And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his
kingdom
Who best knew where beautiful virgins might be found in their respective provinces, in which they dwelt: that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan
the palace;
the metropolis of the kingdom, where was the royal palace: to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's
chamberlain, the keeper of the women;
in which house it seems were two apartments, one for the virgins before they were introduced to the king, the other for them when they were become his concubines, which had a keeper also; but this Hege seems to have been over the whole house, ( Esther 2:14 ) . It was not only usual with the eastern people, as with the Turks now, for great personages to have keepers of their wives and concubines, but with the Romans also F4: and let their things for purification be given them;
such as oil of myrrh, spices to remove all impurity and ill scent from them, and make them look smooth and beautiful.