Experts Recommend OT Commentaries: Esther
Dr. Chloe Sun (Book of Esther)
OT Commentary Recommendations: Rebooted!
A handful of years ago, I had a blog series where I asked OT experts to weigh in on their recommendations for OT commentaries. For one reason or another (during the pandemic), I left the series incomplete, and lately I have been motivated to do a reboot! So, for a while we will repost the originals (we had gotten through Psalms), and then add brand new ones to complete the series. So, to be clear, if you followed the old series, you will notice we are reposting them with slight updates and modifications to fit Substack.
Experts Recommend OT Commentaries: Book of Esther
Today we have Dr. Chloe T. Sun, professor of Old Testament at Fuller Seminary. Her publications include The Ethics of Violence in the Story of Aqhat (Gorgias), Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora (Eerdmans) and Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther (IVP Academic)
Commentaries on Esther
Dr. Chloe Sun
Technical
Carey A. Moore, Esther: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1971.
This is a classic commentary on Esther which includes a lengthy introduction on canonicity, the absence of religious elements, the reception history of Esther and the Greek versions of Esther. The footnotes in the commentary section provide textual variants and draw on both primary and secondary resources to illuminate the meaning of each verse. The list of illustrations (photos) and maps are helpful in visualizing the context of the book.
Lewis Bayles Paton, The Book of Esther: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary. International Critical Commentary. T & T Clark, 1976.
This is another classic commentary on Esther. It covers extensive discussions of different versions of the book of Esther including both Hebrew and Greek texts and their respective history of recension. Readers will also find helpful Esther’s history of interpretation from earliest Jewish exegesis to the modern critical period.
Frederic W. Bush, Ruth/Esther. Word Biblical Commentary 9. Waco, Tex. Word Books, 1996.
In this commentary series, each chapter starts with a bibliography, author’s translation of the text, critical notes followed by form/structure/setting, comments of the verses, and ends with explanations. I find this commentary, though technical, full of theological insights.
Semi-Technical
Adele Berlin, The JPS Bible Commentary: Esther. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2001.
This commentary juxtaposes the Hebrew text along with its English translation and then provides exegetical insights. The discussion of the genre of the book of Esther is helpful, especially in light of the author’s sensitivity to literary artistry of the text.
Jon D. Levenson, Esther: A Commentary. Old Testament Library. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
After a succinct introduction addressing key aspects of the book of Esther, the commentary section includes the Septuagint version of Esther. The literary structure of Esther (Figure 2, p. 8) has shaped later commentators’ interpretation of the book. I also like the theological insights of this commentary.
Non-Technical
Karen H. Jobes, Esther. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1999.
This commentary series aims to bridge the ancient context with that of the contemporary one. Each chapter is divided by Esther’s literary unit, from stating its original meaning to bridging context to contemporary significance. The annotated bibliography on Esther (pp. 52-55) is helpful in providing the secondary literature on the book of Esther.
Sun’s Recent Work
Thank you, Dr. Sun! Definitely check out her 2021 book Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther.
