Bible Verses About Esther: 12

"Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." … Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.""

— Esther 4:13-16; 7:3-4 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about Esther want Scripture on 'Ecter — Queen Esther who fasted, risked the king's court, and pleaded for her people — not only courage alone, prayer alone, or Deborah alone as generic themes. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about courage, Bible verses about prayer, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about trust, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about deliverance, Bible verses about obedience, Bible verses about Deborah, Bible verses about Ruth, Bible verses about Nehemiah, Bible verses about Ezra, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about Christ, and Bible verse of the day. Esther here means the queen of the book of Esther — distinct from generic courage lists and from Deborah or Ruth exclusives alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Hebrew, אֶסְתֵּר 'Ecter (Strong's H635; Bible Hub H635) — Esther. In Esther 4 she answers Mordecai's call "for such a time as this"; she and the Jews fast; in Esther 7 she names her petition before the king. This list tracks that Esther inventory — not courage-alone twelve or prayer-alone twelve.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 4 presses Esther's resolve when Mordecai urges her not to stay silent (Bible Hub MHC Esther 4; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Esther 4). (Courage, prayer, and Deborah pages live elsewhere; this list centers Esther.)

12 Bible verses about Esther

Esther 2:7. "Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died." Hadassah also called Esther — raised by Mordecai. See Bible verses about faith.
Esther 2:17. "Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti." Crown set — Esther made queen. See Bible verses about hope.
Esther 4:8. "He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people." Plead for her people — Mordecai instructs. See Bible verses about prayer.
Esther 4:13-14. "Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"" For such a time as this. See Bible verses about courage.
Esther 4:15-16. "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."" Fast three days — if I perish, I perish. See Bible verses about prayer.
Esther 5:1-2. "On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter." Gold scepter held out — Esther approaches. See Bible verses about trust.
Esther 5:3. "Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."" What is your request — up to half the kingdom. See Bible verses about hope.
Esther 7:3-4. "Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king."" Grant me my life — spare my people. See Bible verses about deliverance.
Esther 7:5-6. "King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?" Esther said, "An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen." This vile Haman — named. See Bible verses about courage.
Esther 8:5-6. ""If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?"" Overrule the dispatches — how can I bear. See Bible verses about faith.
Esther 9:1. "On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them." Tables turned — Jews got the upper hand. See Bible verses about deliverance.
Esther 9:20-22. "Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." Sorrow turned to joy — Purim remembered. See Bible verses about worship.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need Esther — not twelve as a grind. If you need "for such a time as this," start at Esther 4:13–14. If you need the fast and "if I perish, I perish," open Esther 4:15–16. If you need the petition before the king, open Esther 7:3–4. For Nehemiah's wall rebuild in the same era of return, open Bible verses about Nehemiah. For Ezra the scribe of the Law, open Bible verses about Ezra. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about Esther?

Esther 4:13–16 is the clear starting place; Esther 7:3–4 presses her petition for her people.

How do Bible verses about Esther differ from courage alone?

Courage pages gather being brave in general. This list centers Queen Esther — Mordecai's call, the three-day fast, and the banquet petition.

What Hebrew word sits under Esther?

'Ecter (H635) — Esther.

Why isn't a generic prayer list the exclusive center of this page?

Those exclusive prayer leads stay on the prayer hub so the lists stay distinct (this page owns the Esther "for such a time" and fast inventory above).

How is Esther different from Deborah alone?

Deborah pages gather the prophetess-judge of Judges 4–5. This list centers Esther the queen who risked the court for the Jews in Persia.