Esther 2:17-23

Esther Becomes Queen

17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that ¹he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 Then ²the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts ³according to the king's bounty.

19 ⁴When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai ⁵was sitting at the king's gate.

20 ⁶Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done ⁷when under his care.

Mordecai Saves the King

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, ⁸Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

22 But the plot became known to Mordecai and ⁹he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.

23 Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in ¹⁰the Book of the Chronicles * in the king's presence.

Esther 2:17-23 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.

Cross References

• 1. Esther 1:11
• 2. Esther 1:3
• 3. Esther 1:7
• 4. Esther 2:3, 4
• 5. Esther 2:21; Esther 3:2
• 6. Esther 2:10
• 7. Esther 2:7
• 8. Esther 6:2
• 9. Esther 6:1, 2
• 10. Esther 10:2

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "the word of Mordecai"
• [b]. Lit "send a hand against"
• [c]. Lit "matter," so also v 23
• [d]. Lit "told"
• [e]. Lit "tree"