Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 2:8
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
8. the king’s commandment and his decree ] the former substantive referring to his orally expressed order, the latter being the same word as that used for ‘the laws of the Persians and the Medes’ (Est 1:19).
Hegai ] See Est 2:3.
was taken ] The Targum Shn says that Esther was hidden by Mordecai, before being removed from his custody by the exercise of the king’s authority.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Esther was brought, or taken, and that by force, as that word oft signifies. So great was the power and tyranny of the Persian kings, that they could and did take what persons they liked to their own use.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and decree was heard,…. In the several provinces of his kingdom:
and when many maidens were gathered unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai; Josephus o says, there were gathered to the number of four hundred:
that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, the keeper of the women: by force, as Aben Ezra and the former Targum, and so the word is sometimes used.
o Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 2.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When, then, the king’s commandment and decree was heard, i.e., proclaimed throughout the kingdom, and many maidens gathered together in Susa, Esther also was received into the royal harem, under the keeping of Hegai. The maiden pleased him and won his favour ( , to bear away love, i.e., to obtain favour, synonymous with , Est 2:15 and Est 5:2). , and he hastened to give her her ointments for purification, and the seven maidens appointed to her from the king’s house. The infinitives are, according to the Aramaean idiom, placed after their objects and dependent on . On , see on Est 2:3. , portions, are here portions of food, as in Est 9:19, Est 9:22, and 1Sa 1:4. The seven maidens ( with the article) are the maids appointed to wait upon a young virgin selected for the king. The participle : chosen for a particular purpose-in the Talmud and rabbinical Hebrew , dignus, decens, conveniens , – occurs only here. , he changed her and her maids into the best of the house of the women, i.e., he took them out of the ordinary rooms and placed them in the best apartments, probably in the state-rooms, where those who were accustomed to be brought to the king used to dwell.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
CRITICAL NOTES.]
Est. 2:9. Seven maidens] Probably each of the virgins had the same number of maids to attend her; but Esthers maids were chosen with special care. It seems also that both Esther and her maids were favoured with the choicest apartments in the harem.
Est. 2:10. Not showed her people] This was a piece of wise policy on the part of her foster-father. He knew well that the Jews were not too popular, and had she beforehand declared that she belonged to the captive nation, her cause would have been next to hopeless,
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH. Est. 2:8-10
ESTHERS HOPEFUL BEGINNING
A good beginning often ensures a good ending. Often, but not always. Buds of promise in this world are sadly and frequently nipped by the untimely blast, or the searching frost. Purposes are broken. Glorious plans are thwarted. Well-conceived structures do not reach completion. However, Esther began well and ended well. She was one of those wondrous beings that make an impression upon all. She carried sunshine everywhere, and all were attracted by the sweet light of her presence.
I. Esther was brought to the kings house along with other maidens. This was not much to the other maidens. To some a gloomy prospect. But to Esther it was one of the steps to a future high position.
II. She impressed the keeper of the women. The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him. On her entrance into what we may call public life she made an impression. She moved along, exerting a charm upon all. Monarch and subject confessed her power, and yielded to her benign sway. All are not alike gifted with this power of pleasing, but all should strive to please others for their good to edification. The more unselfish we become, the more are we likely to please others and to receive kindness.
III. She was advanced to the best place. Hegai preferred her to the best place of the house of the women. Ahasuerus advanced her to the best place in the kingdom. She receives a good place in the pages of sacred history. Let not our strife be for the best of earthly places. That is the best place where the good Lord shows his glory. Let us dwell in the presence of Jesus Christ. Where he dwells is heaven.
The fact that Esther was of Jewish extraction might have militated against her elevation, therefore she preserved a wise reticence. Time is on the side of him who knows how to wait. Mordecai does not enforce either falsehood or deceitfulness, but simply patience for the period to arrive when truth may be revealed with advantage. An untruth must be scorned; but the man who tells the truth at unseasonable periods, or in a wrong spirit, may do more harm than good. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. The prudent man foreseeth the evil and taketh all lawful methods for its prevention. Christianity teaches foresight. Prudence is commended both by nature and by revelation. But it must not degenerate into cunning. Mordecai was prudent in the management of his household. He trained Esther well, for she did the commandment of Mordecai like as when she was brought up with him. Good training, as a general rule, makes good children. Train up a child in the way in which he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. The well-trained child will not be likely to forget its duty even in the palace. Parents often blame their children for following evil courses; but if such parents closely examined they might find reason to blame themselves. In this age children forget the commandment of their parents long before the palace is reached.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Est. 2:8-10
Est. 2:9. Esther was brought. Poor Esther, who had been so kindly cherished by Mordecai, was now led away from his house to be the slave or the beloved wife of the great king, as his caprice should determine.
1. Her consent was not asked.
2. The consent of Mordecai, her adopted father, was not asked.
3. They were both slaves to a despotic master, and had, therefore, no choice. Blame not Esther, therefore, but pity her, when ye hear that, like so many other maidens, she was led away to the house of the kings women. She was not an actor, but a sufferer. Had she been left to her choice it is probable she would have chosen the poorest Jew that was faithful to his religion for her husband, in preference to the great king.Dr. Lawson.
There is, unquestionably, a difficulty connected with this 8th verse.
1. If Mordecai, of his own accord, presented Esther as a candidate for the royal favour, then he acted in opposition to the law of Moses, which forbade that the daughters of Israel should be given to the heathen. It would be no apology for his conduct that he designed by what he did to advance the interests of his nation. What is forbidden by the law must not be done that good may come of it.
2. Many interpreters suppose that those who were commissioned to select the virgins for the kings seraglio executed their office without respect to the feelings of the parties interested. Esther was taken, therefore, without there being any choice left, either to her or Mordecai, in the matter.
3. Others that, as the whole was so manifestly providential, Mordecai may have received special intimation from heaven to bring his orphan cousin under the notice of the kings officers. There is nothing in the history to warrant this opinion; therefore we embrace the first supposition as the most probable account of the affair.
4. But whatever may have been the feelings of Mordecai and Esther, we see the special workings of Providence in her behalf. She obtained favour of the chief of the eunuchs above all the other maidens who had been committed to his care, so that, without solicitation on her part, not only was there more than ordinary indulgence toward her, but she was even treated with a degree of respect that seemed, as it were, the prelude to yet higher advancement. The commencement of Esthers life in the palace gave promise of a prosperous issue.Dr. Davidson.
Est. 2:9. ESTHERS PREFERMENT. Who would have thought (a) a Jew, (b) a captive, (c) an orphan, was born to be a queen, an empress! So it proved. Providence sometimes raiseth up the poor out of the dust to set them among princes.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2
Discipline of the passions. The passions may be humoured until they become our master, as a horse may be pampered till he gets the better of his rider; but early discipline will prevent mutiny, and keep the helm in the hands of reason. Properly controlled, the passions may, like a horse with the bit in his mouth, or a ship with the helm in the hand of a skilful mariner, be managed and made useful.
A rich landlord once cruelly oppressed a poor widow. Her son, a little boy of eight years, saw it. He afterwards became a painter, and painted a life likeness of the dark scene. Years afterwards, he placed it where the man saw it. He turned pale, trembled in every joint, and offered any sum to purchase it, that he might put it out of sight. Thus there is an invisible painter drawing on the canvas of the soul a life likeness, reflecting correctly all the passions and actions of our spiritual history on earth. Now and again we should be compelled to look at them, and the folly of our acts will sting us, as it did the landlord, and also Ahasuerus.
Control of anger. Socrates, finding himself in emotion against a slave, said: I would beat you if I were not angry. Having received a box on the ears, he contented himself by only saying, with a smile, It is a pity we do not know when to put on the helmet. Socrates, meeting a gentleman of rank in the streets, saluted him; but the gentleman took no notice of it. His friends in company, observing what passed, told the philosopher That they were so exasperated at the mans incivility, that they had a good mind to resent it. He very calmly replied, If you met any person in the road in a worse habit of body than yourself, would you think you had reason to be enraged with him on that account? Pray, then, what greater reason can you have for being incensed at a man for a worse habit of mind than any of yourselves? That was a brave, strong man.
Impressions of sin. The great stone book of nature reveals many records of the past. In the red sandstone there are found, in some places, marks which are clearly the impression of showers of rain, and these are so perfect that it can even be detected in which direction the shower inclined, and from what quarter it proceededand this ages ago. Even so sin leaves its track behind it, and God keeps a faithful record of all our sins.Biblical Treasury.
If you cut a gash in a mans head, you may heal it; but you can never rub out, nor wash out, nor cut out the scar. It may be a witness against you in his corpse; still it may be covered by the coffin, or hidden in the grave; but then it is not till decomposition shall take place, that it shall entirely disappear. But, if you smite your soul by sin, you make a scar that will remain; no coffin or grave shall hide it; no fire, not even the eternal flames, shall burn out sins stains.
Counterfeit repentance. Beware that you make no mistake about the nature of true repentance. The devil knows too well the value of the precious grace not to dress up spurious imitations of it. Wherever there is good coin there will always be bad money.Ryle.
Repentance before pardon. The first physic to recover our souls is not cordials, but corrosives; not an immediate stepping into heaven by a present assurance, but mourning, and lamentations, and a little bewailing of our former transgressions. With Mary Magdalene we must wash Christs feet with our tears of sorrow, before we may anoint his head with the oil of gladness.Browning.
In all parts of the East, women are spoken of as being much inferior to men in wisdom; and nearly all their sages have proudly descanted on the ignorance of women. In the Hindoo book called the Kurral, it is declared, All women are ignorant. In other works similar remarks are found: Ignorance is a womans jewel. The feminine qualities are fourignorance, fear, shame, and impurity. To a woman disclose not a secret. Talk not to me in that way; it is all female wisdom.Roberts.
Degradation of woman. The farmers of the upper Alps, though by no means wealthy, live like lords in their houses, while the heaviest portion of agricultural labour devolves on the wife. It is no uncommon thing to see a woman yoked to the plough along with an ass, while the husband guides it. A farmer of the upper Alps accounts it an act of politeness to lend his wife to a neighbour who is too much oppressed with work; and the neighbour, in his turn, lends his wife for a few days work, whenever the favour is requested.Percy.
Radical reform. A small bite from a serpent will affect the whole body. There is no way to calm the sea but by excommunicating Jonah from the ship. If the root be killed, the branches will soon be withered. If the spring be diminished, there is no doubt that the streams will soon fail. When the fuel of corruption is removed, then the fire of affliction is extinguished.Secker.
Individual responsibility. Daniel Webster was once asked, What is the most important thought you ever entertained? He replied, after a moments reflection, the most important thought I ever had was my individual responsibility to God. There is no royal road, either to wealth or learning. Princes and kings, poor men, peasants, all alike must attend to the wants of their own bodies, and their own minds. No man can eat, drink, or sleep by proxy. No man can get the alphabet learned for him by another. All these are things which everybody must do for himself, or they will not be done at all. Just as it is with the mind and body, so it is with the soul. There are certain things absolutely needful to the souls health and well-being. Each must repent for himself. Each must apply to Christ for himself. And for himself each must speak to God and pray.Ryle.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(8) So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. (9) And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her, her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. (10) Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. (11) And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her. (12) Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) (13) Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. (14) In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name. (15) Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. (16) So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. (17) And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. (18) Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king. (19) And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate. (20) Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
I do not think it necessary to interrupt the progress of this history through these verses with any remarks. The relation given of the events is in a beautiful style of simplicity. Esther is represented in a most amiable light, and with a mind, suited as it should seem, for any nation. We may and we ought indeed, to observe, in the wonderful transition of circumstances, from the condition of a poor Jewish orphan, apparently friendless, and unconnected with any that seemed likely to promote her advance in the world to that of the throne of Persia, what great events the LORD in his providence is pleased to accomplish, and it should direct our minds to look up, and contemplate a divine hand in every event. But Reader! I can tell you of a still more marvellous instance of Almighty power, namely, when a poor friendless sinner is taken from the prison and the tyranny of Satan, and regenerated by the HOLY GHOST, betrothed to JESUS, and made a child of GOD by adoption and by grace.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Est 2:8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Est 2:8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Est 2:8-11
8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
Est 2:8 many young ladies Josephus (Antiq. 6.2) tells us that there were 400 young ladies. This does not seem impossible since Plutarch (Artaxerxes, 27.5) mentions that Artaxerxes had 360 concubines.
Esther was taken to the king’s palace This VERB (BDB 542, KB 534, Niphal IMPERFECT) may imply that she was taken by force (Qal form, cf. Est 2:15; Gen 42:36; Gen 44:29; 1Ki 11:34). The Niphal is used of the Ark being taken away by force (cf. 1Sa 4:11; 1Sa 4:17; 1Sa 4:19; 1Sa 4:21-22). Esther had no cultural choice!
Est 2:9 This verse shows the personal appeal of Esther. Her personality matched her physical beauty. She found favor (see Special Topic: Hesed at Neh 13:14) with the head eunuch amidst so many other beautiful women.
He quickly provided This VERB (BDB 96, KB 111, Peel IMPERFECT) is used several times in Esther (cf. Est 6:14; Est 8:14), where it always denotes haste, possibly urgency.
food Apparently Esther ate the king’s food (unlike Daniel). She either was not familiar with the Levitical food laws (cf. Leviticus 11) or perhaps she was concealing her Jewish identity as Mordecai had instructed her (cf. Est 2:10).
NASBseven choice maids
NKJVseven choice maid-servants
NRSVseven chosen maids
TEVseven young women especially chosen
NJBseven special maids
Est 2:9 shows how Hegai treated Esther with special favors. The number seven was special to both Hebrews and Persians (see note at Est 1:5). Esther had seven specially chosen (BDB 906, KB 1154, Qal, PASSIVE PARTICIPLE) servants. Apparently the other young virgins did not have this extra care.
Why did Hegai do this?
1. He and Esther had become friends.
2. He saw in Esther the probability of the new queen and wanted to gain her favor.
3. This was the unseen hand of God.
Est 2:10 On Mordecai’s request Esther did not let anyone know that she was of a royal line of Benjamin, a Jew.
Mordecai’s daily visits were a sign of
1. his love for his adopted daughter
2. his fear of anti-Semitism in Persia
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
commandment = word. Hebrew. dabar. See note on Est 1:12.
decree = Imperial decree. Hebrew. dath, as in Est 3:15; Est 4:3, Est 4:8; Est 8:14, Est 8:17; Est 9:1, Est 9:13, Est 9:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Est 2:8-11
Est 2:8-11
ESTHER TAKEN INTO THE HOUSE OF THE KING’S WOMEN
“So it came to pass when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her the things for her purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king’s house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women. And Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai and charged her that she should not make it known. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.”
The key development here was Hegai’s partiality to Esther. The words speedily and the best place (Est 2:9) show that Hegai probably shortened the one year stay in the house of women for Esther and that he moved her as quickly as possible into the rotation for the king’s bed.
E.M. Zerr:
Est 2:8. To the “outside world” it would seem as a matter-of-course event that Esther would be included in this group, since she possessed all of the general characteristics of body that had been stipulated. God’s purpose in all this story was to get her into the intimacy of the king, and it was done by the drag-net method employed. Had that plan not been used, then some special one would have been necessary. But that would have roused the suspicions of the king and all the others concerned, and the intentions of the Lord would have been hindered if not prevented.
Est 2:9. Maiden pleased him means she pleased Hegai (Hege). Of course it means she pleased him from the standpoint of the kind of girl that would likely please the king. Gave her things for purification. The officers sent out through the empire were to make a collection of all the eligible girls. That was a general and extensive work. Had they brought in someone who did not “pass inspection” under the eye of Hege, she would have been deferred at least for further examination. Obtained kindness means she was favored by him, by being given the necessary things for the season of purification (Est 2:12). Such things as belonged to her is merely a fuller statement than the one just before it. In other words, the eunuch was so well satisfied that Esther would rank high in the eyes of the king that he showed her great favor. He preferred her by giving her a special apartment in the house of the women. Maidens associated with women of distinction was a common practice in Biblical times. (Gen 16:1; Gen 29:24; Gen 29:29; Exo 2:5; 2Ki 5:2; Pro 31:15.) Verse 10. Esther did not know any reason for not telling her relatives about her situation. She was merely doing what her cousin, who was older than she and who was her guardian, had told her to do. Neither do we know what Mordecai had in mind, unless he was being influenced by a Higher Power. The whole plan needed to be carried out wisely or it might fail.
Est 2:11. Mordecai had a parent-like interest in Esther, having cared for her from her young childhood. There could have been nothing but the most affectionate nearness between them. He knew of the edict of the king, followed by the proposition of the servants. He also was aware that his precious cousin, who was also his ward, had been taken into the house of women, as a possible though involuntary candidate for the king’s bed. If she were sent out of this house on that mission, what might be her lot after he is through with her. No wonder, then, that Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Hegai: One of Dr. Kennicott’s manuscripts, instead of Hegai has Hege, as in Est 2:3.
Reciprocal: Dan 8:2 – Shushan