Esther 2:17-20

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.

Esther 2:17-20 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

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "the word of Mordecai"