Esther 2:3

Esther Becomes Queen

1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, ^awhat she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

2 Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king;

3 and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to¹ Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of³ Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.

4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

5 In¹ Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of ^aKish, a Benjamite.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Esther 2:3

Hege the king ' s chamberlain - Hege seris hammelech , "Hege, the king' s eunuch;" so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac. In the Eastern countries the women are intrusted to the care of the eunuchs only.

Let their things for purification be given them - tamrukeyhen , their cosmetics. What these were we are told in Esther 2:12; oil of myrrh, and sweet odours. The myrrh was employed for six months, and the odours for six months more, after which the person was brought to the king. This space was sufficient to show whether the young woman had been chaste; whether she were with child or not, that the king might not be imposed on, and be obliged to father a spurious offspring, which might have been the case had not this precaution been used.

Instead of the oil or myrrh, the Targum says it was the oil of unripe olives which caused the hair to fall off, and rendered the skin delicate.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Esther 2:3:**

Esther 2:12

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Esther 2:4 >>

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