Esther 2:14

14 She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

Esther 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 2:14

In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into
the second house of the women
Or the other apartment of the house of the women, where were kept those the king had made his concubines or secondary wives. Aben Ezra interprets it the second time, and so the Targum by "again":

to the custody of Shaashgaz the king's chamberlain, which kept the
concubines;
of which the kings of Persia had a great number; Darius, whom Alexander conquered, had three hundred and sixty ^F17:

she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her,
and that she was called by name;
but remained shut up in the house, and might not lie with, nor be married to, another man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Curt. Hist. l. 3. c. 3.

Esther 2:14 In-Context

12 Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women's purifications.

13 And then goes in to the king; and to whomsoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women's apartment to the king's chamber.

14 She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

15 And when the time. was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochaeus' father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women's keeper, commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.

16 So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.