What was Queen Esther’s Relationship to Mordechai?

Question

Do we know what was Queen Esther's relationship to Mordecai, based on textual variants¹ in the Book of Esther?

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¹ Queen Esther’s Relationship to Mordechai in Jewish and Christian tradition

Answer 1

The relationship between Queen Esther and Mordecai is described in the Book of Esther chapter 2 from verses 5 to 7. There are total five translations: including the earliest two Greek texts from the Septuagint (200s BC) and St. Lucian of Antioch (AD 200s), one Aramaic Targum (AD 200s), and one Latin Vulgate by St. Jerome (AD 400s), and the latest one Hebrew Masoretic text (AD 900s).

The Hebrew Masoretic text agrees with the other three texts including a Greek translation by St. Lucian of Antioch, a Targum Aramaic translation, and a Latin translation by St. Jerome. Describing Esther and Mordecai's relationship as first cousin, "[Mordecai's] uncle’s daughter."

Hebrew Masoretic of Esther 2:5-7

Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Hebrew Masoretic of Esther 2:5-7, NASB.

Similar to the Hebrew Masoretic text, St. Lucian of Antioch translated an abridged edition of the text into Greek. In which she is associated as Mordecai's first cousin, "a daughter of the brother of his father."

Greek Lucian of Esther 2:5-7

Now there was a Judean man in Susa the city, whose name was Mardochaios son of Iaerios son of Semeias son of Kisaios, of the tribe of Benjamin. And he was faithfully bringing up Esther, a daughter of the brother of his father. And the child was very beautiful in appearance and lovely to see.

Greek Lucian of Esther 2:5-7, NETS.

In the oldest Greek text, the Septuagint portrayed a picture of Esther's relationship to Mordecai according to the Rabbinical Jewish tradition as his wife.

Greek Septuagint of Esther 2:5-7

Now there was a Judean man in Susa the city, and his name was Mardochaios the son of Iairos son of Semeias son of Kisaios, from the tribe of Benjamin, who was an exile from Ierousalem, which Nabouchodonosor, king of Babylon, had taken captive. And this man had a foster child, a daughter of Aminadab, his father's brother, and her name was Esther. And when her parents died, he trained her for himself as a wife. And the girl was beautiful in appearance.

Greek Septuagint of Esther 2:5-7, NETS.

An Attempt to Explain the Textual Variants

In Esther 2:17 there is a reference to both 'women' and 'virgin.' It's seem that the two terms must designate separate categories. The fact that the text doesn't refer to Esther as a virgin but does include her among the young women as well as the women (a word that also means wives) it seems reasonable to suggest that a married relationship between Esther and Mordecai was possible.

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

NASB Esther 2:17

It's possible to conclude that the author of Greek Esther made an intentional decision in the use of the word 'wife' in verse 2:7. A key text that would have influenced the author of Greek Esther to use the word for 'wife' in 2:7 is the use of the verb that means 'to take' in the Hebrew text. This is a verb used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible in relation to taking a wife. Because this verb is used to describe the action of Mordecai towards Esther, it's probable that the author of Greek Esther interpreted this to mean that Mordecai had raised Esther for the purpose of taking her as a wife. In fact, the ancient Near Eastern practice of adoption-marriages, "in which a man would adopt a child with the intention of marrying her when she was old enough,"¹ may have supported this interpretation.

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¹ Michael V. Fox, Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther (1991), 276.

Answer 2

By no mean, was the queen Esther a secret wife. Because or her beauty and well behave she was brought to the king. Of course Esther was from Israel. The king former wife showed very little, or no respect at all for the King. And that misconduct causes her to be put away from the king. Envy on the part of the none Jew people a secretly attack was prepare. But because the faithful obedience of the Jew, their God delivered them from their hands of their enemies.