Hadassah

Hadassah is the Hebrew name of Esther, given once at her introduction into the Esther narrative. The text supplies both names in the same clause and identifies her as Mordecai's adopted daughter.

The Hebrew name of Esther

The opening of the queen-search narrative names Mordecai a Benjamite of the captivity carried away with Jeconiah (Es 2:5-6), and then introduces his charge: "And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden had a beautiful body and face; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter" (Es 2:7). The verse fixes the equation Hadassah = Esther, marks her as a maiden of beautiful body and face, and accounts for Mordecai's guardianship by the death of her parents. From this point on the narrative uses the name Esther; Hadassah does not recur.