Finding Morality in the Diaspora?: Moral Ambiguity and Transformed Morality in the Books of Esther

292 Pages·2003·8.841 MB·English

by  Charles D. Harvey

Charles D. Harvey
Finding Morality in the Diaspora?
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Herausgegeben von
Otto Kaiser
Band 328
W
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2003
Charles D. Harvey
Finding Morality in the Diaspora?
Moral Ambiguity and Transformed Morality
in the Books of Esther
w
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2003
© Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines of the ANSI
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© Copyright 2003 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, D-10785 Berlin
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Printed in Germany
Cover design: Christopher Schneider, Berlin
Foreword
This project is a revised and updated version of my Ph.D. thesis of the same
title (University of Edinburgh, 2000). Its appearance in the series "Beihefte
zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft" is indeed an honour
and I am grateful to all those who have made this possible. I would like to
thank Prof. Dr. Otto Kaiser, editor of the series BZAW, for showing interest
in the project and recommending it for publication with Walter de Gruyter.
The commissioning editor at de Gruyter, Dr. Albrecht Döhnert, deserves
many thanks for his kind and generous assistance throughout the publication
process. I have greatly valued the ongoing friendship and personal interest of
Prof. A. Graeme Auld and Prof. Iain W. Provan throughout the life of this
project. Their encouragement throughout has been steadfast and upbuilding. I
would also like to express my appreciation to Dr. David J. Reimer, Dr.
Timothy H. Lim, and Dr. Alison Salvesen for the time they invested in earlier
stages of the project. Many others have ventured with me at different points
throughout this process and have offered much in the way of friendship, ad-
vice, and encouragement. I wish to express my gratitude to Brian Aucker,
Iain Duguid, Paul House, John Lewellen, Troy Miller, Jeffrey Privette, Ka
Leung Wong, and my colleagues at Taylor University. These broad and vari-
ous contributions have not gone unnoticed; they are much appreciated and
have brought clarity to this project in many ways. The love and support of my
family has been a consistent source of blessing all through my life in intangi-
ble and tangible ways. I thank you all for your care and prayers. I would like
to highlight several who have been especially close to this work. Henry and
Julia Harvey, my parents, have been unwavering in their support for me. In a
wonderful way, this is what they do, and I am among the beneficiaries of
their love and kindness. My three children, Hannah, Fiona, and Pavel, are
ever generous with their affection and cause me often to (re)adjust my per-
spective. And most significantly, my heartfelt appreciation goes to Meribeth,
my wife of almost ten years now. For more than half of that time, Esther has
been in our midst. For your patience, good humour, care, and especially your
love, I am deeply grateful. None is this could have happened without you.
C.D.H.
4 Lent 2003

Contents
Abbreviations xi
Part I: Approximations & Anticipations
1 Introduction
1.0 Context 1
1.1 Delimitation of Texts 3
1.2 A Brief Description of the Esther Texts to be Studied 4
1.2.1 The Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) 4
1.2.2 The Greek text found in the Septuagint (LXX) 5
1.2.3 The Greek Alpha-Text (AT) 8
1.3 Versification 12
1.4 Explanation of Procedure 12
1.4.1 Approach to the Esther texts 13
1.4.2 Textual selectivity 14
1.4.3 Describing moral character 15
1.4.4 Towards and assessment of moral character 15
Part II: Elucidations & Evaluations
2 Moral Character in the MT
2.0 Introduction 19
2.1 Vashti
2.1.1 Refusal to appear when summoned (1.9-12) 20
2.2 Esther
2.2.1 Concealment of Jewishness (2.10, 20) 22
2.2.2 Winning the favour and love of the king (2.17a) 24
2.2.3 Apprehension about transgressing the law (4.11) 27
2.2.4 An unoptimistic submission (4.16) 29
2.2.5 Tact at the second banquet (7.1-8) 35
viii Contents
2.2.6 The vengeful queen (9.13) 39
2.3 Mordecai
2.3.1 A joint policing operation (2.21-23) 43
2.3.2 Refusal to bow before Haman (3.1-4) 45
2.3.3 Refusal to transgress court regulations (4.2) 48
2.3.4 A joint or unilateral counter-edict? (8.8-10) 49
2.3.5 The wording of the counter-edict (8.11) 52
2.4 Haman
2.4.1 Calculating plans for genocide (3.5-8) 55
2.4.2 Self-controlled, boastful, yet with no satisfaction (5.9-13) 59
2.4.3 Adopted plans for personal satisfaction (5.14) 60
2.4.4 Condemned for the appearance of evil (7.7-8) 62
2.5 The Jews
2.5.1 13 Adar (9.1-10, 16) 63
2.5.2 14 Adar (9.15) 67
2.6 The King (ΡήϊψΠί*)
2.6.1 Passive in the banishment of Vashti (1.16-22) 68
2.6.2 A most passive judiciary role (2.23) 70
2.6.3 An accomplice in plans for genocide (3.10-11) 72
2.6.4 Justice at the second banquet (7.8-10) 74
2.6.5 An accomplice in vengeance (9.14) 76
3 Moral Character in the LXX
3.0 Introduction 79
3.1 Astin
3.1.1 Refusal to appear when summoned (1.10-12) 80
3.2 Esther
3.2.1 Concealment of Jewishness (2.10, 20) 82
3.2.2 Apprehension about transgressing the law (4.11) 84
3.2.3 Apprehension not totally reversed (4.16) 87
3.2.4 Imprecatory petitions (c.22c, 24) 89
3.2.5 Appearing as a pious Jewess (C.25b-29) 92
3.2.6 Tact at the second banquet (7.1-8) 94
3.2.7 The vengeful queen? (9.13) 98
3.3 Mardochaios
3.3.1 Loyalty seeking justice (A. 12-13) 100
3.3.2 A joint policing operation (2.21-23) 103
3.3.3 Refusal to bow before Aman (3.1-4; C.5-7) 105
3.3.4 A cry of injustice (4.1) 109
3.3.5 Refusal to transgress court regulations (4.2) 110
Contents ix
3.4 Aman
3.4.1 Seeds of hatred (A. 17) Ill
3.4.2 Concrete plans for genocide (3.5-9) 112
3.4.3 Genocide for the good of the kingdom (B.2-7) 114
3.4.4 Sinister satisfaction (5.9-14) 116
3 .4.5 A final portrait - civil and divine censure (E.2-14, 17-18) 118
3.5 The Jews
3.5.1 A disparaging portrait (3.8; B.4-5) 120
3.5.2 A cry from the community (C. 11 [F.6a]) 121
3.5.3 A reason for their plight? (C. 17-18) 122
3.5.4 Alicense to use their own laws and customs (8.11a; E.19b) 123
3.5.5 A reversing portrait (E. 15-16) 124
3.5.6 13 Adar (9.1-2, 6-10, 16) 125
3.5.7 14 Adar (9.15) 128
3.6 The King (Αρταξέρξης)
3.6.1 Decisive action (A. 14) 128
3.6.2 Order in the court (2.23a) 129
3.6.3 A deceived accomplice (3.9-11; E.5-6) 130
3.6.4 A spiritual transformation (D.8) 132
3.6.5 A joint role in the production of the counter-edict? (8.8-1 la) .... 133
3.6.6 A partner in dealings with enemies (9.14) 136
4 Moral Character in the AT
4.0 Introduction 137
4.1 Ouastin
4.1.1 Refusal to appear when summoned (1.9-12) 138
4.2 Esther
4.2.1 Apprehension as the Jews face danger (4.7b-8) 140
4.2.2 Reversal of apprehension (4.11) 144
4.2.3 Imprecatory petitions (4.23b, 25b) 146
4.2.4 Appearing as a pious Jewess (4.25e-28) 148
4.2.5 Tact at the second banquet (6.23c-7.12a) 151
4.2.6 The vengeful queen (7.18-21, 46a) 156
4.3 Mardochaios
4.3.1 Loyalty seeking justice (A. 11-14) 159
4.3.2 Refusal to bow before Aman (3.1-4; 4.15) 162
4.3.3 Refusal to transgress court regulations (4.2) 166
4.3.4 Instructing Esther (4.4b-c) 167
4.3 .5 Obedience to Aman (6.15-16) 168
Contents
x
4.4 Aman
4.4.1 Seeds of hatred (Α. 17-18) 171
4.4.2 Heightened enmity (3.5-6, 8-9) 173
4.4.3 Representing the king, having the edict written (3.16-18) 176
4.4.4 Boasting before friends and family (5.20-22) 178
4.4.5 Adopted plans for personal satisfaction (5.23-24) 180
4.4.6 A final portrait - civil and divine censure (7.23-26, 28, 31b) 182
4.5 The Jews
4.5.1 The cries of the people - opening frame (A.6b) 185
4.5.2 A maliciously disparaging portrait (3.8, 16-18) 186
4.5.3 A reason for their plight? (4.2) 187
4.5.4 The righteous laws of the Jews (7.27, 29) 188
4.5.5 Bloody conflicts (7.44, 46c) 189
4.5.6 The cries of the people - closing frame (7.58) 192
4.6 The King (Ασσυήρος)
4.6.1 An independent judicial decision (A. 14) 192
4.6.2 Royal boasting (1.1-8; 7.50) 193
4.6.3 An accomplice in plans for genocide (3.11-10, 17-18; 5.23b) .... 194
4.6.4 A spiritual transformation (5.7) 196
4.6.5 Changed allegiance (7.23-32) 198
4.6.6 Complicity in the vengeance of Esther (7.18, 21, 46c) 200
Part III: Extrapolations & Adumbrations
5 Assessing Conclusions
5.0 Introduction 205
5.1 Assessing Moral Character in the Hebrew Book of Esther 205
5.2 Assessing Moral Character in the Greek Books of Esther 212
5.2.1 The question of historical contexts 212
5.2.2 The transformation of moral character 216
5.2.3 LXX 225
5.2.4 AT 228
5.3 Final Conclusions 230
Bibliography 233
Index of Authors 259
Index of Biblical Texts 265