Book of Esther Quiz: Part 1

1. The book of Esther opens with a grand feast given by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) in the Persian capital. Where was the feast held and how long did the celebration last?

1. In Babylon; the feast lasted 40 days to mark the king's third year on the throne
2. In Ecbatana; the feast lasted seven days
3. In Persepolis; the celebration lasted a full year as the king reviewed all his military commanders
4. In Susa; the king held a great banquet for 180 days to display his wealth, followed by a seven-day banquet for all the people

2. Queen Vashti was removed from her position because she refused to come when the king summoned her. Why had the king summoned her?

1. To consult her about matters of state before his military advisers
2. To display her beauty to the people and nobles — he wanted to show her off at his banquet
3. To officially bless the marriage of one of his officials whom the feast was celebrating
4. To present her with a royal gift publicly, honouring her as queen before the assembled guests

3. Why did the king's advisers urge him to punish Vashti severely and remove her permanently?

1. They argued that a queen who defied the king's authority had proven herself unfit to rule alongside him
2. They feared that without punishment, Vashti's refusal would become known throughout the empire and other wives would despise their husbands
3. They suspected Vashti was plotting against the king with foreign powers
4. They wanted a Greek wife for the king to strengthen the empire's western alliances

4. Who were Mordecai and Esther, and what was their relationship?

1. Mordecai was a merchant from the tribe of Judah who had taken in his niece Esther when her parents were killed in a Persian persecution
2. Mordecai was a Persian official who had adopted the Jewish girl Esther as his daughter after her parents died; they were from the tribe of Benjamin
3. Mordecai was Esther's father and a Levite priest who had been brought to Persia during the exile
4. Mordecai was Esther's uncle and guardian — a descendant of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin; Esther was his cousin, orphaned and raised as his own daughter

5. When Esther was taken into the palace as a candidate to replace Vashti, Mordecai gave her strict instructions. What did he tell her not to reveal?

1. Her Jewish nationality and family background
2. That she had already been promised to a young man from Benjamin before being brought to the palace
3. That she was observing Jewish dietary laws and feast days while in the palace
4. That she was related to Mordecai, who served at the king's gate

6. What did Esther do when she first arrived at the palace under Hegai's care, and how did people respond to her?

1. Esther pleased him and won his favour — he immediately provided her with beauty treatments and special food, gave her seven maids and moved her and her maids into the best quarters
2. She asked to observe Jewish customs and fasts, which impressed Hegai with her devotion and discipline
3. She performed exceptionally well in all the tests and was immediately moved to the head of the candidates
4. She was quiet and unassuming, not seeking favour, and this restraint made Hegai respect her above the others

7. How did King Ahasuerus respond when he saw Esther, and what did he do?

1. He chose Esther from among twelve finalists after a week of deliberation with his advisers
2. He immediately proclaimed her queen and held a great feast in her honour which became known throughout the provinces
3. He was pleased with her and asked her to come again the next day before making his decision
4. The king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti

8. While Mordecai sat at the king's gate, he discovered a plot. What was it, and what did he do?

1. He discovered that Haman was planning to divert tax revenues to fund a private army — he reported this to Esther who told the king in Mordecai's name
2. He discovered that the king's treasury was being systematically robbed by corrupt officials and reported it through proper channels
3. He learned that a Persian faction was planning to restore Vashti as queen — he reported this to the palace officials
4. He overheard two of the king's officers plotting to assassinate King Ahasuerus — he told Esther and the plot was thwarted; the incident was recorded in the royal annals

9. Haman the Agagite was elevated by King Ahasuerus above all the other nobles. Why was Mordecai singled out for Haman's hatred?

1. Haman was an Amalekite and knew that Mordecai from the tribe of Benjamin was descended from Saul who had defeated his people
2. Mordecai had publicly criticised Haman's appointment as being an insult to the older, more experienced nobles
3. Mordecai had reported corruption involving Haman's family to the king's officials years earlier
4. Mordecai refused to kneel down or pay honour to Haman — and when Haman learned Mordecai was a Jew, his contempt expanded to all the Jewish people

10. How did Haman determine the best month and day to carry out the massacre of the Jews?

1. He asked the king's astrologers to determine the day when Persian power over foreign peoples was at its greatest
2. He cast the pur (lot) in the presence of Haman — and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (Adar)
3. He chose the anniversary of a great Persian military victory — a day already associated with the defeat of enemies
4. He consulted the Zoroastrian priests who read the stars and identified the most auspicious day

11. Haman approached King Ahasuerus with a request to destroy 'a certain people.' What argument did he make to the king, and what did he offer?

1. He claimed the Jews were planning a revolt and had secret communications with Persia's enemies — offering his personal forces to put down the threat
2. He presented forged evidence that the Jews had been conspiring with Egypt and offered to remove them if given the authority to do so
3. He said these people were a threat to Persian security — disloyal and dangerous — and offered to manage the operation himself
4. He told the king there was a group of people scattered throughout the provinces whose customs were different from others and who did not obey the king's laws — offering to pay ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to destroy them

12. When Mordecai learned of the edict, he mourned publicly. When Esther was told of his mourning, she sent clothes for him. Why did he refuse them?

1. He could not put on clothes while he was in mourning and wearing sackcloth — he sent back the clothes and a message about the edict
2. He saw the clothing as a bribe to make him quiet down and would not accept anything that might silence his protest
3. He was fasting in preparation for death and would not accept any comfort until God had answered his prayer
4. The clothing was from the Persian court and he refused to wear anything associated with the king who had signed his people's death warrant

13. Esther's first response to Mordecai's plea was to explain her hesitation. What was the law she described?

1. Anyone, man or woman, who approached the king in the inner court without being summoned would be put to death — unless the king extended his golden sceptre, which meant he would live
2. Only the king's council of seven could present petitions — anyone else who entered the inner court would be killed unless the king extended his golden sceptre
3. The queen was forbidden from appearing in public during a royal edict — she had to wait for the official mourning period to pass before approaching the king
4. Women were not permitted to discuss matters of state with the king — such petitions had to go through the chief eunuch

14. Mordecai's famous reply to Esther's hesitation is one of the key speeches in the book. What did he say?

1. 'Esther, do not think that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. You must act or perish with us'
2. 'Esther, God has placed you here for a reason — if you trust him and go to the king, he will protect you, for he has never abandoned his people'
3. 'Esther, if you remain silent now, relief and deliverance will come from another place — but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'
4. 'Esther, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not preserve us in Babylon only to abandon us now. Trust in him and do what must be done'

15. Esther's response to Mordecai showed her transformation from hesitant to courageous. What did she say and do?

1. She asked Mordecai to arrange for prayers at the synagogue and promised to go to the king after the Sabbath
2. She asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa to fast for three days on her behalf — then she would go to the king, saying 'If I perish, I perish'
3. She prayed through the night and then went to the king the next morning without further delay
4. She told Mordecai she was not afraid to die and would go immediately — without waiting or asking for prayers

16. When Esther approached the king unsummoned and he saw her, what happened?

1. He extended his golden sceptre to her and asked 'What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you'
2. He immediately summoned his guards but then recognised Esther and commanded them to stand down
3. The king rose from his throne, came down to meet her and asked what was troubling her
4. The king was angry at first but then saw her distress and extended his golden sceptre — Esther touched the top of it

17. Rather than making her request immediately, Esther invited the king to a banquet. Then at that banquet, she asked for another banquet the next day. What strategy was she employing?

1. She needed more time to pray and fast before asking her real request, so she delayed with two banquets
2. She was afraid and could not bring herself to make the request — the second banquet was another postponement driven by fear
3. She was building the king's anticipation and goodwill — and gaining time to ensure Haman was present when her revelation would have maximum impact
4. She was following a Persian court protocol that required petitions to be presented only at the third meeting

18. Haman left Esther's first banquet elated — but his mood was immediately ruined. By whom and how?

1. He learned that Esther's identity as a Jew was about to be revealed and that he was about to be exposed
2. He passed Mordecai at the king's gate who still refused to bow or show deference, and Haman's fury returned
3. He received news that some of the provincial governors were refusing to enforce his edict
4. His wife reminded him of all the humiliations Mordecai had caused him, amplifying his rage

19. At his wife Zeresh's suggestion, Haman ordered a gallows to be built before his house. What were its dimensions and what did he plan to do with it?

1. Fifteen cubits high; he planned to hang Mordecai on it and then ask the king to let it stand as a monument to his enemies' fate
2. Fifty cubits high — about seventy-five feet; he planned to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on it the next morning before going to Esther's banquet
3. Thirty cubits high; he planned to display Mordecai's body there as a warning to anyone else who might show disrespect to Persian officials
4. Twenty cubits high — about thirty feet; he planned to have Mordecai hanged privately without involving the king

20. The book of Esther is unique in the Old Testament for a striking omission. What is it?

1. God is never directly mentioned by name in the entire book
2. It contains no reference to the temple, the priesthood or any sacrificial ceremony
3. No character prays explicitly in the book — fasting is mentioned but no prayer is recorded
4. The book contains no law, prophecy or direct revelation from God — it reads entirely as a historical narrative