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
And he said H559 unto him, Why art thou, being the king's H4428 son, H1121 lean H1800 from day H1242 to day? H1242 wilt thou not tell H5046 me? And Amnon H550 said H559 unto him, I love H157 Tamar, H8559 my brother H251 Absalom's H53 sister. H269 And Jonadab H3082 said H559 unto him, Lay thee down H7901 on thy bed, H4904 and make thyself sick: H2470 and when thy father H1 cometh H935 to see H7200 thee, say H559 unto him, I pray thee, let my sister H269 Tamar H8559 come, H935 and give H1262 me meat, H3899 and dress H6213 the meat H1279 in my sight, H5869 that I may see H7200 it, and eat H398 it at her hand. H3027 So Amnon H550 lay down, H7901 and made himself sick: H2470 and when the king H4428 was come H935 to see H7200 him, Amnon H550 said H559 unto the king, H4428 I pray thee, let Tamar H8559 my sister H269 come, H935 and make H3823 me a couple H8147 of cakes H3834 in my sight, H5869 that I may eat H1262 at her hand. H3027
And Ahithophel H302 said H559 unto Absalom, H53 Go in H935 unto thy father's H1 concubines, H6370 which he hath left H3240 to keep H8104 the house; H1004 and all Israel H3478 shall hear H8085 that thou art abhorred H887 of thy father: H1 then shall the hands H3027 of all that are with thee be strong. H2388 So they spread H5186 Absalom H53 a tent H168 upon the top of the house; H1406 and Absalom H53 went in H935 unto his father's H1 concubines H6370 in the sight H5869 of all Israel. H3478 And the counsel H6098 of Ahithophel, H302 which he counselled H3289 in those days, H3117 was as if a man H376 had enquired H7592 at the oracle H1697 of God: H430 so was all the counsel H6098 of Ahithophel H302 both with David H1732 and with Absalom. H53
And the saying H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 the king H4428 and the princes; H8269 and the king H4428 did H6213 according to the word H1697 of Memucan: H4462
If it please H2895 the king, H4428 let it be written H3789 that they may be destroyed: H6 and I will pay H8254 ten H6235 thousand H505 talents H3603 of silver H3701 to the hands H3027 of those that have the charge H6213 of the business, H4399 to bring H935 it into the king's H4428 treasuries. H1595 And the king H4428 took H5493 his ring H2885 from his hand, H3027 and gave H5414 it unto Haman H2001 the son H1121 of Hammedatha H4099 the Agagite, H91 the Jews' H3064 enemy. H6887
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Esther 2
Commentary on Esther 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Es 2:1-20. Esther Chosen to Be Queen.
1-3. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased—On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored. His counsellors, for their own sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened to recommend the adoption of all suitable means for gratifying their royal master with another consort of equal or superior attractions to those of his divorced queen. In the despotic countries of the East the custom obtains that when an order is sent to a family for a young damsel to repair to the royal palace, the parents, however unwilling, dare not refuse the honor for their daughter; and although they know that when she is once in the royal harem, they will never see her again, they are obliged to yield a silent and passive compliance. On the occasion referred to, a general search was commanded to be made for the greatest beauties throughout the empire, in the hope that, from their ranks, the disconsolate monarch might select one for the honor of succeeding to the royal honors of Vashti. The damsels, on arrival at the palace, were placed under the custody of "Hege, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women," that is, the chief eunuch, usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court ladies are very dependent, and whose favor they are always desirous to secure.
5. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew—Mordecai held some office about the court. But his "sitting at the king's gate" (Es 2:21) does not necessarily imply that he was in the humble condition of a porter; for, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state officers were required to wait in the outer courts till they were summoned into the presence chamber. He might, therefore, have been a person of some official dignity. This man had an orphan cousin, born during the exile, under his care, who being distinguished by great personal beauty, was one of the young damsels taken into the royal harem on this occasion. She had the good fortune at once to gain the good will of the chief eunuch [Es 2:9]. Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favorite with all who looked upon her (Es 2:15, last clause). Her Hebrew name (Es 2:7) was Hadassah, that is, "myrtle," which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed to Esther, that is, the star Venus, indicating beauty and good fortune [Gesenius].
11. Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house—The harem is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within its walls is as much a secret to those without as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs.
12. Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus—A whole year was spent in preparation for the intended honor. Considering that this took place in a palace, the long period prescribed, together with the profusion of costly and fragrant cosmetics employed, was probably required by state etiquette.
17. the king loved Esther above all the women—The choice fell on Esther, who found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of whom Oriental princes have a great number.
he set the royal crown upon her head—This consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked with white, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by a magnificent entertainment, and, in honor of the auspicious occasion, "he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king." The dotation of Persian queens consisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, in various parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal and domestic expenditure. Some of these imposts the king remitted or lessened at this time.
Es 2:21-23. Mordecai, Discovering a Treason, Is Recorded in the Chronicles.
21. In those days … two of the king's chamberlains … were wroth and sought to lay hand on the king, &c.—This secret conspiracy against the king's life probably arose out of revenge for the divorce of Vashti, in whose interest, and at whose instigation, these eunuchs may have acted. Through the vigilance of Mordecai, whose fidelity, however, passed unnoticed, the design was frustrated, while the conspirators were condemned to be executed and as the matter was recorded in the court annals, it became the occasion afterwards of Mordecai's preferment to the place of power and influence for which, in furtherance of the national interests of the Jews, divine providence intended him.