Who was Hadassah in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Hadassah is the Jewish name of Queen Esther. Hadassah trusted in the Lord and provided great blessing for her people.

Hadassah, also known as Esther, was a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai in Persia. Despite her hardships, she became queen and secretly maintained her Jewish identity. Esther's faith and bravery enabled her to expose Haman's plot to annihilate the Jews, ultimately saving her people. Her story symbolizes the resilience and flourishing of the righteous, much like the myrtle tree. Today, Hadassah's legacy calls us to trust in the Lord and to stand firm in our faith, bringing life and peace to those around us.

from the old testament

Esther 2:7 explains that Mordecai "was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother." Hadassah was a Jewish orphan living in exile in Persia. "When her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter" (Esther 2:7).
The name Hadassah means "myrtle." The myrtle tree is referenced a handful of times in the Bible representing God's blessing of life and fertility (Isaiah 55:13) and peace and well-being (Zechariah 1:11). The myrtle tree is in the eucalyptus family with stiff, leathery leaves that stay green year-round. It is a strong tree with a pleasant smell. And it is known to flourish in adversity, sprouting back after being chopped down and growing back stronger and lusher after being burned. In the Jewish context, it has come to represent the righteous.
In many ways, Esther's Jewish name, Hadassah, foreshadowed her experience. She had been through the adversity of losing her parents while living far from the family's ancestral land. Providentially, her cousin Mordecai stepped in to raise and care for her. She flourished under his care. The Bible says that "the young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at" (Esther 2:7). Due to her beauty, when the Persian king Ahasuerus needed a new queen, Esther, along with many other young virgin women, was taken into the king's palace (Esther 2:8). Hadassah quickly won "favor in the eyes of all who saw her" (Esther 2:15), although she kept her Jewish roots a secret. When presented to King Ahasuerus, he "loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti" (Esther 2:17). Despite the adversity of losing her parents and then being taken from the only family member she had left, Esther flourished in each new situation.
Hadassah’s faith, bravery, and wisdom allowed her to expose a plot to destroy the Jews and saved her people from being annihilated.

from the new testament

Hadassah is not mentioned in the New Testament.

implications for today

Like the symbol of the myrtle tree, Hadassah was destined to bring life and peace to God's people in Persia. During her reign as queen, Haman, a confidant of the king, planned to kill the Jews. Esther, in meekness and humility, trusted God to rescue His people through her bold actions. With great fear, she entered the king's presence without his first requesting her to appear before him. Because she had favor with the king, he granted her an audience with him. This favor from the king enabled her to intercede for her people, expose Haman's evil plan, and ultimately save the Jews from destruction. Thus, Hadassah has become a beloved name representing strength and life. Like Hadassah, we are called to trust in the Lord and grow as a tree who stands firm despite difficulty. Jeremiah 17:7–8 reads: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Let us embrace the legacy of Hadassah and stand firm in our faith, trusting in the Lord to use us for His purposes and to bring life to those around us.

understand

Hadassah is the Jewish name of Esther.
Hadassah’s faith, bravery, and wisdom allowed God to use her to save the Jews from an evil plot to be annihilated.
Hadassah hid her Jewishness from the king, but when the time came for her to stand strong, she relied on the Lord and did what was right for her people.

reflect

How do I respond to adversity and difficult situations in my life, and what can I learn from Hadassah's example of resilience and faith?
What allows you to stand for what is right in the face of adversity as Hadassah did?
How can I grow in my trust in the Lord and remain steadfast in my faith, even when faced with challenges and uncertainties?

engage

What characteristics of the myrtle tree are reflected in Hadassah's life, and how can we apply these qualities to our own lives?
Hadassah hid her identity as a Jew until it was just the right time, and God orchestrated all that happened and had her in the role of queen “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). How does this challenge or encourage you to understand God’s sovereignty?
In what ways can Hadassah's story inspire us to take bold actions for the benefit of others, even when those actions require great personal risk or sacrifice?