The Hebrew word iggeret (אִגֶּרֶת) means a letter, epistle, or written message. It is used in the books of Esther, Nehemiah, and Chronicles to describe official royal correspondence and diplomatic communication.
Iggeret highlights the power of the written word in God's providential governance of nations. In the book of Esther, the royal letters issued through Mordecai reversed a decree of death for God's people — a stunning reversal that demonstrates how God uses written words as instruments of salvation and justice. The concept foreshadows the New Testament epistles through which God's redemptive word is preserved and proclaimed.