Vashti had ceased to be queen, but Ahasuerus seemed to be in no haste to confer upon anyone else the dignity that had been hers. His harem was no doubt well supplied with wives and concubines, but none stood out above the rest. Ahasuerus probably “remembered Vashti,” either upon becoming sober again, or after the lapse of a considerable period of time. How long this was after the rejection of Vashti as queen is not stated. That had been in the third year of his reign. (ch. 1:3), and Esther came to the palace in response to the royal summons in the sixth year (ch. 2:12, 16). For a considerable portion of this time Ahasuerus (Xerxes) was away from Shushan on his ill-fated Greek campaign (see Introduction to Esther). In view of the fact that Esther probably arrived at the palace before Ahasuerus’ return (he left Greece in Oct. or Nov., 480 B.C., and Esther came to the palace in January, 479 B.C.), it is probable that the gathering of the virgins took place during his absence.

Ahasuerus may have considered bringing Vashti back and making her queen again. Had he done so the officers who had proposed her humiliation would have been in danger. Vashti’s disgrace had been their doing; her return to power would accordingly have meant their undoing—dismissal, if not execution.

This proposal was certain to be most agreeable to an Oriental monarch like Xerxes. Furthermore, the suggestion that he might find someone even more beautiful and to his liking than Vashti would take his thoughts away from her, and thus safeguard the interests of the men who had proposed her humiliation.

 In an Oriental palace the harem was always separate from the residence of the king and other men, usually in another building. Their establishment was presided over by eunuchs, often called “chamberlains.” In the palace of Xerxes the harem was situated in the northeastern quarter of the palace area (see on ch. 1:5).

 Literally, “eunuch,” that is, one of the royal eunuchs (see ch. 1:10), to whom the king assigned special responsibilities.

 Strictly speaking, Hege (or Hegai, v. 8) seems to have been keeper of the virgins only. Another royal eunuch was in charge of the women who had been presented to the king (v. 14).

 Or, “ointments” or “cosmetics.” See the list in v. 12. Persian kings may have considered themselves demigods, and thought it necessary even for virgins to undergo an extended period of “purification” before they were fit to consort with the king.

Abruptly, the scene changes from the court of Persia to a humble Jewish home somewhere in the capital. So far as is known no Jews were ever taken captive to Shushan, and the Jews who lived there probably did so by choice. According to Jewish tradition, Mordecai was engaged in some commercial enterprise before destiny linked him with the Persian court.

On the possible identification of Mordecai as the Marduka of a cuneiform tablet, see Introduction, p. 458.

 Mordecai was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin destined to occupy a place of honor in the annals of his people. It is not certain whether the ancestor of Mordecai “carried away from Jerusalem [to Babylon] with the captivity” (v. 6) was Kish or Jair; Hebrew syntax would permit either. If it be Kish, then Kish was Mordecai’s grandfather. Three or four generations would appropriately span the 118 years that intervened. If, on the other hand, it be Jair, then Shimei and Kish were pre-captivity ancestors of Mordecai, whose precise relationship is not known. In the latter case the genealogy here given would not represent Mordecai’s immediate ancestors but others further removed from him, given to identify his family descent. This practice accords with Hebrew custom (see on Matt. 1:8, 17). In the Bible the terms “father” and “son” do not always indicate immediate relationship, but often simply ancestry and descent (see Vol. I, p. 181, and on Gen. 37:35). It is possible that Kish was a distant ancestor of Mordecai.

Nearly 60 years prior to the events narrated in the book of Esther, Cyrus decreed that all Jews desirous of doing so might return to Palestine, but Mordecai’s parents had chosen to remain in the land of their captivity. This seems to have been the case with the vast majority of the Jewish people (see PK 598). When Mordecai’s cousin, Hadassah (Esther; see Introduction, p. 457), was left an orphan he adopted her and reared her as if she were his own child.

Some have identified Mordecai with Matacas (or Natacas), whom the Greek historian Ctesias speaks of as an influential minister of Xerxes. While working on certain cuneiform tablets in the Berlin Museum, Prof. A. Ungnad found a text that mentions a certain man named Marduka (the Babylonian transliteration for Mordecai) as one of the high state officials in Shushan during the reign of Xerxes. His title, sipîr, indicates high rank and influence (see Introduction, p. 458). The presence of a man of influence bearing the same name, living in the same city at the same time, is significant.

There were three captivities: the first in 605 B.C., when Daniel was taken, the second in 597 B.C., when Jehoiachin was made prisoner, and the third in 586 B.C., when Zedekiah was taken and Jerusalem was burned. Mordecai’s ancestors had been taken to Babylon in the second captivity, 118 years previously.

Hadassah was Esther’s original Hebrew name (see Introduction, p. 457). It is from the root hadas, “myrtle,” with the usual feminine ending ah.

 Heb. ’Ester. This may possibly be a Persian loan word. It closely resembles Stâreh, a modern Persian name meaning “star.” This name is transliterated into Greek as Aster or Esther (LXX). The Greek root aster appears in such English words as “aster,” “star,” and “asteroid,” which means “starlike.” The Babylonian form of the word was Ishtar, which became ‘Ashtoreth (plural ‘Ashtaroth) and Astartē in Greek. In Babylon the planet Venus was deified as Ishtar. Mordecai’s selection of a Persian name may have been due to a desire to conceal Esther’s Jewish ancestry (v. 10).

Heb. yephath-to’ar, from yaphah, “beautiful,” and to’ar, “something gazed at,” “form.” Perhaps the expression translated “fair” might better be rendered, “beautiful of form.”

Heb. ṭobath mar’eh, literally, “good of appearance,” or “good of features.”

 Literally, “his law.” The same word occurs in the expression, “the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not” (Dan. 6:8, 12).

Literally, “was good in his eyes.”

 This phrase is peculiar to the book of Esther. In v. 17 the word here given as “kindness” is translated “favour” (see also ch. 5:2).

Hegai seems to have been partial to Esther from the start. Knowing the king’s preferences, he apparently recognized in Esther the one who would be selected, and proceeded at once to treat her as the future queen.

Literally, as in the margin, “her portions.” By this is probably meant her daily allowance of food.

This was the favor shown Esther by the keeper of the women. He selected for Esther the most suitable maidens as her attendants.

The “best place” in the harem could be none other than that reserved for the queen.

 The king would not be likely to favor a representative of a subject race (see v. 20). Ur of Chaldea, the home of Abraham, was 150 mi. (240 km.) southwest of Susa, and in general appearance Esther no doubt closely resembled many native inhabitants of the region.

 The context implies that Mordecai was already one of the minor officials who waited at the king’s gates to do his bidding. Mordecai nevertheless contrived to find time to leave the main entrance to the palace long enough to visit the court in front of the harem, that he might see Esther or at least obtain news concerning her (see on v. 5).

 Myrrh was highly esteemed by the ancients both for its scent and for its supposed purifying power. In Egypt it was used in the process of embalming the dead (see on Gen. 50:2). The Jews used it as one of the chief ingredients of their “holy anointing oil” (Ex. 30:23-25). Dresses and beds were scented with it (Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17).

 The word thus translated is rendered “spices” in S. of Sol. 4:16.

Some commentators suggest that each virgin was privileged to retain whatever jewels and garments she chose to wear upon this occasion.

That is, the harem proper, where the permanent wives and concubines of the king lived.

 Literally, “the paternal uncle,” or “father’s brother.” Abihail, Esther’s father, was perhaps a brother of Jair (see on v. 5).

Esther accepted the judgment of Hegai without question, in spite of her privilege to wear clothing and jewels of her own choice.

This corresponded to the latter part of December and the first part of January. In the seventh year of Ahasuerus, Tebeth began on Dec. 22 (479 B.C.) and ended Jan. 20 (478 B.C.). Having returned from the disastrous Greek expedition the year before, he was no doubt content to dismiss military matters from his thoughts.

Including, no doubt, all his former secondary wives and his concubines as well as all the virgins who had thus far come to him.

The king was content with Esther, and seems to have made her queen without waiting to see any other virgins.

A wedding feast, that is, for Esther.

The king remitted the usual levy of tribute in honor of Esther’s coronation. It was a royal custom in Persia to give the queen a tenth of all fines paid to the king. With this, the queen provided her wardrobe and other wants.

Literally, “according to the hand of the king,” that is, “in right royal fashion.” The practice of making presents, so common in the East at all times, was much in vogue among the Persians.

Literally, “virgins,” without the definite article. Thus an additional levy of virgins is alluded to. This occurred between Jan., 478 B.C. and April, 474 B.C.

 In other words, Mordecai became—if he was not already (see on v. 11)—a palace attendant or minor official. The gate of a palace was where the royal offices were located and state business was transacted (see on Gen. 19:1).

Profound respect for her benefactor led Esther to cherish his counsel even after she became queen. This fact speaks well of Mordecai as a foster parent, and of Esther as a loyal and obedient daughter. Her beauty was essentially beauty of character and personality; beauty of appearance was incidental. Too often parental laxity on the one hand or overbearing strictness on the other, implants in young people the desire to be free from restraint, and cultivates waywardness and delinquency. Happy the home where parental authority is balanced with respect for the individuality of its youth, where parental control is exercised with the objective of developing self-control. Like Esther, such youth leave home with well-balanced personalities and disciplined characters.

 See on v. 19.

Literally, “eunuchs.”

Literally, the “threshold.” Bigthan and Teresh were apparently eunuchs responsible for guarding the entrance to the king’s private quarters, perhaps his sleeping apartment. Their position of high trust gave the conspirators an advantage. History records the fact that Xerxes eventually lost his life in a conspiracy of the kind here described.

Josephus (Antiquities xi. 6. 4), the Jewish historian, tells of a certain slave who betrayed the conspirators to Mordecai.

That is, an investigation.

Or, “it was found to be so.”

 That is, impaled, as traitors and rebels were commonly treated in Persia (see on Ezra 6:11).