haman's name whenever it is read, and there is also a custom of wearing costumes. These practices are later traditions and do not appear in the text. By contrast, sharing food and giving to the poor are grounded in Esther 9:22. The fast on the thirteenth of Adar is explained by connecting it with "the matters of the fastings and their cry" in Esther 9:31.

In the Korean Church

Because Purim is not part of the liturgical calendar, Korean churches do not observe it as a separate occasion. The text of Esther, however, is frequently preached. In particular, "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) and "if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16) are widely quoted in sermons on calling and commitment. The title of If I Perish (Korean: Jugeumyeon jugeurira), the memoir of Ahn Ei-sook, who refused to take part in Shinto shrine worship, is also understood to derive from Esther 4:16.