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
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Esther 2
Commentary on Esther 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
Two things are recorded in this chapter, which were working towards the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's conspiracy:-
Est 2:1-20
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 (Lu. 1:52) and Hannah before her, 1 Sa. 2:4-8. Vashti being humbled for her height, Esther is advanced for her humility. Observe,
Est 2:21-23
This good service which Mordecai did to the government, in discovering a plot against the life of the king, is here recorded, because the mention of it will again occur to his advantage. No step is yet taken towards Haman's design of the Jews' destruction, but several steps are taken towards God's design of their deliverance, and this for one. God now gives Mordecai an opportunity of doing the king a good turn, that he might have the fairer opportunity afterwards of doing the Jews a good turn.