Esther 2:1-8

Vashti's Successor Sought

1 After these things ¹when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and ²what had been decreed against her.

2 Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "³Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

3 "Let the king appoint overseers in ⁴all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem *, into the custody of ⁵Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and ⁶let their cosmetics be given them.

4 "Then let the young lady who pleases * the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the matter pleased * the king, and he did accordingly.

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was ⁷Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite *,

6 ⁸who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.

7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is ⁹Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and ¹⁰many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of ¹¹Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

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Esther 2:1-8 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 11

1. Esther 7:10
2. Esther 1:19, 20
3. 1 Kings 1:2
4. Esther 1:1, 2
5. Esther 2:8, 15
6. Esther 2:9, 12
7. Esther 3:2
8. 2 Kings 24:14, 15; 2 Chronicles 36:10
9. Esther 2:15
10. Esther 2:3
11. Esther 2:3, 15

Footnotes 2

[a]. Lit "good of appearance"
[b]. Lit "house"