Esth 2:1-20 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
The book of Esther opens with “Ahasuerus who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces” (Esth 1:1). He sat on his throne in Susa (Esth 1:2), and in the third year of his reign he made a great feast (Esth 1:3).
On the seventh day, “when the heart of the king was merry with wine” (Esth 1:10), he sent his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti before him wearing the royal crown, “to show the people and the princes her beauty” (Esth 1:11). Then the passage says: “But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was very angry, and his anger burned in him” (Esth 1:12). On the advice of his officials, the king decreed “that Vashti may never again come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she” (Esth 1:19).
Before we read this book, one thing to know: from beginning to end, the book of Esther never once mentions the name of God. These lessons read it as it is written.
1After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
3Let 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;
4and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
5There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
6who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
8So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
10Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
11Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.
12Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
13The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
14In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.
16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
20Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
He remembered Vashti. “After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her” (v. 1). His servants proposed gathering beautiful young virgins from all the provinces, “and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti” (vv. 2–4). “The thing pleased the king, and he did so” (v. 4).
Mordecai. “There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai” (v. 5). The passage tells where he came from: he “had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away” (v. 6). He was a captive in a foreign land.
Hadassah. “He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother” (v. 7). Twice the passage says her parents were gone, and adds: “when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter” (v. 7).
Taken into the king’s house. When the king’s decree went out, “Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women” (v. 8). “The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him” (v. 9). At this time, “Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known” (v. 10). As for Mordecai, he “walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her” (v. 11).
She required nothing. The passage records the palace customs in detail: twelve months of purification, then each young woman went in to the king in turn (vv. 12–14). When Esther’s turn came, “she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised” (v. 15). The passage also says, “Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her” (v. 15).
Made her queen. “So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign” (v. 16). “He set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (v. 17).
Like she did when she was brought up by him. The passage ends by saying that Esther, now queen, “had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him” (v. 20). Hadassah, who had no father or mother, now sat on the queen’s throne; the man who brought her up sat in the king’s gate (v. 19).
Mordecai was one of those carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah (v. 6). The prophet Jeremiah once sent a letter from Jerusalem to that very group: “to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon” (Jer 29:1), “after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs … had departed from Jerusalem” (Jer 29:2). The letter said: “Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive” (Jer 29:7).
Readers can see this: Mordecai and Esther were captives living in a foreign city. The book of Esther tells what happened to such a people in Susa.
Perhaps you, too, have known what it is to have no one to lean on: you lost your parents, or you left everything familiar behind, and in a strange place you did not know whom you could tell who you are.
This lesson does not say that if you are like Esther, you will be lifted up. What it shows you is this: a girl with no father or mother — someone took her for his daughter, and someone walked outside every day to find out how she was doing. The book of Esther does not mention God; but the Psalms have this line: “A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation” (Ps 68:5).
This week: Think of someone who looked after you at a time when you had no one to lean on. This week, thank them — a phone call or a few written lines is enough. If someone near you has no one to lean on right now, this week ask them how they are doing.
Scripture: World English Bible.