Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 86:2 (Fall 2024)
Article: “Who Knows Whether You Have Not Come To The Kingdom For Such A Time As This?”: An Intertextual And Biblical-Theological Study Of Esther
Author: Lingfeng Yang

“Who Knows Whether You Have Not Come To The Kingdom For Such A Time As This?”: An Intertextual And Biblical-Theological Study Of Esther

Lingfeng Yang

The Esther Scroll is among the most underappreciated books in the canon and often not treated along with other OT historical books as part of the mainstream of redemptive history. This dissertation aims at correcting this misconception through an intertextual study of the Scroll with reference to three other canonical texts and demonstrating that the Scroll is an integral part of OT redemptive history that shares common central theological concerns with other canonical books based on these multiple intertextualities.

Without excluding the diachronic aspect, this study heavily leans towards the synchronic side of intertextual research as its methodological basis to link the Scroll to the reference texts. The most fundamental strategy implemented consistently throughout the dissertation is a joint consideration of textual and contextual parallels between the Scroll and the reference texts to identify and establish their intertextual relationships.

Centered at the hinge of the Scroll with a special interest in the dominant theme of mourning in Esth 4, the intertextual research takes three texts, from Zechariah (chapters 3–4 and 6:9–15), 2 Chronicles (chapter 30), and Judges (chapter 11). According to the methodological strategy outlined above, the Scroll’s intertextualities with these reference texts are investigated on both textual and contextual grounds.

After establishing the intertextualities between the Scroll and the reference texts, the dissertation further explores the biblical theological significance of the Scroll. While each intertextuality has its own theological uniqueness, a theme consistent across all three is the special interest in Mordecai’s dual office of kingship and priesthood. This is not only a critical development of the Scroll’s theology within the OT, but also has a far-reaching impact on NT theology based on Mordecai’s typological value in prefiguring Christ. In this regard, Mordecai’s dual office—especially his priestly role—is extensively examined against several passages in the Epistle to the Hebrews.