Esther 2

Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Esther 2:1

We need to understand that about four years had passed since the events related in chapter one. During that time Xerxes and his proud army and navy had been soundly defeated by the Greeks. The king probably returned home a dejected man and it was likely at that point that he began to miss his lovely Vashti.

With the king missing Vashti, the wise men were likely thrown into a panic. Should Vashti return to power they would all probably be crucified by her because of their evil advice against her. It seems that they quickly decided upon a plan to keep that from happening. They undoubtedly realized what a womanizer the king was, so they decided to turn his attention to the beautiful girls in the kingdom and thus choose a new queen. This was against the custom of choosing queens, but they were in a jam and had to do something fast. “The princes were well aware of the weakness of Xerxes’ character (Herodotus, 9. 108-113) and took full advantage of it for their own purposes.” [1]

“Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, ‘Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king’” (2:2). Anders says, “This was a kingdom-wide roundup designed for the king’s pleasure.” [2] It is important to understand that this was not like the beauty contests of our present time. This was no “Miss Persia” contest. Guthrie comments: “Little imagination is needed to appreciate the horror caused by the roundup of these girls, whose fate it was to be carried away from their homes to be secluded for life as the king’s concubines. What a liability to be beautiful!” [3] We can imagine that many parents scurried around to hide away their beautiful daughters. This was certainly not something for which a lovely girl would ever volunteer. It was really a sort of a perpetual widowhood. [4]

“Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them” (2:3). Barnes speaking of the harem says: “In the Persian palaces it was very extensive, since the monarchs maintained, besides their legitimate wives, as many as 300 or 400 concubines…” [5] We can guess that this roundup of beauties might have potentially doubled his number of concubines. The new beauties would be placed in the harem under the charge of the eunuch Hegai. There they would be given beauty treatments. These skin treatments in the Hebrew convey the idea of rubbing or scouring the body. [6]

‘Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it” (2:4). Coffman, speaking of the king, said: “Evil beast that he was, Xerxes liked the idea…” [7] Meyer comments: “How great is the influence of Christianity in raising our standards and pervading the world with a loftier morality!” [8] Today the idea of a harem is generally frowned upon. However, there are still a few around.

Prince Bolkiah of Brunei is said to have had 30-40 women in his harem and some of these were younger than 16 years of age. King Mswati III, the monarch of Swaziland is said to have had at least 15 wives. [9] We probably remember the late Jeffrey Epstein who lured many young girls to his private island or sex playground.

Enter, Mordecai And Esther

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Esther 2:5-6.

Pfeiffer and Harrison remark: “The true hero and heroine of the book are now introduced.” [10] Mordecai was probably born in captivity. His name Mordecai is thought to have originated from the pagan god Marduk. [11] We no doubt remember how Daniel and his three friends were named after pagan gods in Babylon (Dan. 1:6-7). Marvin Breneman, Buenos Aires Professor of Old Testament, notes that this is the first mention of the Jewish people. He says that the captivity at the time of Jehoiachin probably refers to his forefather Kish. If it was Mordecai who was carried away in 597 BC, he would now be over 120 years old. [12] Incidentally, some time ago a cuneiform tablet was found near Babylon that mentions a Marduka, who was a high official at the court of Susa during the time of King Xerxes. This Marduka has been identified with our Mordecai. [13]

If we are going to be realistic, we have to be rather amazed that the Jew Mordecai and his cousin Esther are even found in this place. We remember that almost 50,000 Jews went home under Zerubbabel back in 537 BC. We might wonder why Mordecai and Esther did not return to the land of Israel. They were probably too young, but why didn’t their families return? Technically, they were living in disobedience since they did not heed the call to return home.

We might ask further “Why were they not known as Jews?” Had they been practicing Jews, the people in Susa surely would have known that. They would have been buying kosher food, keeping the Sabbath, lighting Sabbath candles and getting together with other Jewish people.

In all this, we just have to say with the hymn writer William Cowper that “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.” A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance once said: “God is preparing his heroes, and when the opportunity comes, he can fit them into their places in a moment, and the world will wonder where they came from.” [14] Mordecai and Esther may not have been practicing Jews but God was about to use them to save the whole Jewish race.

We might add that Mordecai and Esther’s keeping quiet about their religion is no excuse for us to keep quiet about ours today. We are not in their unique situation. We also have the New Testament command to spread the gospel (Mat. 28:19-20). However, as God leads us in this age, we can also do great things just as they did. God can still move mysteriously.

“Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. (2:7). His adopted cousin Hadassah (Hebrew, myrtle) also had the name of Esther (Persian, star).

Guzik says, “… We regard that the Bible is generally given to understatement; when it says that Esther was lovely and beautiful, we know that it isn’t exaggerating.” [15] Utley comments, “We would say Esther was stunning and stood out in a crowd, a real showstopper, eye-catcher…” [16] Esther was not just beautiful in face and form but she was beautiful and attractive as a person. The Bible says: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised” (Prov. 31:30 NAS).

“When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem” (2:8). We see that Esther was “taken” and placed in the harem under the care of the eunuch Hegai. We have confirmation of this person as an officer of Xerxes in the history of Herodotus. [17]

Undoubtedly, it was against her will to be taken and also against the will of Mordecai. Since Esther was probably the town beauty there was no way to keep her hidden and out of the harem. Wiersbe points out that it was a problem for a Jewess to be in a harem and to marry a Gentile as well. [18] Esther would be exposed to many Gentile ideas and practices, such as intermarriage with pagans, as well as to Gentile non-kosher food in the harem. Beloved radio pastor Dr. G. Vernon McGee says, “Up to this point there has been nothing spiritual in the palace. It was as godless as anything could possibly be. Drunken orgies were often held, but God is going to overrule.” [19]

“She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem” (2:9). Esther’s grace and beauty were so impressive that even the eunuch became fond of her and provided her with special favors. “Just as Joseph found favor in Egypt (Gen. 39:21) and Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 1:9) so Esther found favor in Shushan…” [20] “He and Esther had become friends…He saw in Esther the probability of the new queen and wanted to gain her favor.” [21] In Proverbs 3:3-4, we read: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

We need to stop and consider that life in the harem was no pleasant thing. Josephus tells us that Esther was part of a group of 400 young ladies (Ant.11.6.2). All these ladies were competing against each other for the king’s favor. We can imagine jealousy, gossip and all kinds of evil actions going on. Coffman says, “It was most certainly one of the vilest cesspools of immorality, selfishness, greed, hatred, wickedness, lust and shame that existed in the ancient pagan world.” [22] We can be sure that all this was not going on in Esther’s corner of the harem.

“Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so” (2:10). We can begin to see why God had led Esther and Mordecai to be incognito in their relationships and testimony. We will see later how there was a latent antisemitism in Persia just as in the rest of the world. Being a Jewess probably would have caused her untold misery in the harem and it would have spoiled her chances of becoming queen.

“Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her” (2:11). It becomes apparent that Mordecai had some position at the gate. He could have been at least a porter or doorkeeper at the palace gate. We sense that Mordecai was quite concerned about Esther’s situation. The Scottish divine Robert Jamieson says: “Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house—The harem is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within its walls is as much a secret to those without as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs.” [23]

“Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics” (2:12). There may have been other things involved in the lengthy beauty treatments. It is possible that the eunuchs were looking for health or emotional problems that might show up in the girls. Guzik says: “One reason for the lengthy time of preparation was to tell if the women had been pregnant upon coming into the harem so that the king would not be charged with fathering a child that was not his.” [24] McGee adds a little bit of needed levity here: “May I say to you that if your wife takes a few hours in a beauty salon, you ought not to complain – these girls spent a whole year there!” [25]

“And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace” (2:13). The girls could dress and make up themselves like a queen if they so desired. There was apparently no limit to the fancy clothes, jewels and makeup they could wear for their rendezvous with the king. Utley thinks that all this was a means of letting the king know something about each girl’s personality. [26]

“In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name” (2:14). Coffman describes this saying: “One frightful night in the bed with Ahasuerus, and the next morning relegated to the status of a concubine, never more to see him, unless called by name; and the odds are that he did not even remember the names of half of them…” [27] At its very best this was a dreadful system designed for the utter selfishness of the king. Guzik comments about it saying: “As for the 399 who lost, they were banished to the harem where they stayed the wife or the concubine of the king, but rarely if ever saw him afterwards. And they were never free to marry another man, essentially living as a perpetual widow.” [28]

Esther Goes In To The King

When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. Esther 2:15

Esther had a perfect submission about her, and she did only what Hegai advised her to do. After all, he was the expert and knew exactly what the king liked. Anders says, “…Esther went to the king in understated simplicity, allowing her natural beauty and gentle manner to commend her.” [29] Breneman comments: “Esther’s sound life, based on Hebrew (biblical) ethical principles, was expressed in the character and poise of her person.” [30] It can be noted throughout the Bible that God can make a person look really good if he wishes.

“She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign” (2:16). Esther went to the king and found his favor sometime in our months of December and January 479-478 BC. This was four years after Queen Vashti was dethroned. [31] Joseph Exell in the Pulpit Commentary states: “This humble Jewish maiden, an orphan, dependent for her living upon the charity of her cousin Mordecai – this girl became the first woman in all Persia, the wife of the most powerful living monarch on earth, the queen of an empire comprised of more than half the world of that time.” [32]

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to 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 instead of Vashti” (2:17). Esther became queen not by wearing gaudy diamonds and jewelry but by humility and trust in God. Peter talks about this as he gives advice for women today: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Pet. 3:3-4).

King Xerxes must have been bored with his hundreds of sex slaves. In his heart, he probably longed for true love and affection, like he might have had with Vashti, but now has with Esther. So, it is today that sex without love and commitment becomes a disgusting thing. God certainly knew what he was doing when he invented a lifelong, covenant marriage between a man and a woman. There is nothing on earth more precious and beautiful than that relationship. Out of lifelong, loving, covenant relationship, children were to be brought forth who would love and serve their parents and their God (Mal. 2:15 ESV). This was God’s beautiful plan but today we see humankind abusing this plan with divorce, live-in relationships, homosexuality adultery, pornography, prostitution, transgenderism and a host of other evils.

Seventeenth-century presbyterian Matthew Henry comments: “We see to what absurd practices those came, who were destitute of Divine revelation, and what need there was of the gospel of Christ, to purify men from the lusts of the flesh, and to bring them back to the original institution of marriage. Esther was preferred as queen. Those who suggest that Esther committed sin to come at this dignity, do not consider the custom of those times and countries.” [33]

Now the king had a real wife, a loving wife who could sit enthroned by his side. By her appearance and conduct, she added some real class to the kingdom. All the concubines would now have to pay Queen Esther profound respect. [34] Now the kingdom was ready for a real party and banquet.

“And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality” (2:18). Some commentators see this as a remission of taxes also. Guthrey says: “Remission of taxes is an interpretation. The Hebrew word means ‘release’ (AV), and, as well as remission of taxes, could imply a holiday…a release of prisoners, or a release from military service.” [35] The NAS version reads: “…he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.” (Est. 2:18 NAS)

Mordecai Uncovers A Conspiracy

When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Esther 2:19

This verse has puzzled commentators over the centuries. With Esther already chosen as queen, there would seem to be no more need to gather virgins. Some have suggested that these girls might have arrived too late for the contest. Wiersbe adds: “…Queen or no queen, a man like Ahasuerus wasn’t about to release a group of beautiful virgins from his palace!” [36]

“But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up ” (2:20). McGee says, “This girl is a rather remarkable person. Even married to the king, she still takes instructions from the man who reared her.” [37] Anders adds: “Despite the hedonistic culture in which they lived, both Esther and Mordecai retained their moral integrity, as well as their sense of duty and loyalty to Xerxes.” [38]

“During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes” (2:21). Conspiracies and murders of kings were fairly common occurrences in that era. In fact, Xerxes would die from assassination by his associates some fourteen years later. We can imagine that great care was exerted to guard the king. The service of Mordecai in this respect was of critical importance.

The fact that Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate is seen by most commentators as a position of power and influence in the kingdom (cf. 3:2; 4:6; 5:9; 6:10). According to Herodotus Persian officials were required to remain at the king’s gate. [39] Evidently, Mordecai had a political job, the kind of job that would cause many Christians today to turn up their noses. Of course, in such a position he would have had access to inside information on the kingdom. He could have had a flippant or even bitter attitude toward the king but he did not. Perhaps he was remembering the words of Jeremiah 29:7 that God gave to the exiles: “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

In his position of trust, he overheard Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers, plotting their master’s murder. Again, he could have shrugged it off in bitterness for losing Esther or he could have thought that as a Jew it was of no concern to him. However, he took the matter very seriously.

“But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai” (2:22). We can realize from this verse that Mordecai in his official position still had some contact with the queen. Esther not only relayed this important information to the king, but she apparently insured that Mordecai got credit for this revelation. We can be certain that this incident did much to establish the integrity of both Mordecai and Queen Esther. [40]

“And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king” (2:23). Clarke describes this terrible punishment if impaling: “A pointed stake is set upright in the ground, and the culprit is taken, placed on the sharp point, and then pulled down by his legs till the stake that went in at the fundament passes up through the body and comes out by the side of the neck…The culprit lives a considerable time in excruciating agonies.” [41]

So ends this chapter of almost nail-biting suspense. We stand amazed at what two faithful people could do when they realized the truth of Psalm 31:15: “My times are in your hands…”

Footnotes

1. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 450.

2. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 296.

3. Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 415.

4. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 314.

5. Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:3.

6. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:3.

7. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:4.

8. Meyer, F. B. Meyer’s “Through the Bible Commentary,” Commentary on Esther,

9. https://start.askwonder.com/insights/modern-day-harems-nw1wcv58n

10. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 450.

11. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:5.

12. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 215.

13. Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 413.

14. Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 798.

15. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Esther, vs. 2:5-7.

16. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:7.

17. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:8.

18. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 800.

19. J. Vernon McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), p. 186.

20. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 800.

21. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:9.

22. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:8.

23. Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Esther, vs. 2:11.

24. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Esther, vs. 2:12-14.

25. McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 191.

26. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Esther, v. 2:13.

27. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:12.

28. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Esther, vs. 2:12-14.

29. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 298.

30. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 318.

31. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 298.

32. Joseph Exell, The Pulpit Commentary, Commentary on Esther 2, Vol. 3c, p. 39. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/tpc/esther-2.html

33. Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Esther, 1706, vs. 2:1-20. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhn/esther-2.html.

34. Clarke, The Adam Clarke Commentary, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:17.

35. Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 416.

36. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 801.

37. McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 195.

38. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 298.

39. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 284.

40. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 299.

41. Clarke, The Adam Clarke Commentary, Commentary on Esther, v. 2:23.