Esther 2:5

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was 1Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite *,

Esther 2:5 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 2:5

Now in Shushan the palace was a certain Jew
Not one of the tribe of Judah, for he was afterwards called a Benjaminite; but was so called, because he was of the kingdom of Judah, which consisted of both tribes. Jarchi says, all that were carried captive with the kings of Judah were called Jews among the nations, though of another tribe: whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of
Kish, a Benjamite;
who was among those that came with Zerubbabel from Babylon to Jerusalem, and returned to Persia again, ( Ezra 2:2 ) ( Nehemiah 7:7 ) , though some think this was another Mordecai; (See Gill on Ezra 2:2), who descended not from Kish, the father of Saul, but a later and more obscure person.

Esther 2:5 In-Context

3 "Let the king appoint overseers in all 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 Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let 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 Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite ,
6 who 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 Esther, 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.

Cross References 1

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