Esther 2 Study Notes: Esther Becomes Queen
Xerxes has his empire searched for a new queen, and Esther, the orphaned cousin raised by the Jew Mordecai, is brought into the palace. She keeps her Jewish identity secret at Mordecai’s instruction, wins the king’s love, and is crowned. Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king, which is written in the royal records.
General
When Esther’s turn came to be taken in to the king, what did she ask to bring along (Esther 2:15)?
Answer: Nothing beyond what Hegai, the keeper of the women, advised
After a full year of preparation under the harem rules (2:12-14), each young woman could take whatever she wanted with her when she went to the king. When Esther’s turn came, she asked for nothing except the things that Hegai, the official over the women, recommended (2:15). And Esther won the favor of all who looked on her (2:15). Her trust in Hegai’s counsel matches the kindness he had already shown her (2:9), and the same favor will soon come from the king himself (2:17).
- Esther 2:15 (BSB)“Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.”Esther asks only for what Hegai advises and wins the favor of all who see her.
- Esther 2:12 (BSB)“In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.”The year-long preparation period required of each young woman is described here.
- Esther 2:9 (BSB)“And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.”Hegai had shown Esther favor from the time she arrived.
- Esther 2:17 (BSB)“And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.”The favor Esther found with others is matched by the king’s love for her.
Theological
What did Esther request to take when her turn came to go in to the king (Esther 2:15)?
Answer: Nothing beyond what Hegai, the keeper of the women, advised
Following the twelve-month preparation prescribed by the harem regulations (2:12-14), each young woman could take with her whatever she requested. Esther, however, requests nothing but what Hegai, the official over the women, advised (2:15), and she obtains favor with all who see her (2:15). Her reliance on Hegai’s counsel fits the kindness he had shown her from the start (2:9), and it anticipates the favor she will find with the king (2:17).
- Esther 2:15 (BSB)“Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.”Esther asks only for what Hegai advises and wins the favor of all who see her.
- Esther 2:12 (BSB)“In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.”The year-long preparation period required of each young woman is described here.
- Esther 2:9 (BSB)“And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.”Hegai had shown Esther favor from the time she arrived.
- Esther 2:17 (BSB)“And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.”The favor Esther found with others is matched by the king’s love for her.
General
According to the text, why did Esther not tell anyone in the palace who her people and family were (Esther 2:10)?
Answer: Because Mordecai had told her not to make it known
Esther kept her people and her family background to herself because Mordecai had told her to (2:10). Even after she became queen, she still had not made them known, and she continued to obey Mordecai as she had when he was raising her (2:20). Mordecai’s concern for her went on as well: every day he walked near the harem courtyard to find out how she was and how things were going for her (2:11). The text does not explain Mordecai’s reason for the instruction. Much later Esther will reveal to the king that she belongs to the people Haman wanted destroyed (7:3-4).
- Esther 2:10-11 (BSB)“Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.”Esther keeps her background hidden at Mordecai’s instruction, and he checks on her every day.
- Esther 2:20 (BSB)“Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.”Even after becoming queen, Esther still obeys Mordecai and keeps her people hidden.
- Esther 7:3-4 (BSB)“Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request. For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.””Later Esther reveals to the king that she and her people have been sold to destruction.
Theological
What reason does the text give for Esther’s silence about her people and lineage in the palace (Esther 2:10)?
Answer: Because Mordecai had told her not to make it known
Esther conceals her people and lineage at Mordecai’s instruction (2:10), and she continues to do so after becoming queen, obeying him as she had while in his care (2:20). Mordecai’s watchfulness continues as well: daily he walks near the harem courtyard to find out how she is faring (2:11). The text does not state Mordecai’s reasons. The concealment becomes significant later, when Esther finally discloses her identity before the king in pleading for her own life and her people’s (7:3-4).
- Esther 2:10-11 (BSB)“Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.”Esther keeps her background hidden at Mordecai’s instruction, and he checks on her every day.
- Esther 2:20 (BSB)“Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.”Even after becoming queen, Esther still obeys Mordecai and keeps her people hidden.
- Esther 7:3-4 (BSB)“Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request. For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.””Later Esther reveals to the king that she and her people have been sold to destruction.
General
What did King Xerxes do after he came to love Esther above every other woman (Esther 2:17-18)?
Answer: He crowned her queen in Vashti’s place and held a feast in her honor
Esther was brought to the king in his seventh year (2:16). Xerxes loved her above every other woman, and she found favor and kindness with him beyond all the rest, so he crowned her and gave her Vashti’s royal position (2:17). He celebrated with a great banquet named for Esther, gave his provinces a break from taxes, and handed out generous gifts (2:18). What Memucan had proposed back in chapter 1, that Vashti’s position go to another (1:19), has now come about. Scripture teaches that God is the one who brings one person down and raises another up (Psalm 75:6-7).
- Esther 2:17-18 (BSB)“And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.”The king crowns Esther as queen in place of Vashti and celebrates with a banquet.
- Esther 1:19 (BSB)“So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.”Memucan had proposed that Vashti’s royal position be given to another.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Scripture teaches that God is the one who brings down one person and lifts up another.
Theological
How did Xerxes respond after he loved Esther above every other woman (Esther 2:17-18)?
Answer: He crowned her queen in Vashti’s place and held a feast in her honor
Brought to the king in his seventh year (2:16), Esther wins Xerxes’ love above all the women and his grace and favor above all the virgins, and he sets the royal crown on her head and makes her queen in Vashti’s place (2:17). He marks the occasion with Esther’s banquet, a remission of taxes for the provinces, and gifts befitting royal generosity (2:18). Memucan’s proposal that Vashti’s position pass to another (1:19) is thus fulfilled. Scripture teaches that exaltation comes from Him alone, since He lowers one person and lifts up another (Psalm 75:6-7).
- Esther 2:17-18 (BSB)“And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.”The king crowns Esther as queen in place of Vashti and celebrates with a banquet.
- Esther 1:19 (BSB)“So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.”Memucan had proposed that Vashti’s royal position be given to another.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Scripture teaches that God is the one who brings down one person and lifts up another.
General
When Esther was taken into the palace, how did Hegai treat her (Esther 2:8-9)?
Answer: She won Hegai’s favor, and he gave her quick care and the best rooms
When the king’s order went out, many young women were gathered in Susa, and Esther too was brought into the palace and put in Hegai’s charge (2:8). She pleased Hegai and gained his kindness. He quickly gave her the beauty treatments and special food, assigned her seven chosen palace maids, and moved her and her maids into the finest part of the harem (2:9). Esther does not name God, but Scripture elsewhere credits Him with giving His people favor with foreign officials, as with Joseph in prison (Genesis 39:21) and Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 1:9).
- Esther 2:8-9 (BSB)“When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women. And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.”Esther is brought into the palace and wins the favor of Hegai, who gives her special care.
- Genesis 39:21 (BSB)“the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”Scripture says the LORD granted Joseph favor with a foreign official.
- Daniel 1:9 (BSB)“Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,”Scripture says God granted Daniel favor with the chief official in Babylon.
Theological
How did Hegai respond to Esther once she was placed under his care (Esther 2:8-9)?
Answer: She won Hegai’s favor, and he gave her quick care and the best rooms
Esther is among the many young women brought to Susa and is entrusted to Hegai (2:8). She pleases him and obtains his kindness, so he promptly provides her treatments and special portions, assigns her seven chosen palace maids, and moves her and her attendants to the best quarters of the harem (2:9). Esther never names God, but Scripture elsewhere ascribes such favor before foreign officials to the LORD, as with Joseph (Genesis 39:21) and Daniel (Daniel 1:9).
- Esther 2:8-9 (BSB)“When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women. And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.”Esther is brought into the palace and wins the favor of Hegai, who gives her special care.
- Genesis 39:21 (BSB)“the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”Scripture says the LORD granted Joseph favor with a foreign official.
- Daniel 1:9 (BSB)“Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,”Scripture says God granted Daniel favor with the chief official in Babylon.
General
True or False: Mordecai received a reward from the king right after the plot against Xerxes was uncovered.
Answer: False
This is false. Chapter 2 ends with the plotters hanged and the matter written in the king’s records (2:23), but nothing is said about Mordecai being rewarded. In fact, when the record is read to the king much later, his attendants tell him that Mordecai has received no honor at all (6:3). That delay sets up one of the book’s great turnarounds, when Haman himself must honor Mordecai (6:10). Scripture teaches that the LORD determines a person’s steps even when people make their own plans (Proverbs 16:9).
- Esther 2:23 (BSB)“After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.”The plot is confirmed, the plotters are hanged, and the matter is written in the king’s records.
- Esther 6:3 (BSB)“The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants.”Much later the king learns that nothing has been done to honor Mordecai.
- Esther 6:10 (BSB)““Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested.””The king then orders Haman to honor Mordecai, a striking reversal.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD determines their steps.
Theological
True or False: The king rewarded Mordecai immediately after his report about the conspiracy was confirmed.
Answer: False
This is false. Chapter 2 closes with the conspirators executed and the matter recorded in the royal chronicles (2:23), but with no reward for Mordecai. When the record is read to the king much later, his attendants confirm that Mordecai has received no honor (6:3). The delay positions the book’s great reversal, in which Haman is made to honor the very man he hates (6:10). Scripture teaches that while people plan their path, the LORD directs where they actually go (Proverbs 16:9).
- Esther 2:23 (BSB)“After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.”The plot is confirmed, the plotters are hanged, and the matter is written in the king’s records.
- Esther 6:3 (BSB)“The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants.”Much later the king learns that nothing has been done to honor Mordecai.
- Esther 6:10 (BSB)““Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested.””The king then orders Haman to honor Mordecai, a striking reversal.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD determines their steps.
General
When Mordecai found out that two royal eunuchs were plotting to kill Xerxes, what did he do (Esther 2:21-22)?
Answer: He told Queen Esther, who reported it to the king in his name
While Mordecai sat at the gate of the palace, two eunuchs who kept watch over the king’s doorway, Bigthan and Teresh, became angry and plotted to kill King Xerxes (2:21). Mordecai learned of it and passed the news to Queen Esther, who told the king and gave Mordecai the credit (2:22). The matter was looked into and found to be true, the two men were hanged, and the whole affair was written down in the king’s official records (2:23). Mordecai acted for the good of the king he lived under, much as Jeremiah had told the exiles to seek the welfare of the city where they lived (Jeremiah 29:7). This record will matter greatly in chapter 6 (6:1-2).
- Esther 2:21-23 (BSB)“In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf. After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.”Mordecai uncovers a plot against the king, and Esther reports it in his name.
- Jeremiah 29:7 (BSB)“Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.””The exiles were told to seek the welfare of the city where they lived, as Mordecai does here.
- Esther 6:1-2 (BSB)“That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.”Later the record of Mordecai’s report is read to the king on a sleepless night.
Theological
What did Mordecai do on discovering the plot of Bigthan and Teresh against the king (Esther 2:21-22)?
Answer: He told Queen Esther, who reported it to the king in his name
Seated at the palace gate, Mordecai learns that two eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who kept the king’s door, have conspired in anger to assassinate Xerxes (2:21). He informs Queen Esther, who reports it to the king and credits Mordecai (2:22); the report is investigated and confirmed, both men are hanged, and the matter is entered in the royal chronicles in the king’s presence (2:23). Mordecai’s loyalty fits the counsel Jeremiah gave the exiles to seek the welfare of the city of their captivity (Jeremiah 29:7), and the written record becomes pivotal when it is read to the sleepless king in chapter 6 (6:1-2).
- Esther 2:21-23 (BSB)“In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf. After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.”Mordecai uncovers a plot against the king, and Esther reports it in his name.
- Jeremiah 29:7 (BSB)“Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.””The exiles were told to seek the welfare of the city where they lived, as Mordecai does here.
- Esther 6:1-2 (BSB)“That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.”Later the record of Mordecai’s report is read to the king on a sleepless night.
General
How does the text introduce Mordecai when he first appears (Esther 2:5-6)?
Answer: A Benjamite whose family line had been taken into exile
Mordecai is introduced as a Jew living in Susa’s citadel, a Benjamite, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish (2:5). His family had been deported from Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took captives, along with the captives taken when Judah’s king Jeconiah was exiled (2:6). Jeconiah is the king also called Jehoiachin, whose deportation to Babylon along with the leading people of Jerusalem is recorded in 2 Kings (2 Kings 24:14-15). Saul’s father was also a Benjamite named Kish (1 Samuel 9:1-2), and many readers draw a link between the two family lines, though Esther does not spell one out.
- Esther 2:5-6 (BSB)“Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.”Mordecai is introduced as a Benjamite Jew from a family taken into exile from Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 24:14-15 (BSB)“He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained. Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”Nebuchadnezzar carries King Jehoiachin, also called Jeconiah, and the leaders of Jerusalem into exile.
- 1 Samuel 9:1-2 (BSB)“Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”Saul’s father was a Benjamite named Kish, the link many readers see in Mordecai’s ancestry.
Theological
What background does the text give for Mordecai at his introduction (Esther 2:5-6)?
Answer: A Benjamite whose family line had been taken into exile
Mordecai appears as a Jew living in Susa’s citadel, a Benjamite whose lineage runs through Jair, Shimei, and Kish (2:5), from a family Nebuchadnezzar deported from Jerusalem among the captives taken when Judah’s king Jeconiah was exiled (2:6). Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin, is the king whose deportation with Jerusalem’s leading men is narrated in 2 Kings (2 Kings 24:14-15). The name Kish also belongs to Saul’s Benjamite father (1 Samuel 9:1-2), a connection many readers notice, though the book draws no explicit link.
- Esther 2:5-6 (BSB)“Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.”Mordecai is introduced as a Benjamite Jew from a family taken into exile from Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 24:14-15 (BSB)“He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained. Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”Nebuchadnezzar carries King Jehoiachin, also called Jeconiah, and the leaders of Jerusalem into exile.
- 1 Samuel 9:1-2 (BSB)“Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”Saul’s father was a Benjamite named Kish, the link many readers see in Mordecai’s ancestry.
General
Why had Mordecai brought up Esther (Hadassah) in his own home (Esther 2:7)?
Answer: She was his cousin, and both her parents had died
Esther, also called Hadassah, had Mordecai’s uncle as her father, which made her Mordecai’s cousin (2:7). She had neither father nor mother, so after her parents died Mordecai took her in and raised her as a daughter (2:7). Later the text names her father as Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai (2:15). Scripture describes God as a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5), and caring for orphans is a mark of true faith (James 1:27). Mordecai’s care for Esther is the foundation of the close bond between them through the whole book.
- Esther 2:7 (BSB)“And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter.”Mordecai has raised his orphaned cousin Hadassah, also called Esther, as his own daughter.
- Esther 2:15 (BSB)“Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.”Esther’s father is named as Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle, confirming that they were cousins.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God Himself is described as a father to those who have no father.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”Caring for orphans in their distress is named as part of pure religion.
Theological
What was Mordecai’s relationship to Esther, and why had he raised her (Esther 2:7)?
Answer: She was his cousin, and both her parents had died
Esther, also named Hadassah, is the daughter of Mordecai’s uncle and therefore his cousin; orphaned of both parents, she was taken in and raised by Mordecai as a daughter (2:7). The text later identifies her father as Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle (2:15). The care of orphans reflects God’s own character as a father to children without fathers (Psalm 68:5) and is named in the New Testament as a mark of genuine religion (James 1:27). This bond of guardian and ward shapes the relationship between Mordecai and Esther throughout the book.
- Esther 2:7 (BSB)“And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter.”Mordecai has raised his orphaned cousin Hadassah, also called Esther, as his own daughter.
- Esther 2:15 (BSB)“Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.”Esther’s father is named as Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle, confirming that they were cousins.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God Himself is described as a father to those who have no father.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”Caring for orphans in their distress is named as part of pure religion.
General
Once the king’s anger had cooled, who proposed searching the provinces for young women from among whom a new queen would be chosen (Esther 2:1-4)?
Answer: The attendants who personally served the king
Some time after the events of chapter 1, when Xerxes’ anger had died down, he thought again about Vashti and the decree made against her (2:1). His personal attendants then suggested that officials in every province gather beautiful young women to the harem in Susa, put them in Hegai’s charge, and let the one Xerxes liked best take Vashti’s place as queen (2:2-4). The king liked the idea and acted on it (2:4). Memucan had earlier proposed giving Vashti’s position to another woman (1:19); now the king’s servants propose how she is to be found.
- Esther 2:2-4 (BSB)“Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.”The king’s attendants propose gathering young women from every province so that a new queen can be chosen.
- Esther 1:19 (BSB)“So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.”Memucan had already advised that Vashti’s position be given to another woman.
- Esther 2:1 (BSB)“Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.”Once his anger subsides, the king remembers Vashti and the decree made against her.
Theological
Who proposed the empire-wide search for young women from which Vashti’s replacement would be chosen (Esther 2:1-4)?
Answer: The attendants who personally served the king
With Xerxes’ wrath subsided, he thinks again of Vashti and the decree against her (2:1), and his personal attendants propose the remedy: commissioners in every province are to gather beautiful young women to the harem at Susa under Hegai’s care, and the one Xerxes favors will reign in Vashti’s stead (2:2-4). The proposal pleases Xerxes, who acts on it (2:4). Memucan’s counsel had decreed that Vashti’s position would pass to another (1:19); the attendants now supply the means.
- Esther 2:2-4 (BSB)“Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.”The king’s attendants propose gathering young women from every province so that a new queen can be chosen.
- Esther 1:19 (BSB)“So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.”Memucan had already advised that Vashti’s position be given to another woman.
- Esther 2:1 (BSB)“Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.”Once his anger subsides, the king remembers Vashti and the decree made against her.