1 After H310 these things, H1697 when the wrath H2534 of king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 was appeased, H7918 he remembered H2142 Vashti, H2060 and what she had done, H6213 and what was decreed H1504 against her.
2 Then said H559 the king's H4428 servants H5288 that ministered H8334 unto him, Let there be fair H2896 H4758 young H5291 virgins H1330 sought H1245 for the king: H4428
3 And let the king H4428 appoint H6485 officers H6496 in all the provinces H4082 of his kingdom, H4438 that they may gather together H6908 all the fair H2896 H4758 young H5291 virgins H1330 unto Shushan H7800 the palace, H1002 to the house H1004 of the women, H802 unto the custody H3027 of Hege H1896 the king's H4428 chamberlain, H5631 keeper H8104 of the women; H802 and let their things for purification H8562 be given H5414 them:
4 And let the maiden H5291 which pleaseth H3190 H5869 the king H4428 be queen H4427 instead of Vashti. H2060 And the thing H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 the king; H4428 and he did so. H6213
5 Now in Shushan H7800 the palace H1002 there was a certain H376 Jew, H3064 whose name H8034 was Mordecai, H4782 the son H1121 of Jair, H2971 the son H1121 of Shimei, H8096 the son H1121 of Kish, H7027 a Benjamite; H1145
6 Who had been carried away H1540 from Jerusalem H3389 with the captivity H1473 which had been carried away H1540 with Jeconiah H3204 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 whom Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had carried away. H1540
7 And he brought up H539 Hadassah, H1919 that is, Esther, H635 his uncle's H1730 daughter: H1323 for she had neither father H1 nor mother, H517 and the maid H5291 was fair H3303 H8389 and beautiful; H2896 H4758 whom Mordecai, H4782 when her father H1 and mother H517 were dead, H4194 took H3947 for his own daughter. H1323
8 So it came to pass, when the king's H4428 commandment H1697 and his decree H1881 was heard, H8085 and when many H7227 maidens H5291 were gathered together H6908 unto Shushan H7800 the palace, H1002 to the custody H3027 of Hegai, H1896 that Esther H635 was brought H3947 also unto the king's H4428 house, H1004 to the custody H3027 of Hegai, H1896 keeper H8104 of the women. H802
9 And the maiden H5291 pleased H3190 H5869 him, and she obtained H5375 kindness H2617 of him; H6440 and he speedily H926 gave H5414 her her things for purification, H8562 with such things as belonged H4490 to her, and seven H7651 maidens, H5291 which were meet H7200 to be given H5414 her, out of the king's H4428 house: H1004 and he preferred H8138 her and her maids H5291 unto the best H2896 place of the house H1004 of the women. H802
10 Esther H635 had not shewed H5046 her people H5971 nor her kindred: H4138 for Mordecai H4782 had charged H6680 her that she should not shew H5046 it.
11 And Mordecai H4782 walked H1980 every day H3117 before H6440 the court H2691 of the women's H802 house, H1004 to know H3045 how Esther H635 did, H7965 and what should become H6213 of her.
12 Now when every maid's H5291 turn H8447 was come H5060 to go in H935 to king H4428 Ahasuerus, H325 after H7093 that she had been twelve H8147 H6240 months, H2320 according to the manner H1881 of the women, H802 (for so were the days H3117 of their purifications H4795 accomplished, H4390 to wit, six H8337 months H2320 with oil H8081 of myrrh, H4753 and six H8337 months H2320 with sweet odours, H1314 and with other things for the purifying H8562 of the women;) H802
13 Then thus came H935 every maiden H5291 unto the king; H4428 whatsoever she desired H559 was given H5414 her to go H935 with her out of the house H1004 of the women H802 unto the king's H4428 house. H1004
14 In the evening H6153 she went, H935 and on the morrow H1242 she returned H7725 into the second H8145 house H1004 of the women, H802 to the custody H3027 of Shaashgaz, H8190 the king's H4428 chamberlain, H5631 which kept H8104 the concubines: H6370 she came in H935 unto the king H4428 no more, except the king H4428 delighted H2654 in her, and that she were called H7121 by name. H8034
15 Now when the turn H8447 of Esther, H635 the daughter H1323 of Abihail H32 the uncle H1730 of Mordecai, H4782 who had taken H3947 her for his daughter, H1323 was come H5060 to go in H935 unto the king, H4428 she required H1245 nothing H1697 but what Hegai H1896 the king's H4428 chamberlain, H5631 the keeper H8104 of the women, H802 appointed. H559 And Esther H635 obtained H5375 favour H2580 in the sight H5869 of all them that looked H7200 upon her.
16 So Esther H635 was taken H3947 unto king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 into his house H1004 royal H4438 in the tenth H6224 month, H2320 which is the month H2320 Tebeth, H2887 in the seventh H7651 year H8141 of his reign. H4438
17 And the king H4428 loved H157 Esther H635 above all the women, H802 and she obtained H5375 grace H2580 and favour H2617 in his sight H6440 more than all the virgins; H1330 so that he set H7760 the royal H4438 crown H3804 upon her head, H7218 and made her queen H4427 instead of Vashti. H2060
18 Then the king H4428 made H6213 a great H1419 feast H4960 unto all his princes H8269 and his servants, H5650 even Esther's H635 feast; H4960 and he made H6213 a release H2010 to the provinces, H4082 and gave H5414 gifts, H4864 according to the state H3027 of the king. H4428
19 And when the virgins H1330 were gathered together H6908 the second time, H8145 then Mordecai H4782 sat H3427 in the king's H4428 gate. H8179
20 Esther H635 had not yet shewed H5046 her kindred H4138 nor her people; H5971 as Mordecai H4782 had charged H6680 her: for Esther H635 did H6213 the commandment H3982 of Mordecai, H4782 like as when she was brought up H545 with him.
21 In those days, H3117 while Mordecai H4782 sat H3427 in the king's H4428 gate, H8179 two H8147 of the king's H4428 chamberlains, H5631 Bigthan H904 and Teresh, H8657 of those which kept H8104 the door, H5592 were wroth, H7107 and sought H1245 to lay H7971 hand H3027 on the king H4428 Ahasuerus. H325
22 And the thing H1697 was known H3045 to Mordecai, H4782 who told H5046 it unto Esther H635 the queen; H4436 and Esther H635 certified H559 the king H4428 thereof in Mordecai's H4782 name. H8034
23 And when inquisition H1245 was made of the matter, H1697 it was found out; H4672 therefore they were both H8147 hanged H8518 on a tree: H6086 and it was written H3789 in the book H5612 of the chronicles H1697 H3117 before H6440 the king. H4428
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Esther 2
Commentary on Esther 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Es 2:1-20. Esther Chosen to Be Queen.
1-3. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased—On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored. His counsellors, for their own sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened to recommend the adoption of all suitable means for gratifying their royal master with another consort of equal or superior attractions to those of his divorced queen. In the despotic countries of the East the custom obtains that when an order is sent to a family for a young damsel to repair to the royal palace, the parents, however unwilling, dare not refuse the honor for their daughter; and although they know that when she is once in the royal harem, they will never see her again, they are obliged to yield a silent and passive compliance. On the occasion referred to, a general search was commanded to be made for the greatest beauties throughout the empire, in the hope that, from their ranks, the disconsolate monarch might select one for the honor of succeeding to the royal honors of Vashti. The damsels, on arrival at the palace, were placed under the custody of "Hege, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women," that is, the chief eunuch, usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court ladies are very dependent, and whose favor they are always desirous to secure.
5. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew—Mordecai held some office about the court. But his "sitting at the king's gate" (Es 2:21) does not necessarily imply that he was in the humble condition of a porter; for, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state officers were required to wait in the outer courts till they were summoned into the presence chamber. He might, therefore, have been a person of some official dignity. This man had an orphan cousin, born during the exile, under his care, who being distinguished by great personal beauty, was one of the young damsels taken into the royal harem on this occasion. She had the good fortune at once to gain the good will of the chief eunuch [Es 2:9]. Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favorite with all who looked upon her (Es 2:15, last clause). Her Hebrew name (Es 2:7) was Hadassah, that is, "myrtle," which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed to Esther, that is, the star Venus, indicating beauty and good fortune [Gesenius].
11. Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house—The harem is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within its walls is as much a secret to those without as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs.
12. Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus—A whole year was spent in preparation for the intended honor. Considering that this took place in a palace, the long period prescribed, together with the profusion of costly and fragrant cosmetics employed, was probably required by state etiquette.
17. the king loved Esther above all the women—The choice fell on Esther, who found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of whom Oriental princes have a great number.
he set the royal crown upon her head—This consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked with white, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by a magnificent entertainment, and, in honor of the auspicious occasion, "he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king." The dotation of Persian queens consisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, in various parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal and domestic expenditure. Some of these imposts the king remitted or lessened at this time.
Es 2:21-23. Mordecai, Discovering a Treason, Is Recorded in the Chronicles.
21. In those days … two of the king's chamberlains … were wroth and sought to lay hand on the king, &c.—This secret conspiracy against the king's life probably arose out of revenge for the divorce of Vashti, in whose interest, and at whose instigation, these eunuchs may have acted. Through the vigilance of Mordecai, whose fidelity, however, passed unnoticed, the design was frustrated, while the conspirators were condemned to be executed and as the matter was recorded in the court annals, it became the occasion afterwards of Mordecai's preferment to the place of power and influence for which, in furtherance of the national interests of the Jews, divine providence intended him.