Esther 2:3
1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
- KJV
- 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 king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
- WEB
- Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
- ASV
- 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 Hegai the king`s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them;
- DARBY
- and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the young virgins of beautiful countenance to Shushan the fortress, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given.
- BLB
- And let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and they shall gather every young woman, virgin, beautiful of appearance, to Susa the citadel, to the house of the women, into the hand of Hegai the eunich of the king, the keeper of the women, and to give their cosmetics.
- ÅB
- og kongen skulle sette menn i alle sitt rikes landskaper til å samle alle unge og fagre jomfruer til kvinnenes hus i borgen Susan under tilsyn av kongens hoffmann Hege, kvinnevokteren, og la dem få salver til å salve seg med,
- OTB
- La kongen utnevne kommissærer i alle provinsene i sitt rike for å samle alle de vakre unge jomfruene til borgen i Susa, til haremet, under oppsyn av Hegai, kongens evnukk som har ansvar for kvinnene; og la skjønnhetsbehandlinger bli gitt dem.
- B1930
- og kongen skulde sette menn i alle sitt rikes landskaper til å samle alle unge og fagre jomfruer til kvinnenes hus i borgen Susan under tilsyn av kongens hoffmann Hege, kvinnevokteren, og la dem få salver til å salve sig med,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Esther 2:8–9
When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
Read in contextEsther 2:12–15
In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
Read in contextEsther 1:1–2
This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
Read in contextIsaiah 3:18–23
In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents;
Read in context