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Commentary on Esther 2 verses 1–20
How God put down one that was high and mighty from her seat we read in the chapter before, and are now to be told how he exalted one of low degree, as the virgin Mary observes in her song (Luk 1:52) and Hannah before her, Sa1 2:4-8. Vashti being humbled for her height, Esther is advanced for her humility. Observe,
I. The extravagant course that was taken to please the king with another wife instead of Vashti. Josephus says that when his anger was over he was exceedingly grieved that the matter was carried so far, and would have been reconciled to Vashti but that, by the constitution of the government, the judgment was irrevocable - that therefore, to make him forget her, they contrived how to entertain him first with a great variety of concubines, and then to fix him to the most agreeable of them all for a wife instead of Vashti. The marriages of princes are commonly made by policy and interest, for the enlarging of their dominions and the strengthening of their alliances; but this must be made partly by the agreeableness of the person to the king's fancy, whether she was rich or poor, noble or ignoble. What pains were taken to humour the king! As if his power and wealth were given him for no other end than that he might have all the delights of the sense wound up to the height of pleasurableness, and exquisitely refined, though at the best they are but dross and dregs in comparison with divine and spiritual pleasures. 1. All the provinces of his kingdom must be searched for fair young virgins, and officers appointed to choose them, Est 2:3. 2. A house (a seraglio) was prepared on purpose for them, and a person appointed to have the charge of them, to see that they were well provided for. 3. No less than twelve months was allowed them for their purification, some of them at least who were brought out of the country, that they might be very clean, and perfumed, Est 2:12. Even those who were the masterpieces of nature must yet have all this help from art to recommend them to a vain and carnal mind. 4. After the king had once taken them to his bed, they were made recluses ever after, except the king pleased at any time to send for them (Est 2:14); they were looked upon as secondary wives, were maintained by the king accordingly, and might not marry. We may see, by this instance, to what absurd practices those came who were destitute of divine revelation, and who, as a punishment for their idolatry, were given up to vile affections. Having broken through that law of creation which resulted from God's making man, they broke through another law, which was founded upon his making one man and one woman. See what need there was of the gospel of Christ to purify men from the lusts of the flesh and to reduce them to the original institution. Those that have learned Christ will think it a shame even to speak of such things as these which were done of them, not only in secret, but avowedly, Eph 5:12.
II. The overruling providence of God thus brining Esther to be queen. Had she been recommended to Ahasuerus for a wife, he would have rejected the motion with disdain; but when she came in her turn, after several others, and it was found that though many of them were ingenious and discreet, graceful and agreeable, yet Esther excelled them all, way was made for her, even by her rivals, into the king's affections and the honours consequent thereupon. It is certain, as bishop Patrick says, that those who suggest that she committed a great sin to come at this dignity do not consider the custom of those times and countries. Every one that the king took to his bed was married to him, and was his wife of a lower rank, as Hagar was Abraham's; so that, if Esther had not been made queen, the sons of Jacob need not say that he dealt with their sister as with a harlot. Concerning Esther we must observe,
1.Her original and character. (1.) She was one of the children of the captivity, a Jewess and a sharer with her people in their bondage. Daniel and his fellows were advanced in the land where they were captives; for they were of those whom God sent thither for their good, Jer 24:5. (2.) She was an orphan; her father and mother were both dead (Est 2:7), but, when they had forsaken here, then the Lord took her up, Psa 27:10. When those whose unhappiness it is to be thus deprived of their parents in their childhood yet afterwards come to be eminently pious and prosperous, we ought to take notice of it to the glory of that God, and his grace and providence, who has taken it among the titles of his honour to be a Father of the fatherless. (3.) She was a beauty, fair of form, good of countenance; so it is in the margin, Est 2:7. Her wisdom and virtue were her greatest beauty, but it is an advantage to be a diamond to be well set. (4.) Mordecai, her cousin-german, was her guardian, brought her up, and took her for his own daughter. The Septuagint says that he designed to make her his wife; if that were so, he was to be praised that he opposed not her better preferment. let God be acknowledged in raising up friends for the fatherless and motherless; let it be an encouragement to that pious instance of charity that many who have taken care of the education of orphans have lived to see the good fruit of their care and pains, abundantly to their comfort. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that this Mordecai is the same with that mentioned in Ezr 2:2, who went up to Jerusalem with the first, and helped forward the settlement of his people until the building of the temple was stopped, and then went back to the Persian court, to see what service he could do them there. Mordecai being Esther's guardian or pro-parent, we are told, [1.] How tender he was of her, as if she had been his own child (Est 2:11): he walked before her door every day, to know how she did, and what interest she had. Let those whose relations are thus cast upon them by divine Providence be thus kindly affectioned to them and solicitous for them. [2.] How respectful she was to him. Though in relation she was his equal, yet, being in age and dependence his inferior, she honoured him as her father - did his commandment, Est 2:20. This is an example to orphans; if they fall into the hands of those who love them and take care of them, let them make suitable returns of duty and affection. The less obliged their guardians were in duty to provide for them the more obliged they are in gratitude to honour and obey their guardians. Here is an instance of Esther's obsequiousness t Mordecai, that she did not show her people of her kindred, because Mordecai had charged her that she should not, Est 2:10. he did not bid her deny her country, nor tell a lie to conceal her parentage; if he had told her to do so, she must not have done it. But he only told her not to proclaim her country. All truths are not to be spoken at all times, though an untruth is not to be spoken at any time. She being born in Shushan, and her parents being dead, all took her to be of Persian extraction, and she was not bound to undeceive them.
2.Her preferment. Who would have thought that a Jewess, a captive, and orphan, was born to be a queen, an empress! Yet so it proved. Providence sometimes raiseth up the poor out of the dust, to set them among princes, Sa1 2:8. (1.) The king's chamberlain honoured her (Est 2:9), and was ready to serve her. Wisdom and virtue will gain respect. Those that make sure of God's favour shall find favour with man too as far as it is good for them. All that looked upon Esther admired her (Est 2:15) and concluded that she was the lady that would win the prize, and she did win it. (2.) The king himself fell in love with her. She was not solicitous, as the rest of the maidens were, to set herself off with artificial beauty; she required nothing but just what was appointed for her (Est 2:15) and yet she was most acceptable. The more natural beauty is the more agreeable. The king loved Esther above all the women, v. 17. Now he needed not to make any further trials, or take time to deliberate; he is soon determined to set the royal crown upon her head, and make her queen, v. 17. This was done in his seventh year (v. 16) and Vashti was divorced in his third year (Est 1:3); so that he was four years without a queen. Notice is taken, [1.] Of the honours the king put upon Esther. He graced the solemnity of her coronation with a royal feast (Est 2:18), at which perhaps Esther, in compliance with the king, made a public appearance, which Vashti had refused to do, that she might have the praise of obedience in the same instance in which the other incurred the blot of disobedience. He also granted a release to the provinces, either a remittance of the taxes in arrear or an act of grace for criminals; as Pilate, at the feast, released a prisoner. This was to add t the joy. [2.] Of the deference Esther continued to pay to her former guardian. She still did the commandment of Mordecai, as when she was brought up with him, Est 2:20. Mordecai say in the king's gate; that was the height of his preferment: he was one of the porters or door-keepers of the court. Whether he had this place before, or whether Esther obtained it for him, we are not told; but there he sat contentedly, and aimed no higher; and yet Esther who was advanced to the throne was observant of him. This was an evidence of a humble and grateful disposition, that she had a sense of his former kindnesses and his continued wisdom. It is a great ornament to those that are advanced, and much to their praise, to remember their benefactors, to retain the impressions of their good education, to be diffident of themselves, willing to take advice, and thankful for it.
The worldly philosophers drive out an old passion by instilling a new one; they hammer out one nail by hammering in another. It was on this principle that the seven princes of Persia acted toward Ahasuerus, for they subdued his regret for Vashti by inducing him to love other maidens. But whereas they cured one fault by another fault and one sin by another sin, we must overcome our faults by learning to love the opposite virtues. “Depart from evil,” says the psalmist, “and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
When, therefore, Judea had been repulsed from its relationship with the king, various nations—and the various inhabitants of particular nations from the various parts of the world—were brought in to receive a share in the royal grandeur through the holy preachers, who were ministers of the words of the Gospel. And they were placed under the hand of Hegai, meaning quick or customary, who was in charge of the king's women; that is, under the care of the shepherds and rulers of the Church to whom the governance of the souls of the faithful was committed, so that they might be able to offer them, in word and by example, whatever they needed for the cultivation of righteousness. And so whatever souls pleased the eyes of the inner breast in proper faith and pure conscience would be brought, pure and holy, to the bed of the eternal king in place of the stubborn and shameless Vashti who had been cast out.
After Judea had been expelled from the royal marriage, different peoples and different individuals from each nation from different parts of the world were led to the royal congregation by the holy preachers who were ministers of the evangelical word. They were given into the custody of Hegai, whose name is interpreted as “celebration” or “solemnity.” He was the superintendent of the royal women. In other words, they were given to the care of the pastors and leaders of the church to whom the custody of the souls of the faithful was entrusted.
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SUMMARY
Esther 2:4 marks a crucial turning point in the narrative, detailing King Ahasuerus's enthusiastic endorsement of his servants' strategic proposal to gather beautiful young virgins from across his vast empire. This initiative was designed to find a suitable replacement for Queen Vashti, who had been deposed. The verse powerfully illustrates the king's absolute authority and the subjective criterion for the next queen—her ability to "please" him—thereby setting in motion the providential events that would ultimately lead to Esther's elevation and, implicitly, God's hidden plan for the deliverance of His people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. The Repetition of the verb "pleased" (from the Hebrew yâṭab) serves to emphasize the king's subjective preference as the sole criterion for the queen's selection and his immediate, unreserved approval of the plan. This repetition underscores the human-centric, almost arbitrary, nature of the events, which stands in profound Irony when viewed through the lens of divine providence. The seemingly random choice based on human pleasure is, in fact, a crucial step in God's overarching plan. Furthermore, the verse functions as a powerful piece of Foreshadowing, as the king's decision to seek a "maiden which pleaseth him" directly sets the stage for Esther's entry into the narrative and her eventual elevation to queen, a position from which she will deliver her people. The entire process, driven by human desire and royal decree, subtly reveals the Hidden Hand of God at work behind the scenes, orchestrating events for His ultimate purposes without explicit mention of His name.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Esther 2:4 profoundly illustrates the theme of divine sovereignty working through human agency, even in seemingly secular or self-serving contexts. The king's decision, driven by personal pleasure and political expediency, becomes the very mechanism through which God's unseen plan for the deliverance of His people begins to unfold. This verse reminds us that God is not confined to overtly spiritual acts but can orchestrate events through the decisions of powerful rulers, the whims of men, and even the seemingly random circumstances of life. It speaks to a God who is intimately involved in history, subtly guiding events toward His ultimate purposes, even when His name is not explicitly mentioned in the narrative. This demonstrates a deep theological truth: God's purposes will prevail, regardless of human intentions or apparent chaos.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Esther 2:4 invites us to consider how God might be working in our own lives through circumstances that appear to be purely human decisions, coincidences, or even less-than-ideal situations. Just as the king's arbitrary choice became a part of God's grand design, our daily lives are not outside the scope of His providential care. This verse encourages a deeper trust in God's sovereignty, recognizing that He can use any situation—a job interview, a relocation, a relationship, or even a significant challenge—to accomplish His will. It prompts us to look beyond the immediate appearance of events and to seek the hidden hand of God, knowing that He is always at work, even when we cannot perceive it directly. Our responsibility is to remain faithful and obedient, trusting that His purposes will prevail and that He is meticulously weaving together the tapestry of our lives for His glory and our good.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "pleaseth the king" truly imply about the selection process?
Answer: The phrase "pleaseth the king" (from the Hebrew yâṭab) indicates that the primary, if not sole, criterion for the new queen was her ability to gain the king's personal favor, satisfaction, and approval. This implies a highly subjective and aesthetic-driven selection process, focusing on physical beauty, charm, and perhaps a compliant demeanor. It was not based on noble lineage, political alliances, or intellectual prowess, but rather on the king's personal preference and subjective taste. This highlights the absolute nature of the monarch's power and the arbitrary criteria that could determine one's fate in the Persian court, emphasizing the fragility of human standing before such a ruler.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Esther 2:4 describes a pagan king's search for a queen based on superficial criteria and personal gratification, it subtly foreshadows a far greater divine selection and a more profound union. Just as the maidens were gathered to be presented to the king, so too does God gather His people, those whom He chooses, to be presented to His Son. Christ, the ultimate King of kings and Lord of lords, does not choose His bride, the Church, based on outward beauty or fleeting pleasure, but on His perfect love and redemptive sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and through His atoning work, He makes His people beautiful and pure, preparing them for the eternal marriage supper described in Revelation 19:7-9. The seemingly arbitrary choice of Ahasuerus points to the sovereign, purposeful, and loving choice of God, who "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4). Thus, the king's search for a pleasing maiden finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's perfect and eternal love for His chosen bride, the Church, whom He sanctifies and presents to Himself "without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27).