Man living at the time of Exile and Return
Abihail was the father of Esther (also known as Hadassah), who became Queen of Persia and saved the Jewish people from Haman's plot.
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Abihail is mentioned in the book of Esther as the father of Esther, also known as Hadassah (Est.2.15). Esther was a young Jewish woman living in Persia during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). After Queen Vashti was deposed, Esther was chosen to become the new queen.
When Haman, a high-ranking official in the Persian court, plotted to destroy the Jewish people, Esther courageously intervened and saved her people. She revealed her Jewish identity to the king and exposed Haman's evil plan. As a result, Haman was executed, and the Jewish people were allowed to defend themselves against their enemies.
Esther, along with her cousin and guardian Mordecai, wrote a letter to confirm the practices of Purim, a Jewish holiday commemorating the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's plot (Est.9.29). In this letter, Esther is referred to as "Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail."
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2 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0032
Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the kingʼs trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.