Esther 2

AFter these things when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembred With grief and shame, that in his Wine and Rage, he had so severely punished, and so irrevocably rejected so beautiful and desireable a Person, and that for so small a provocation, to which she was easily led by the modesty of her Sex, and by the Laws and Customs of Persia. Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

Then said the kings servants Who for their own Interests were obliged to quiet the Kings Mind, and procure him another amiable Consort., that ministred unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king.

And let the king appoint Officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the kings chamberlain, keeper of the women Either 1 Of the Virgins, who are oft called Women, as here v. 11, 12. and elsewhere. So it is a Synecdoche. Or 2. Of all the Women, both Virgins and Concubines: only the Virgins he himself took care of, as requiring more care and caution, and the Concubines he committed to Shaashgaz, ver. 14. his Deputy., and let their things for purification i. e. To cleanse them from all impurities and indecencies, to anoint, and perfume, and adorn, and every way prepare them for the Kings presence and service: for the legal purifications of the Jews he never regarded. be given them.

And let the maiden which pleaseth the king, be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

Who This may be referred either 1. To Kish, Mordecai's Grand-Father last mentioned; or 2. To Mordecai, who was then carried away either 1. In the Loins of his Parents, in which sense Levi is said to be tithed in Abraham, Heb. 7. and as those persons named Ezra 2. are said to have been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, Ezra 2. 1. which is not true of the most of them in their own persons, but only as in their Fathers Loins. Or 2. In his own person: and then indeed he was a man of more than ordinary years. But of that see the notes on ch. 1. 1. had been carried away from Jerusalem, with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

And he brought up Hadassah (that is Esther Hadassah was her Hebrew name before her marriage; and she was called Esther by the King after it.) his uncles daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful, whom Mordecai (when her father and mother were dead) took for his own daughter.

So it came to pass, when the kings commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought Or, taken, and that by force, as that word oft signifies: So great was the power and Tyranny of the Persian Kings, that they could and did take what persons they liked to their own use. also unto the kings house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

And the maiden pleased him Partly because she was very beautiful, and therefore he supposed she would be very acceptable to the King; which would be his advantage; and partly by the Divine Power, which moveth the hearts of men which way he pleaseth., and she obtained kindness of him, and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the kings house, and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

Esther had not showed her people, nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible or odious; or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation, as things might happen. But there was also an hand of God in causing this to be concealed for the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai was ignorant of it..

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the womens house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

Now when every maids turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus; after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women Who were kept so long, partly for their better purification, as it here follows; partly out of state, as that which became so great a King, & partly that being so long in safe custody, the King might be sure that the Child begotten upon any of them was his own., for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrhe Which is useful both for making the skin exactly clean and smooth and solid, and for giving strength and vigour to the body., and six months with sweet odours Which was the more necessary, because the bodies of men and women in those hot Countries, did of themselves yield very ill scents, if not corrected and qualified by art., and with other things for the purifying of the women.)

Then thus Thus purified and prepared; and thus as it follows. came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired For ornament, or by way of attendance. was given her, to go with her out of the house of the women, unto the kings house.

In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the kings chamberlain, which kept the concubines Whereof Darius Nothus is reckoned to have had 360.: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

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 unto the king, she required nothing To show that she was not desirous to please the King, and that she was brought to the King without, and against her own inclination and choice., but what Hegai the kings chamberlain, the keeper of the women appointed: and Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her i. e. Was admired by them for her beauty..

So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus, into his house royal And into his bed, as is implied. To which it is not strange, if she, though a vertuous person, did in those circumstances yield, considering the infirmity of humane nature, and of that sex, and the state of those times, when plurality of Wives were permitted, and Concubines were owned as Wives; and these Virgins were by this action made his Wives or Concubines. Besides it is not known to us whether Mordecai and Esther had not direction or a dispensation from God in this matter; it being certain that God can dispense with his own positive laws., in the tenth month (which is the month Tebeth) in the seventh year of his reign.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight, more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esthers feast, and he made a release to the provinces i. e. He took off a good part of those heavy taxes which the Persian Kings laid upon their people., and gave gifts according to the state of the king.

And when the virgins were gathered together the second time Either 1. When Esther with others were brought to the Kings house as it was decreed above. v. 2, 3. which is called the second time, because they had taken this course once before when Vashti was chosen Queen; But there is no mention of any such former use; and by the manner of proposing, it seems to have been a new project. Or, 2. Since Esther was declared Queen; for though that point was determined, the the Kings lust was not yet satisfied, and therefore being pleased with the for mer experiment, he desired another collection of Virgins whom he might make his Concubines. And this seems best to agree with the following words. For it is not probable that Mordecai sate at the kings gate till Esther was Queen: for till then he only walked before the court of the womens house, as is expressed. v. 11., then Mordecai sat in the kings gate Either 1. Voluntarily, to learn the pregress of afairs. Or, rather 2. By office, as one of the Kings guard or Ministers: being advanced to this place by Esthers favour, though without any discovery of her relation to him..

Esther had not yet showed her kindred, nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.

In those days (while Mordecai sat in the kings gate) two of the kings chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the † door Either 1. Of the Kings Chamber. Or, 2. Of his Court; and so they... ate in the gate, as Mordecai did, who by that means contracting some familiar acquaintance with them, might make some discovery of their minds and design., were wroth, and sought to lay hand i. e. Violent hand; to kill him as this phrase is used, ch. 3. 6. and elsewhere. on the king Ahasuerus.

And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen, and Esther certified the king thereof, in Mordecai's name.

And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out, therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king This may be referred, either 1. To the writing to note that this was written in the Kings presence by Scribes, who were continually present with the King to write all remarkable passages happening in the Court from time to time. Or, 2. To the book, which was laid up before the King, that he might more easily and frequently peruse it for his own delight or direction..