Chapter 2
Esther Is Made Queen. 1 After a time, the anger of King Ahasuerus abated, and he began to think of what Vashti had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 At this point, the king’s personal attendants suggested, “Let a search be made to find beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his kingdom to bring all those beautiful young virgins into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed in the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who is in charge of the women, and let them receive beauty treatments. 4 Then let the girl who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This advice pleased the king, and he acted upon it.
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai, son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. 6 He had been carted off into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jeconiah, king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah,[a] whom he had brought up because she had lost her father and mother. She was also known as Esther and was a beautiful young woman. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter after her father and mother had died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and placed in the care of Hegai. Esther, too, was brought to the royal palace in the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. So Hegai lost no time in furnishing her with cosmetics and provisions and in assigning her seven maids from the king’s palace while transferring her and the maids into the best place in the harem.
10 Now on the counsel of Mordecai, Esther did not mention her nationality or family to anyone. 11 And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem, seeking to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
12 Before each girl’s turn came when she could visit King Ahasuerus, she must have completed twelve months of prescribed beauty treatments: six months with oil of myrrh and another six with perfume and cosmetics. 13 When the girl went to visit the king, she received whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s royal palace. 14 She would go there in the evening and in the morning would come back to another part of the harem, which was in the care of Shaazgaz, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not visit the king again unless he summoned her by name.
15 As for Esther, daughter of Abihail and adopted daughter of Mordecai, when it came time for her turn to visit the king, she asked nothing more than what the royal eunuch Hegai, who was in charge of the harem, suggested. Nevertheless, she won the admiration of all who saw her. 16 So, in the seventh year of his reign, in the tenth month, Tebeth,[b] Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace.
17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and administrators to honor Esther. He proclaimed a holiday[c] throughout the provinces and gave gifts with royal liberality.
19 [Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy.[d] To resume: When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, 20 and Esther had still not revealed her family or nationality just as Mordecai had instructed her. For she was still following his advice as she had done when he was bringing her up.
21 During the time Mordecai spent at the king’s gate,[e] Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, became angry and plotted to kill King Ahasuerus. 22 However, Mordecai became aware of the plot and told Queen Esther about it, and she informed the king for Mordecai. 23 When the matter was investigated and proved to be true, both men were hanged on a gibbet. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the king’s presence.]
Footnotes
- Esther 2:7 Hadassah: in Hebrew signifies “myrtle”; Esther in Persian signifies “star” and is associated with the Babylonian goddess “Ishtar.”
- Esther 2:16 Tebeth: Persian name that corresponds to December–January.
- Esther 2:18 A holiday: the Greek text reads: “remission of sins.”
- Esther 2:19 This is the Hebrew account of the plot already related in the Greek text (A:12-17). Although the text is corrupt, one thing is clear. After the distractions of the harem, the author wants to remind his readers of the main elements of the story up to this point: Mordecai’s position, Esther’s hidden nationality, Mordecai’s unrewarded service, and the record of this in the royal annals.
- Esther 2:21 King’s gate: either an edifice (see Est 4:2-6; 5:8; 6:12) or determinate services of the court (see v. 9; 6:10). Excavations at Susa have unearthed rooms on both sides of the grandiose entrance to the royal palace. Hence, Mordecai can be thought to have been exercising watchful care over Esther or rendering royal service (see A:2).