Esther 2:18-23

18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana^[a] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.

23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

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Esther 2:18-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 2

By the advice of the ministers of King Ahasuerus, fair virgins were sought for throughout his dominions, and brought to his chamberlain, the keeper of the women, among whom was Esther, a Jewish virgin, Es 2:1-8, who found favour with the chamberlain, and afterwards with the king, who made her queen instead of Vashti, and a feast on that account, Es 2:9-18. Mordecai, to whom Esther was related, and according to whose advice she acted, sitting in the king's gate, discovered a conspiracy against the king, which he now made known to Esther, Es 2:19-23.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

1. S 1 Kings 3:15; Esther 1:3
2. S Genesis 40:20
3. S Esther 1:7
4. ver 21; Esther 3:2; Esther 4:2; Esther 5:13
5. ver 10
6. S Genesis 40:2; Esther 6:2
7. S Esther 1:12; Esther 3:5; Esther 5:9; Esther 7:7
8. S Genesis 40:19; S Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Psalms 7:14-16; Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiastes 10:8
9. Esther 6:1; Esther 10:2
10. Esther 6:2

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew "Bigthan," a variant of "Bigthana"