Espresso with Esther

Coffee Cup Bible Studies

by Sandra L. Glahn

The Book of Esther is the only Bible book besides Ruth that is named after a woman. It is also unique in that it never mentions the name of God.

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2006

About the author

Dr. Sandra Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author or co-author of more than twenty books, including the Coffee Cup Bible Study series. Her forthcoming work, Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament, is slated for an October 2023 release.

Reviews

[Nicki Elson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Either this the author has a chip on her shoulder about Esther or was purposely inserting a new (not wholly founded) angle on the poor girl for the purpose of setting her study book apart from others. I did this study to dig further into this Biblical book, not to be tainted by someone else's opinion.

I sometimes felt led by this study into areas not intended by the story of Esther. For example, the study author makes a big deal about how Esther MUST have disregarded her people's rules regarding diet. It's true she hid her heritage after being instructed by Mordecai to do so, but nowhere in the story does it confirm that she ate incorrectly. As a matter of fact, in Esther 2:9 it states that Hegai, the King's servant, ordered Esther "a special menu." If anything, we have evidence that Esther DID abide by the Jewish diet.

Here's another example of where I think the study makes an attempt to twist things: In Esther 4:14, Mordecai says to Esther when she balks at approaching the king, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, God will deliver the Jews from some other source, but you and your relatives will die." About this passage, the study author says, "So is Mordecai threatening to 'out' her if she doesn't out herself? Many scholars think so." Not exactly sure what her definition of "many" is. Certainly not the majority. Mordecai was being forceful w/ Esther here, helping her to make the right decision, but he'd raised the girl as his own child, stood by the gate once she went to the palace for the chance to hear how she was doing. He would NOT turn around and threaten her. And how would him threatening to "out" her even make sense as a strategic move for him? It wouldn't improve his position and would only lose him his people's ace in the hole in the palace.

I lost interest in continuing this study. I'm not a Bible expert and felt it wasn't a good idea to continue on a study that's so clearly not objective and not honest about when it strays from traditional interpretation.

Oh, also, the translation used within the text of this study---the NET Bible by Biblical Studies Press---is horrible! It's like chewing on cardboard.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have done a few of Sandra Glahn's Coffee Cup Bible Studies. I have also done other studies of Esther. So, this study was not my top one of hers because I already knew the material well. But, I still learned some new perspectives about the text. Glahn also incorporated other scripture in this study, which was helpful for circumstance comparison (i.e. Daniel and King Saul). What I like most about these studies is that they include a 7-day schedule with about 20 minutes of daily work. This study required a bit more reading, so it took longer than 20 minutes. The questions are more fill-in-the-blank in style, but there are some good application questions. I like, too, the all the scripture text is included. The binding is also spiral making it easy to tote. So, if you are looking for a lighter study to do on your own or with a small group over the summer, I would recommend this series.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glahn has put together an interesting and thought provoking study on Esther. The daily chapters are fairly short, although there are occasional days when they are longer and take more time (but still nothing more than 30 minutes a day) so it's easy to fit into a schedule. This study includes the Scripture verses being studied directly in the book which is handy to have with you.

My only complaint about this study is that some of the questions can be difficult to answer with very little guidance if you don't understand a question or two. Nearly all of them are very straightforward but there were a couple that I found tricky.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a workbook, but I did find some of the historical background and timeline explanation to be helpful in Bible study. Some of the questions were insightful. I really enjoyed using this book, and plan to do a few more in the series.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this for Ladies Bible Study class. It was enjoyed by all.

[Mmtimes4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed studying Esther through different angles and different people's actions.