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Esther 2

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The King Seeks a New Queen 1–4

1
After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. ​
2
Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3
and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them; ​
4
and let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

Introduction of Mordecai and Esther 5–11

5
There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, ​
6
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives that had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. ​
7
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. ​
8
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9
And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king’s house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.
10
Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known. ​
11
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.

The Year of Purification 12–16

12
Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women), ​
13
then in this wise came the maiden unto the king: Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.
14
In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, who kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and she were called by name. ​
15
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her. ​
16
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. ​

Esther Is Crowned Queen 17–20

17
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18
Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of the king.
19
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
20
Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him. ​

Mordecai Uncovers a Plot 21–23

21
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. ​
22
And the thing became known to Mordecai, who showed it unto Esther the queen; and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.
23
And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Esther 2

Verse 1

the wrath… was appeased — Shakak is to subside, used of the flood waters that 'asswaged' (Gen 8:1); in Esther it occurs only here and at Haman's hanging, when 'the king's wrath pacified' (7:10). 'What was decreed' recalls the royal commandment of 1:19, 'That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus'.

Verse 3

officers in all the provinces — 'Officers' is pakid, an overseer, as in Joseph's counsel to Pharaoh, 'let him appoint officers over the land' (Gen 41:34). 'Custody' is literally 'hand' (yad): the women are put into the hand of Hege (Hegai in vv.8, 15), a saris, 'keeper of the women'. Their 'things for purification' (tamruq) are described in v.12.

Verse 5

a certain Jew — 'Jew' is Yehudi, one of Judah, here said of a Benjamite. Kish and Shimei are names found in Saul's family (1 Sam 9:1; 2 Sam 16:5). Haman, who rises against Mordecai, is 'the Agagite' (3:1), a name that points back to Agag, the Amalekite king whom Saul 'took… alive' (1 Sam 15:8).

Verse 6

carried away with Jeconiah — Galah is to go into exile, and golah the exiles as a body. Jeconiah is Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:15), taken to Babylon with 'the mighty of the land'. The LORD called that company good: 'Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah' (Jer 24:5).

Verse 7

Hadassah, that is, Esther — Hadassah is the feminine of hadas, the myrtle (Isa 41:19; 55:13). She bears two names, as Daniel did when 'the prince of the eunuchs gave names' (Dan 1:7). 'Brought up' is aman, to support or nurture, as a 'nursing father' carries a child (Num 11:12); Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Verse 10

had not shewed her people — 'Shewed' is nagad, to tell; 'kindred' (moledet) is her birth and family. The silence rests on Mordecai's charge (tsavah), still kept in v.20 and when Haman speaks of 'a certain people' (3:8). It ends when Esther asks, 'let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request' (7:3).

Verse 12

six months with oil of myrrh — The twelve months are six of mor, myrrh, and six of besamim, sweet odours. Myrrh is named first among the 'principal spices' of the 'holy anointing oil' (Ex 30:23–25). 'Purifications' is meruq, a rubbing or scouring; 'turn' (tor) occurs in Esther only here and in v.15.

Verse 14

the second house of the women — She went in the evening and returned 'on the morrow' to Shaashgaz, who 'kept the concubines'. A pilegesh was a lawful secondary wife: Saul had Rizpah (2 Sam 3:7), and Solomon 'three hundred concubines' (1 Kings 11:3). She returned to the king only if he 'delighted' (chaphets) in her, the verb of Deut 21:14, and she were 'called by name'.

Verse 15

obtained favour in the sight of all — In v.13 each maiden took whatever she desired; Esther 'required nothing but what Hegai… appointed'. 'Favour' is chen, grace, the word of Gen 39:21, where the LORD 'gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison' for Joseph. Her turn (tor) came after the twelve months of v.12.

Verse 16

the seventh year of his reign — The feast that preceded Vashti's removal was 'in the third year of his reign' (1:3); Esther is taken to the royal house in the seventh, some four years later. 'Taken' is laqach, the verb Mordecai's 'took' her in v.7. Tebeth, the tenth month, is named in Scripture only here.

Verse 20

as Mordecai had charged her — 'Charged' is tsavah, the verb of v.10: the silence has outlasted her crowning. 'Commandment' is ma'amar, the word of 1:15, where Vashti 'hath not performed the commandment of the king'; Esther performs Mordecai's. 'Brought up' (omnah, a rearing) occurs only here.

Verse 21

Bigthan and Teresh — They were chamberlains (saris) 'which kept the door', and 'sought to lay hand on the king'. Their plot is the entry the king has read to him 'on that night could not the king sleep' (6:1–2), where Bigthan's name is spelled 'Bigthana'. Mordecai sits in the king's gate again in 5:13.

Verse 23

hanged on a tree — 'Tree' is ets, wood, the word for the fifty-cubit 'gallows' of 5:14 and 7:9. Deut 21:23 calls one hanged on a tree 'accursed of God', which Paul applies to Christ: 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree' (Gal 3:13). The deed is written 'in the book of the chronicles'; compare 10:2.