by
Damien F. Mackey
“The stories of Joseph’s exaltation and
Jehoiachin’s elevation display significant parallels”.
Paul S. Evans
Scholars have noticed the intended parallels that exist between the Queen Esther drama and the account of Joseph, son of Jacob, in the Book of Genesis.
One of these is Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser (“Esther and Joseph Part 1”, March 01, 2023), who, while picking up similar patterns between the two tales, reckons that “Esther’s story”, as it develops, “starts to look like a perverse version of Joseph’s experience”.
And here I intend to argue that Haman the Captive himself was “a perverse version” of the Joseph, son of Jacob, whose career his own so strikingly resembles.
Dr. Schaser writes: https://weekly.israelbiblecenter.com/esther-joseph-part
During this festival of Purim, it is important to remember Esther and the role she played in saving the Jewish people under the Persian Empire. So important was Esther’s saving work, in fact, that the biblical writers patterned her salvific success on another figure in Israel’s history: Joseph. Esther rises to prominence in much the same way as Joseph, and they both struggle against adversity to become saviors of humanity.
The stories of Joseph and Esther share thematic resonance insofar as both protagonists win the favor of the royal officials in a foreign land. According to Genesis, Joseph began to ascend to a position of authority in Egypt when “Joseph found grace” (וימצא יוסף חן; vayimtsa Yosef hen) in the eyes of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard (Gen 39:4). Similarly, the first step that Esther takes toward becoming Queen in Persia come when she pleased the king’s eunuch, Hegai, and “garnered fidelity before him (ותשׂא חסד לפניו; vatisa hesed l’phanav)" (Est 2:9).
After this initial similarity, though, Esther’s story starts to look like a perverse version of Joseph’s experience. To mark Joseph’s authoritative position, “Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand (ויסר פרעה את טבעתו מעל ידו; vayasar paroh et-tabato me’al yado) and put it on Joseph’s hand” (Gen 41:42). The author of Esther uses the exact same Hebrew language to describe the Persian king giving authority to Haman: “The king took his signet ring from his hand (ויסר המלך את טבעתו מעל ידו; vayasar ha’melekh et-tabato me’al yado) and gave it to Haman” (Est 3:10). The astute reader of Genesis knows that something has gone terribly wrong in Esther’s day: whereas God allowed Joseph to become a Hebrew authority under Egypt’s king, now Haman -- "the enemy of the Jews" (Est 3:10) -- wields violent authority against God’s people!
Thus, the book of Esther draws on the story of Joseph in order to build suspense for readers who are familiar with Genesis. Yet, since such readers already know that Joseph ends up saving the people living in and around Egypt through a famine, the readers of Esther have hope that the Jews in Persia will also be saved – but such salvation will need to wait for Part II of our teaching on Esther and Joseph! Click here for the rest of the story:
https://weekly.israelbiblecenter.com/esther-joseph-part-ii
Another scholar, Paul S. Evans, has discovered a series of most unexpected (for me), but fascinating parallels between Joseph, son of Jacob, and King Jehoiachin of Judah. Why this is especially interesting to me - and also in light of Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser’s series - is that Jehoiachin (or Coniah) king of Judah is my historical version of Haman of the Book of Esther:
The extraordinary life of Coniah the Captive - exiled, exalted, and finally executed
(3) The extraordinary life of Coniah the Captive - exiled, exalted, and finally executed
We know Jehoiachin to have been an historical figure.
Esther 3:1: “After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him”, should now be amended (so I think) to read “Haman the Captive”, to match “Jehoiachin the Captive” (I Chronicles 3:17).
Hammedatha, here, is a female, the Jewish Queen Hamutal (Hammutal) (2Kgs.23:31; 24:18).
Yes, Haman himself was a Jew, as according to some Jewish traditions:
Haman’s nationality a complete surprise
https://www.academia.edu/43437539/Haman_s_nationality_a_complete_surprise
But Jehoiachin (Coniah) is not my only alter ego for Haman the Captive.
Before looking at two other names, the inclusion of which will enable for the further development of the Joseph-Haman parallels, let us find what Paul Evans had come up with (“THE END OF KINGS AS PRESAGING AN EXODUS: THE FUNCTION OF THE JEHOIACHIN EPILOGUE (2 KGS 25:27–30) IN LIGHT OF PARALLELS WITH THE JOSEPH STORY IN GENESIS):
(2) THE END OF KINGS AS PRESAGING AN EXODUS: THE FUNCTION OF THE JEHOIACHIN EPILOGUE (2 KGS 25:27–30) IN LIGHT OF PARALLELS WITH THE JOSEPH STORY IN GENESIS
….
The Allusion to the Joseph Story
… the present article detects attempts to underscore an allusion to the Joseph story from Genesis.51 This allusion is established on the basis of shared vocabulary and significant parallels in situational contexts. This thesis is further supported by the recognition of the typological tendencies of Dtr [the Deuteronomist]. Finally, in light of the dissimilar historical situations of Joseph and Jehoiachin, the intentional nature of the allusion is brought into relief. In my judgment, these factors taken together point to a purposeful allusion to the Joseph story on the part of the author of 2 Kings.
Shared Vocabulary
In 2 Kgs 25:27, when the Babylonian monarch releases Jehoiachin from prison, the expression used is “lift the head” (נשׂא ראשׁ). The combination of נשׂא and ראשׁ occurs 20 times in the OT, but the majority of the time it refers to the taking of a census (Exod 30:12; Num 1:2, 49; 4:2, 22; 26:2; 31:26, 49), which is obviously not the sense here. Elsewhere, the phrase is used to denote the opening of doors (Ps 24:7, 9), which again expression “lift the head” (נשׂא ראשׁ) is found three times to indicate the freeing of a prisoner.55 This is a unique lexical connection that indicates a link between the Jehoiachin pericope and the Joseph story.
Parallels in Contexts
The stories of Joseph’s exaltation and Jehoiachin’s elevation display significant parallels.
First, both are exiles in a foreign land.56 Second, both Joseph and Jehoiachin are imprisoned in exile. Here it is important to note that life in the Babylonian exile did not necessarily mean life in prison, as it is clear that most exiles were not actually incarcerated.
As Noth explains, “the exiles were not ‘prisoners’ but represented a compulsorily transplanted subject population who were able to move about involvement (Gen 41:14; 2 Kgs 25:27).61 Fourth, both Joseph and Jehoiachin change their clothes upon their release from prison (Gen 41:14, 42; 2 Kgs 25:29). The thematic role of clothing in the Joseph narrative is well known.62 Joseph is given a special robe by his father (Gen 37:3), and the robe is taken by the brothers (Gen 37:23) and then used to deceive their father (Gen 37:31–32). Later Joseph again loses his robe unjustly in refusing Potiphar’s wife (Gen 37:12), and this garment is used to deceive Joseph’s master (Gen 37:15–18). Joseph eventually has a change of garments given to him upon his elevation by Pharaoh (Gen 41:42) and finally gives his brothers new garments (and Benjamin five garments) after their reconciliation (Gen 45:22). Given the extreme brevity of the Jehoiachin pericope in comparison to the Joseph novella, the reference to a wardrobe change is significant.63 In light of the parallels with the Joseph story already highlighted in this article, the mention of Jehoiachin’s change of clothing further strengthens the connection between these two stories.
Fifth, in both stories, the freed captive is given a position above all others, save the high king himself. In 2 Kgs 25:28 Jehoiachin is given a throne above all the other kings in Babylon (other than the high king), and in Gen 41:40 Joseph is given a position second only to the Pharaoh.64 The uniqueness of this parallel strongly suggests that in the Jehoiachin pericope an allusion to the Joseph story is being made. This supposition is strengthened when one examines in detail the exact phrase in which this is communicated. In Gen 41:40 Pharaoh says:
“Only [in regards to] the throne I will be greater than you.”
רק הכסא אגדל ממך
Similarly, in 2 Kgs 25:28 Jehoiachin is given a “throne” (כסא) above all other kings but the Babylonian high king, Evilmerodach. In other words, both references to the conferring of rank on these once-imprisoned exiles are described in terms of a “throne” (כסא) with only the foreign high king being above them.65 ….
[End of quote]
Adding Amon-Jehoahaz
In my article already referred to, “The extraordinary life of Coniah the Captive …”, I attached two other royal alter egos to Haman, apart from Jehoiachin (Coniah) the Captive. These were as King Amon of Judah and as King Jehoahaz of Judah, who (qua Jeh0ahaz) is omitted from Matthew 1’s Genealogy.
By combining Amon-Jehoahaz as Haman-Jehoiachin, we can add some further key Joseph parallels, most notably, the Egyptian element.
The evil King of Judah, a serial Captive, was firstly carried off into Egyptian exile by pharaoh Necho.
Joseph, of course, was carried off into Egypt.
It must have been there that he, as Amon, was given the name of the Egyptian god.
Joseph, too, of course, was given a foreign name in Egypt, Zaphenath paaneah.
Silver was involved in the transaction.
(2 Chronicles 36:3): “The king of Egypt removed [Jehoahaz] from his throne in Jerusalem. The king of Egypt made the people of Judah pay him a huge tax. The tax was almost four tons of silver and 75 pounds of gold”.
Joseph, of course, was sold for “20 pieces of silver” (Genesis 37:28).
Whereas the account in 2 Kings has Jehoahaz dying in Egypt, 2 Chronicles does not.
I think that the exile must have actually been returned for a time to the throne of Judah. Later he, as Haman, would die in Susa.
As Haman, again, the wicked King of Judah would be exalted by the Medo-Persian king to second in the kingdom. Just like Joseph had been in Egypt.
And he would be called “Father”, just like Joseph had been (Genesis 45:8). How Joseph like is this (Esther 16:11): “And found our humanity so great towards him, that he was called our Father, and was worshipped by all as the next man after the king”.
