Esther 2
PATin a private place where the. officers could not find her. But when the virgins were gathered together, and Esther was missing, whom all the neighbours knew to be a verygreat beauty, they procured an order from the king to Mordecai, that upon pain of death he should produce her; jvhich he did. But perhaps I take too much notice of. these Jewish fables. ~ r> *,
Esther 2:1
JxFTER these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuertis was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what, was decreed against her. When his anger was abated, and the wine gone out of his head, his ancient love began to revive to Vashti, whose beauty was exceeding charming; but then he remembered withal her undutiful behaviour, and the decree he had passed against her, which was irrevocable, so that he was in a great strait. Yet the latter Targum saith he called for the seven princes, who had given him the forenamed counsel, and said unto them, I am no longer angry at Vashti, but* at you, who, from what I said in my drink, took occasion to destroy her; and thereupon commanded them all to be slain. For which there is no ground; but by what follows it appears to be a fable.
Esther 2:2
Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king. The same servants, in all likelihood, mentioned ver. 14. of the foregoing chapter, who continually attended him. And when they saw him afflicted, contrived by a new love.to blot out the remembrance of the old.
Esther 2:3
And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all tlie fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace. The better to divert him, they propound that a great number of the most beautiful virgins that could be found should be brought from all parts to Shushan, that out of them he might take his choice which of them he would make his queen. To the house of the womenJ] Or rather of the virgins; for the house of those who were women or wives was different from this, and under another governor," (ver. 14.) Unto the custody of Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women.] Of the virgins, as Shaashgaz was of the women or concubines, (ver. 14.) And let their things for purification be given them.] In this*house, saith the former Targum, there was a place fof bathing, and they were furnished with ointments and:pei> fumes, and all other things necessary either for ornament or cleanliness; for the Hebrew word signifies both.
Esther 2:4
And let the maiden which pleaseth. the king be queen in the stead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. He approved of the advice, and gave order about it…, r. -, r Vj.,
Esther 2:5
Noiv,in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai. Who is thought by some to have come to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel(bccause one of that name is mentioned in his company), but returned back again to Babylon, being one of the king’s servants; foi> he was one of his guard,.or keeper of the door; or, as we translate it, he sat in the king’s gate, (ver. 19. 21.) But this was another Mordecai, as appears from the time wherein he lived, in the latter end of the Persian empire.... The son ofJair, the son ofShimei, thesonofKish,a Benjamite.]<Thc latter Targum here give’s his pedigree. down from Benjamin, the son of Jacob, but mixed I with such fables that no credit can be given to it % iry’von i % Ver; 6. Who had been carritd away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king ofJudah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.] Mordecai vas not then carried away, but Kish, who is mentioned just before, from whom Mordecai was descended; (Sce’our Rainoldus, Cens. lib. Apocryph. praelect. cxlvi.) And Bonfrcrins also hath well observed^ (in his appendix to his Praeloquium to his Commentaries on the Scripture/ chap. 7.) if he himself was then brought from Jcrusalem,hc must be at least a hundred and ten years old (supposing this history to have fallen out in the time of Darius Hystaspcs) when he came into" the place of Hainan; for, from the captivity of Jeconiah, till their deliverance from captivity, was eighty-one years; and from thence to the reign of Darius Hystaspcs’ was almost twenty years, as EuseT)ius saith; and Haman was hanged in the twelfth year of this king; so here arc a hundred and ten years. But it is not credible that a man of such a great age should be advanced to such authority as he had; alnd more incredible that Esther, who was his cousin-gcrman, should be beloved’. of Ahasnerus when she was an Old maid, as she must have been, if Mordecai, was of these years.'
Esther 2:7
And he brought tip Hadassah (that is, Esther), his uncle’s daughter. Her Jewishname was Hadassah, signifying in Chaldee a myrtle, as the former Targum saith ^ but he* Persian name Was Esther, which he fancies was from the Greek word A<rnjp, a star. But the other Targum derives it from satar, which • signifies hidden, because she was hidden in: Mordecai’s house & long time, and no man saw her but he; or rather, because her nation was concealed, and not known. Primate Usher thinks, that as Vashti was’ Atossa, so Esther was she whom the heathens called Artystona; who, as Herodotus saith, was the wife Darius loved above all other^ and had her statue made of pure gold, (lib. ill, cap. 88: and lib. vii.cap. 09.) He saith, indeed/that she also was another -daughter of Cyrus, and sister to Atossa; but he was either ignorant (as that great man thinks) of the Persian genealogies; of out of envy concealed their original; It is more likely he gives a true account Of her descent/as he doth of other things, and she was not Esther.‘For she had neither: father nor mother.] Her father died; saith the former Targum, when her mother was big with child of her, and her mother died as soon as she was brought to bed. And tlie maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai (ivhen her: father and mother were dead) took for Ms own daughter.] The Vulgar translates it, adopted her for his daughter. Which doth’ not signify such an adoption as amonjjthe Romans (as Mr; Selden observes)/but only paternal love and care to.bring up a child who had lost her parents. Por the Hebrew doctors are so’far from acknowledging any adoption, that they say he took her to make her his wife. So Jarchi by bat (daughter’] understands beth, a house; which the" LXX. follow; he educated her tig ywaJtca, to be his wife, (lib. de Succession, cap. 4. p. 18.)
Esther 2:8
‘Soil came to pass, when the king’s commandment and’his decree wasMdrd, and when many maidens were gathered together vnto Shushan the l palace, to the custody of HegaijthatEsthenwdS brought also unto the king’shouse, lothi aistody of Hegai ^keeper of the women:] The words which we translate" iu^ brought, may be translated was taken; and that by force, as the word sometimes signifies, and as the former Tatgurh here explains it; she teas brought by violence. The latter Targum tells the manner of it at large; That Mordecai, hearing of tliis order, hid his cousin
Esther 2:9
And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him. - That is, Hcgai; who was much taken with her countenance, and her mien, and her sweet disposition (it is likely), and all other things, which he thought would make her acceptable to the king. And he speedily, gave her her things for purification.] That she might be fit before the. usual time to go in unto the king; that is, in a year’s time, as some understand it, (ver. 12. 16.)* oi c: H % With such things as belonged to her.].For ier clothes and diet, which the former Targum makes to be very sumptuous. And seven maidens.].One for every day, of the week, saith the same Targum, whose names he gives us, and the’ days of the week on.which they waited. Which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house.] Persons of quality, fit to attend hen And he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the hous& of the women.] And did her so much honour, that he assigned her and her maids the best apartment in the house of the virgins.
Esther 2:10
Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. Lest she should be contemned, and looked upon as no better than.a slave.
Esther 2:11
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her. He might walk there without being suspected, because he belonged to the court, and was a man of condition; for those that were carried away in Jeconiah’s captivity (as his ancestors were) were of the better sort, (2 Kings xxiv. 14, &c. Dan. i. 4.) And Esther might find means, by some of those, that attended her, to lethim know the state of her health, and of her affairs.
Esther 2:12
Now, when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahdsuerus, after that she had been twelve months. They were kept close so long, that the king might be sure he should not be imposed upon by a child begotten by another man. And besides, it was suitable to the state of the kingto have them wait a great, while, before, they were brought into his company: and another reason here follows. Herodotus explains the first words, lib. iii. cap. 69. where he saith, the Persian women go in to their husbands, iv TrtpirpoTry, in a circle, by turns, r - (For so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six montliswith oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet, odours.] It is observed by Pliny, lib. xiii. cap. 1. that ointments were first invented by the Persians; which were very necessary in so hot a country, where men and women are apt to sweat much, and so smell rankly,.without great care to keep themselves clean and sweet. For which purpose the oil of myrrh was much used, being very fragrant, and apt also to make the sjrin soft and smooth, and to cleanse it from scurf. The sweet odour served to the same use, to take away all ill scents, and, as some think, to make the body more vigorous.* ■ >’ There are many authors (as Fortunatus Scacchus observes) who take the word mor to signify not myrrh, but that fragrant herb which we call marum, or, as some think, marjoram, from which excellent oils were drawn: (lib. i. Myrothecium, cap. 60.) but he takes it, as.wc do, for mtjrrh; frpm v whence not only a noble oil was drawn, but being.beat to a powder, such a fumigation was made with it, as was offered unto their gods. Whence Atheneeus blames Alexander’s arrogance, for suffering Sjuupva, teal ra aAAa S-v/^ajuara; myrrh and other sweet ddours to be offered to him, (lib. xii. cap. 8.) • r;’ 1/ Six months.] This was a long time, which was set (first with that oil, and as many more with sweet odours) for their purification: or rather for their abstersion or cleansing, as the same Scacchus observes: fortherewere.no such purifications here used, as were among, the Jews; but it is a known thing, that, as women in all countries were wont to spend a great deal of time in their dressing, and trimming up. of themselves, that they might appear well abroad; so much more in tl^is country, and when they were to go to the bed of a great king. A.year, indeed, was a long time; but Athenseus saith, that among the Sybarites (who were & delicate,’ luxurious people) therewas a sanction that the women, when. they were called. to the public sacrifices at great festivals, npb Iviavrbv rrjv -irapaaKevrjti iroitta^ai,wereto make preparation for it a yeai’before.: * \ l’j i.::; And with other things for the purifying of the women).] Whatsoever was proper for this purpose, was used in their preparations for thekirig’s bed.
Esther 2:13
Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she.desired tpas given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. Whatsoever ornaments or attendants she desired….. * -
Esther 2:14
In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody ofShaashgaz the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines. She returned no moreinto the former house, having lost her virginity: butwas treated in another house, as one of the king’s wives: foir so concubines were, of a secondary sort, as I have often noted. Site came in unto, the king no more, except the king de^ lighted in her, and that she were called by name.] For every one’s. name was registered, as the Targum.saith, and the night, I suppose, when she went in unto the king, r. Ver; 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 nnto the king, she required nothing.] But was contented with her own natural beauty, and desired nothing of art to repommendher.. \ \ But what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed.] Yet she did not refuse what he,. who had been so kind to her, ordered for her.. And. Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon, her.] All that beheld her, as she passed from the house of the. women to the king’s house v admired her beauty: which needed no ornament, for the greatest. ornaments of virgins are modesty (as Pellicanus speaks), silence, well-disciplined eyes, a serene countenance without levity, a horror of all wantonness; which meeting all in her, made her acceptable to every one that saw her. i. -
Esther 2:16
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house-royal. She was not sent back in the inorning