Esther 2 Study Notes

2:12-13 The mention of one-year beauty treatments for each young woman sounds excessive and indulgent. Probably it was intended to emphasize the grandeur and pomp of the king who deserved partners meticulously prepared for the privilege of being his consort. Each prospect could take with her whatever she requested when she went to the king, presumably perfumes, jewelry, and clothes.

2:14 The second harem would have been separate from the harem in which the women were undergoing their beauty treatments.

2:15 At this point Esther is finally introduced into the story. Each woman had a choice of her adornment.

2:16-18 Esther’s turn to please the king came in what would have been the winter of 479-478 BC. The story gives no hint of moral judgment about the actions of Esther, a young Jewish virgin who gave herself to a pagan, uncircumcised, Persian king. In the ethic of that era it was simply a given that kings had the right to collect a harem. More intriguing is the fact of God’s working through another “divine coincidence.” God’s sovereignty was at work through the encounter of a pagan king and a Jewish virgin, for it would lead to the rescue of God’s people.

The vacancy created by the deposing of Vashti was now filled by Esther, whose coronation was celebrated with a great banquet. This banquet contrasts with the fateful banquet where Queen Vashti refused to appear (1:12) and foreshadows the banquets yet to come, especially the crucial banquets with Haman (chaps. 5 and 7), and the banquets of rejoicing for the Jewish people in chaps. 8 and 9.

The phrase freed . . . from tax payments translates a single Hebrew word (hanachah) that occurs only here in the OT. It has the connotation of “causing to rest,” possibly indicating a rest from work in commemoration of the queen’s coronation. This translation is supported by the mention of the giving of gifts worthy of the king’s bounty and by the Latin translation as well.

2:19-20 It may be that the virgins of the king’s harem (vv. 12-14) were not allowed to be present at “Esther’s Banquet” but got together at a different time to celebrate with their friend who was now queen. The mention of Mordecai at the King’s Gate suggests that he was some kind of official in the Persian court. This would help explain why he was living in the fortress at Susa (1:2) and not in the city of Susa, and how he could be within earshot of conspirators who were plotting Ahasuerus’s murder. The King’s Gate in Susa was a massive monumental structure that measured 131 feet by 92 feet, with a column-like tower on each corner that was 40 feet high.

2:21-23 The story of Esther takes a new turn with Mordecai’s discovery of a plot to assassinate King Ahasuerus. Mordecai informed the king through Queen Esther. Not only was Esther Mordecai’s best contact with the king, but her passing on of the news would have endeared her to the king. In terms of the narrative, this section of the story sets the stage for the delayed honoring of Mordecai at Haman’s expense (chaps. 6-7). The seemingly mundane mention of the incident being recorded in the Historical Record serves as an important part of the plot, setting up Ahasuerus’s later discovery of his failure to honor Mordecai (6:1-3).