Esther 2:4

4 After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.” This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.

Esther 2:4 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 2:4

And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead
of Vashti
Have the royal estate, that was taken from Vashti, given to her, the crown royal set on her head and the thing pleased the king, and he did so;
appointed officers in all his provinces to seek out the most beautiful virgins, and bring them to his palace; so with the Chinese now, the king never marries with any of his kindred, though ever so remote; but there is sought throughout his kingdom a damsel of twelve or fourteen years, of perfect beauty, good natural parts, and well inclined to virtue; whence, for the most part, the queen is the daughter of some artisan; and in their history ^F5, mention is made of one that was the daughter of a mason.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Semedo's History of China, part 1. ch. 23.

Esther 2:4 In-Context

2 So his personal attendants suggested, “Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king.

3 Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments.

4 After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.” This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.

5 At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei.

6 His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.