ASSIGNMENT:
Read Esther 4:6-11
Answer the following in your notebook...
1. After Mordecai explained the situation to Hathach (the king’s eunuch) and provided him with a copy of the annihilation edict, what request did he send to Esther?
2. What was Esther’s first reaction to Mordecai’s request?
According to this response, what would you surmise is her major concern?
Historical Note
From the Greek historian, Herodotus, we learn about Persian court protocol for an audience with the king: a request for an audience with the king was sent through the king’s messenger-eunuch and, if approved, the king would issue an invitation to the one seeking an audience. There were only 7 men in the court (known as the King’s Friends) who were permitted to approach the king without invitation. Haman had such access to Xerxes, but Esther did not.
