Esther 2:7

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he brought up Hadassah, that [is], Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid [was] fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

Complete Jewish Bible:

He had raised Hadassah, that is, Ester, his uncle's daughter; because she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and good-looking; after her father's and mother's death, Mordekhai had adopted her as his own daughter.

Berean Standard Bible:

And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.

American Standard Version:

And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

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}.

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Commentary for Esther 2:7

Esther 2:7 is a verse from the Old Testament that sets the stage for one of the most dramatic narratives in the Hebrew Bible. The historical context of this verse is the Persian Empire, where King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I) rules over a vast domain. After deposing his queen, Vashti, for her disobedience, the king seeks a new queen. Esther, also known as Hadassah, is introduced as a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai. The verse emphasizes her beauty and her orphaned status, which are critical to the unfolding story.

The themes present in this verse include the providence of God, who remains unnamed in the book but is seen as working behind the scenes to place Esther in a position of influence. The verse also touches on the idea of beauty and its potential to open doors of opportunity, as well as the theme of family and guardianship, as Mordecai steps in to care for Esther after the loss of her parents. Additionally, the verse hints at the vulnerability of women in a patriarchal society, where their value is often tied to their physical appearance and their ability to navigate the whims of powerful men.

In the broader context of the Book of Esther, this verse is part of the setup for a tale of courage, loyalty, and the reversal of fortune. Esther's rise from orphan to queen is a prelude to her pivotal role in saving her people, the Jews, from a plot of genocide. Her identity as both Jew and queen becomes central to the story, as she uses her position to intercede for her people and counteract the machinations of the villain Haman. Esther 2:7 is thus a foundational verse in a narrative that celebrates the resilience of a people and the bravery of one woman who becomes their unlikely savior.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H539
   There are 176 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַן
   Transliteration: ʼâman
   Pronunciation: aw-man'
   Description: a primitive root; (Isaiah 30:21; interchangeable with אָמַן, to go to the right hand); properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain; hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, [phrase] fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right.
   
2. Strong's Number: H1919
   There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: הֲדַסָּה
   Transliteration: Hădaççâh
   Pronunciation: had-as-saw'
   Description: feminine of הֲדַס; Hadassah (or Esther); Hadassah.
   
3. Strong's Number: H635
   There are 73 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶסְתֵּר
   Transliteration: ʼEçtêr
   Pronunciation: es-tare'
   Description: of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine; Esther.
   
4. Strong's Number: H1730
   There are 53 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דּוֹד
   Transliteration: dôwd
   Pronunciation: dode
   Description: or (shortened) דֹּד; from an unused root meaning properly, to boil, i.e.; (figuratively) to love; by implication, a love-token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle; (well-) beloved, father's brother, love, uncle.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1323
   There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּת
   Transliteration: bath
   Pronunciation: bath
   Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.
   
6. Strong's Number: H1
   There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָב
   Transliteration: ʼâb
   Pronunciation: awb
   Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
   
7. Strong's Number: H517
   There are 387 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֵם
   Transliteration: ʼêm
   Pronunciation: ame
   Description: a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father)); dam, mother, [idiom] parting.
   
8. Strong's Number: H5291
   There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נַעֲרָה
   Transliteration: naʻărâh
   Pronunciation: nah-ar-aw'
   Description: feminine of נַעַר; a girl (from infancy to adolescence); damsel, maid(-en), young (woman).
   
9. Strong's Number: H3303
   There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָפֶה
   Transliteration: yâpheh
   Pronunciation: yaw-feh'
   Description: from יָפָה; beautiful (literally or figuratively); [phrase] beautiful, beauty, comely, fair(-est, one), [phrase] goodly, pleasant, well.
   
10. Strong's Number: H8389
    There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: תֹּאַר
    Transliteration: tôʼar
    Pronunciation: to'-ar
    Description: from תָּאַר; outline, i.e. figure or appearance; [phrase] beautiful, [idiom] comely, countenance, [phrase] fair, [idiom] favoured, form, [idiom] goodly, [idiom] resemble, visage.
    
11. Strong's Number: H2896
    There are 517 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: טוֹב
    Transliteration: ṭôwb
    Pronunciation: tobe
    Description: from טוֹב; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well); beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant, [phrase] pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).
    
12. Strong's Number: H4758
    There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַרְאֶה
    Transliteration: marʼeh
    Pronunciation: mar-eh'
    Description: from רָאָה; a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks), or (mental) a vision; [idiom] apparently, appearance(-reth), [idiom] as soon as beautiful(-ly), countenance, fair, favoured, form, goodly, to look (up) on (to), look(-eth), pattern, to see, seem, sight, visage, vision.
    
13. Strong's Number: H4782
    There are 52 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מׇרְדְּכַי
    Transliteration: Mordᵉkay
    Pronunciation: mor-dek-ah'-ee
    Description: of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite; Mordecai.
    
14. Strong's Number: H4194
    There are 155 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מָוֶת
    Transliteration: mâveth
    Pronunciation: maw'-veth
    Description: from מוּת; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin; (be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).
    
15. Strong's Number: H3947
    There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: לָקַח
    Transliteration: lâqach
    Pronunciation: law-kakh'
    Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.