Esther 2:5-11
Lexham English Bible
5 There was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who was deported[a] from Jerusalem with the exiles[b] who were deported[c] with Jeconiah[d] the king of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported.[e] 7 He[f] was raising Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter,[g] for she did not have a father or a mother; the young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had taken her as his daughter. 8 And it happened, at the proclaiming of the edict of the king and his law, when many young women were being gathered to the citadel of Susa under Hegai’s care,[h] Esther was taken to the king’s palace[i] under the care of[j] Hegai who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him[k] and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the king’s palace,[l] and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the harem.[m] 10 Esther did not disclose her people and her family because Modecai had charged her that she must not tell. 11 And every day Modecai would walk up and down in front of the courtyard of the harem[n] to learn how Esther was doing.[o]
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- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:6 Hebrew “exile”
- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:6 A variant spelling of “Jehoiachin”
- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:7 That is, Mordecai
- Esther 2:7 That is, his cousin
- Esther 2:8 Literally “to the hand of Hegai”
- Esther 2:8 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 2:8 Literally “to the hand of”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “the young woman was good in his eyes”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:11 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:11 Literally “the peace of Esther and how it does/does with her”
Esther 2:5-11
International Standard Version
Esther’s Background
5 In Susa the capital there was a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin, Jair’s son Mordecai, who was a descendant of Kish’s son Shimei the descendant of Benjamin. 6 He had been taken into captivity from Jerusalem along with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had taken into exile.[a] 7 Mordecai[b] had raised his cousin[c] Hadassah, or Esther,[d] because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. After her mother and father died, Mordecai had taken her as his daughter.
8 The king’s order and edict was proclaimed, and many young women were brought to Susa the capital under the care of Hegai. Esther was taken to the palace into the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and gained his favor. He quickly provided her beauty treatments and gave her portions of food to her. He also assigned her seven suitable young women from the palace and transferred her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not make known her people or heritage[e] because Mordecai had instructed her not to make it known. 11 Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to find out about Esther’s well-being and what was happening to her.
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- Esther 2:6 This deportation took place in 597 B.C.
- Esther 2:7 Lit. He
- Esther 2:7 Lit. his uncle’s daughter
- Esther 2:7 The Heb. name Hadassah means Myrtle; The Persian name Esther means Star
- Esther 2:10 Or her ancestry
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