Esther Chapter 2

Letting Go of the Past

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​Esther becomes queen, and Mordecai saves the king’s life.

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Outline

1–8. Virgins are collected as candidates for queen.
9–18. Esther gains favor from those around her and becomes queen.
19–23. Mordecai exposes a plot on the king’s life.

Reflection

Would you protect those who harmed you?

Lesson from the Text

Mordecai had every right to be infuriated with King Ahasuerus. In a drunken stupor, the king dismissed Queen Vashti. To make up for his blunder, the king rounded up virgins to find a suitable replacement. While it was an honor to be a concubine to the king, from a Jewish standpoint, it was unlawful for Esther to marry an uncircumcised man (Deuteronomy 7:1–4). Mordecai could have blamed Ahasuerus for taking away his beloved cousin. However, he saves his life.

Mordecai faithfully served a person he could have considered an enemy. Instead of growing bitter from the situation, he adapted by securing a position where he could stay informed of Esther’s well-being. Mordecai, therefore, demonstrated forgiveness; he shows us we can let go of our grudges and make the best of difficult circumstances. Let us follow his example.

Let us seek positive courses of action to adapt to the valleys of life. And, remember, God can take what was meant to harm us and turn it for our good or for the good of others (Genesis 50:20). Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33); surely, He can help us overcome our grudges and heartaches.

Verse by Verse Study

1. Because Ahasuerus had publicly rejected Vashti as queen, he could not reconcile their relationship. This reveals the folly in Memucan’s advice; he appealed to the king’s anger instead of considering a politically savvy means of resolving the issue.

2. Ahasuerus must have been troubled by Vashti’s absence or his servants would never have sought to console him. Whether he was repentant over a hasty decision or sorrowful because he truly loved Vashti is unclear.

3–4. The proposed search was extensive, covering one hundred twenty-seven provinces (Esther 1:1). This was not a quick task. Culturally, being a concubine meant a life of honor, riches, and ease. From God’s perspective, however, hoarding women is appalling; one man is to be joined to one wife (Deuteronomy 17:17, Matthew 19:5). Today, we experience the same tension. American culture parades women for their physical attributes, men are championed for their sexual exploits, but God’s commandment has not changed.

5. This is not the full lineage of Mordecai. Shimei and Kish are notable names, identifying Mordecai, and therefore Esther, as of the house of King Saul. Kish is the father of Saul, and Shimei is the son of Gera who cursed King David when he fled from the coup by his son (I Samuel 9:1–2, II Samuel 16:5–13).

Particularly noteworthy is that Mordecai lived in the Palace, not merely in the city of Sushan. Mordecai was in some way affiliated with the king’s court.

6. Only the nobles, wealthy, and learned were taken captive (II Kings 24:14). Considering they were of the lineage of Saul, Mordecai and Esther were probably nobles. The beginning of this verse does not suggest that Mordecai himself was carried away captive but instead that his family was carried away. If Mordecai witnessed Jerusalem’s destruction, he would have lived through the seventy years of captivity, Cyrus’ reign, and Darius I’s reign, which is unreasonable.

7. The events in the book of Esther took place after Cyrus’ decree that liberated the Jews. Esther’s parents died sometime during those seventy years. Since Esther was described as a young maiden, her grandparents were probably the generation that saw the destruction of Jerusalem.

8. Esther, being described as fair and beautiful, was also taken as a candidate for queen. The author did not explain her apprehension, so it is impossible to determine if Esther was taken against her will or voluntarily. She, along with many others, went to the first house of the woman to be purified for the king.

9. Reminiscent of Joseph, Esther found favor in the sight of all those she encountered (Genesis 39:1–6). For the first time in the book, God’s presence is suggested even though the author never explicitly acknowledged Him.

10–11. The author did not record why Mordecai commanded Esther to hide her lineage. Participating in the king’s court, perhaps he was concerned about Haman or others who did not think well of the Jews. However, Ahasuerus did not seem bothered by her Jewish heritage when she finally revealed it. Instead, he later turned against Haman because the Jews were profitable citizens. Whatever the reason, Mordecai was concerned for his cousin, walking every day to the house of the women in the hopes of hearing some news concerning her.

12–15. The women were purified for one year, then sent in to the king. After their encounter with Ahasuerus, the women spent their entire lives in the house of the concubines, emerging only if the king wanted them again.

Each woman took one item with her — most likely jewels, perfume, or silk — from the king’s treasury. These were their “wedding” gifts, or, more bluntly, the reward for their services. Esther allowed Hegai to appoint her item, demonstrating great humility and a lack of greed.

Implied in this passage is the belief that purifying a woman’s body will also purify her entire being. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God gauges the inward being (I Samuel 16:7). If we wish to be pure before God, we are to be cleaned from the inside out; we should never confuse our deeds or outward appearance with the inward workings of salvation and sanctification. See Matthew 23:25–26.

16. Four years passed from Vashti was dismissal to Esther’s night with Ahasuerus.

17–18. As with Hegai and the other candidates, Esther found favor with the king. Considering that all the candidates were beautiful young women, Esther’s demeanor is mostly likely the reason she was chosen, as evidenced by the fact that the king was not merely pleased with her but loved her. In honor of his new queen, Ahasuerus celebrated with a feast and a release (forgiving of debts and/or freeing slaves).

19–23. Presumably, the virgins gathered a second time for the selection of the queen. Sometime between Esther’s participation in the search for a queen and her crowning, Mordecai secured a position in the court. There, he became aware of a plot to assassinate Ahasuerus. Instead of begrudging the king for taking Esther, Mordecai protected Ahasuerus. This revealed Mordecai’s integrity.

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