Estherchapter 2
23 verses · BSBEsther book hub →
A.Let fair young virgins be sought for the kingvv. 1-4
1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, 3 and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
B.Mordecai's cousin taken into the king's housevv. 5-11
5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. 6 He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah. 7 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. 8 When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. 11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
C.Twelve months of purifying, and a crown set on Esther's headvv. 12-18
12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name. 15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
D.Two doorkeepers' plot written down in the book of the chroniclesvv. 19-23
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care. 21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf. 23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
Chapter summary
Virgins are gathered to Shushan under Hegai the keeper of the women.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Chapter summary
Virgins are gathered to Shushan under Hegai the keeper of the women.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Virgins are gathered to Shushan under Hegai the keeper of the women. Mordecai the Benjamite, carried away in the captivity of Jeconiah, had brought up his uncle's daughter Hadassah, that is Esther, 'and the maiden was fair and beautiful.' Twelve months of purifying follow (six with oil of myrrh, six with spices) and Esther, requiring nothing beyond what Hegai appointed, 'obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.' The king loves her above all the women, sets the royal crown upon her head, and makes her queen instead of Vashti. She keeps her people secret at Mordecai's charge. At the king's gate Mordecai uncovers the plot of Bigthan and Teresh: written in the chronicles, and left unrewarded.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.
Context
History · Mordecai — Esther overview
- A. 1–4 Let fair young virgins be sought for the king
- B. 5–11 Mordecai's cousin taken into the king's house
- C. 12–18 Twelve months of purifying, and a crown set on Esther's head
- D. 19–23 Two doorkeepers' plot written down in the book of the chronicles
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Esther 29 verses
- Esther 2:1Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
- Esther 2:3and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
- Esther 2:7And 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.
- Esther 2:8When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
- Esther 2:10Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
- Esther 2:12In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
- Read Esther 2: 3 more there →
Esther 16 verses
- Esther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
- Esther 1:3In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
- Esther 1:7Beverages were served in an array of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty.
- Esther 1:11to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
- Esther 1:12Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.
- Esther 1:21The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised.
- Read Esther 1 →
Esther 63 verses
- Esther 6:1That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
- Esther 6:2And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
- Esther 6:14While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
- Read Esther 6 →
Genesis 402 verses
- Genesis 40:19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
- Genesis 40:22But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.
- Read Genesis 40 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Ephesians 61 verse
- Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Read Ephesians 6 →
Esther 71 verse
- Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.
- Read Esther 7 →
Daniel 61 verse
- Daniel 6:14As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.
- Read Daniel 6 →
1 Kings 11 verse
- 1 Kings 1:2So his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm.”
- Read 1 Kings 1 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.