Esther 2 Study Notes

2:1 The vague description some time later is of little help in determining the time frame in the story. It is clear from v. 16 that Esther did not meet King Ahasuerus until four years after the first events (479-478 BC). Some suggest that the search for a replacement queen only started when Ahasuerus returned from his fighting with the Greeks (479 BC).

2:2-4 The word translated young virgins (Hb betulah) does not always mean “virgins,” as the usage in vv. 17-19 and Ezk 23:3-8 attests, but in this context it is clear that only young women without prior sexual experience would be acceptable to the king. Possible brides would be brought to the harem (lit “house of the women”) at Susa.

2:5-7 In this important parenthetical flashback, two more main characters in the story are introduced—Mordecai and Esther. The name “Mordecai” was a common name, a Hebrew form of the Babylonian name Marduka, derived from Marduk, the principle god of Babylon.

Mordecai’s genealogy is problematic if it is attempting to link him to Kish the father of King Saul (1Sm 9:1). This Kish could hardly have been Mordecai’s great-grandfather, since the time gap between the two was over five hundred years. Either a different Kish is in view, or it could be that the term son of means here “descendant of,” a common usage in the OT that in this case would indicate that the author is choosing to identify only a handful of Mordecai’s line of ancestors.

An additional difficulty is associated with v. 6—he had been taken into exile from Jerusalem during the time of Nebuchadnezzar. If “he” is Mordecai, this would make him almost 120 years old when Esther was chosen. It is possible to read v. 6 as identifying Kish as the “he” and not Mordecai, which would also lend credence to the theory that a different individual named Kish is intended here, not King Saul’s father. Esther is introduced first with her Hebrew name, Hadassah, the name of the myrtle tree. Her “Gentile” name was Esther, derived from the name of the famous goddess Ishtar. Her physical beauty would give her an edge in replacing Vashti (1:9).

2:8-9 The statement that Esther was taken to the palace does not necessarily suggest she was taken unwillingly, although one of the Jewish Targums of Esther suggests this. A later Midrash on the book of Esther states that Esther hid for four years before being captured and taken to the royal harem (see Aggadath Esther 2:8). Both the Targum and the Midrash can be commended for trying to protect Esther’s virtue, but there is no biblical evidence that Esther resisted going to the harem, and clear evidence from this present passage shows she cooperated in the preparation for becoming the king’s new queen. Esther’s chances to become queen increased as she pleased Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the potential brides. He also gave her a special diet (Hb minoth). The Hebrew term used here usually means “portions,” often in the sense of delicacies (Neh 8:10,12), which were probably not kosher.

2:10 It is not explicitly stated why Mordecai ordered Esther to hide her Jewish background. When Esther finally revealed her ethnicity to King Ahasuerus, he appeared untroubled by it (7:3). Yet clearly some people of that era, especially Haman (3:4-6), hated the Jews.

2:11 The passage does not say that Mordecai obtained news daily or that he talked to Esther directly.

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).