Esther 2:19

19 When the girls would gather on other occasions, Mordekhai would sit at the King's Gate.

Esther 2:19 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 2:19

And when the virgins were gathered together the second time,
&c.] Some think this second collection is that which was made when Esther was taken and brought to the keeper of the women, called the second, in reference to a former collection of them, made when Vashti was taken and made queen; but as there is no proof of any such collection then made, rather the case was this, such was the lust of the king, though he had a queen he loved, and a multitude of concubine's, yet a second collection of virgins was made for his gratification:

then Mordecai sat in the king's gate;
or court, being an officer in it, promoted by the interest of Esther, though not as yet known to be a relation of her's: so (yura) in Xenophon ^F26 is used of the court of the king of Persia, as the Ottoman or Turkish court is now called the "Porte".

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 2, 5, 11, 40.

Esther 2:19 In-Context

17 The king liked Ester more than any of his wives; none of the other virgins obtained such favor and approval from him. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

18 The king then gave a great banquet in Ester's honor for all his officers and servants, decreed a holiday for the provinces and distributed gifts worthy of royal bounty.

19 When the girls would gather on other occasions, Mordekhai would sit at the King's Gate.

20 Ester had not yet revealed her family ties or her people, as Mordekhai had ordered her; for Ester continued obeying what Mordekhai told her to do, as she had when he was raising her.

21 On one of those occasions, when Mordekhai was sitting at the King's Gate, two of the king's officers, Bigtan and Teresh, from the group in charge of the private entryways, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh.