1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
After he calmed down he remembered that he didn’t have a queen.
2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, “Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 “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:
4 “And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti.” And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Ahasuerus’ advisors told him to gather a harem of the prettiest girls in the land and pick a new queen from among them.
I wonder just how many women he gathered?
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
This could be interpreted that either Mordecai or his great-grandfather had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. If it was Mordecai himself who was carried away, he was at least in his seventies by now.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Hadassah is Hebrew for "Myrtle" (as in the beautiful tree). Esther is believed to be Persian for "Star."
Though some ancient texts say Mordecai was Esther’s uncle, the Hebrew says cousin. It is possible, though, for there to be enough age difference in the days of large families for a cousin to be the same age as an uncle, which is likely the case here.
(My grandmother [second oldest-of-thirteen] had her third-of-seven baby six months after her mom had her last-of-thirteen. So a couple of my uncles were older than their youngest uncle, and one aunt was roughly the same age as her uncle. In fact, when my great-grandma got sick, my grandma nursed her baby brother, since they just lived across the street and formula hadn't been invented yet.
My mom [6th-of7] was closer in age to some of her nieces and nephews than to her oldest siblings, too.)
8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
Of all the young women brought to the harem, Esther was the favorite of those in charge. She was very beautiful, but likely also very kind to create such favor.
Evidently not all young women were in running for queen, since Ester was given six of them as personal maids. Evidently only the very prettiest were brought to the palace.
10 Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it.
Since the people of God tend to be hated by those that don’t know Him, Mordecai thought it best to hide that information for a while.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
Mordecai took his responsibility as a dad figure very seriously.
12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
This time of purification served a couple of different purposes.
First of all, after being under the close watch of the eunuch put in charge of the women for an entire year, it would be sure that none of these women were already pregnant.
Secondly, what we eat actually affects our smell. Those who immigrate to America from Asia, for example, often complain that Americans smell like milk. I have noticed a pleasant odor of garlic among my Hispanic friends when I was growing up. By secluding these women for a year, they could be fed those foods the king was used to and their natural odor would be more pleasant to him.
Third, a year of special bathing, oil skin treatments and perfumes would cause even the most sun-damaged skin to become soft and beautiful.
13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.
She could wear whatever clothing, makeup, or jewelry she wanted and, probably, take whatever musical instruments or other forms of entertainment she wanted.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
Every one of these girls became the king’s wife. We have no idea how many he ended up with, but Solomon did have 700 wives and 300 concubines (“wives” who were of the slave class and thus not free to say “yes” or “no” to marriage. I Kings 11:1-7) So it probably wasn’t unusual for a king to have a large number of wives.
At any rate, after one night with her new “husband” each woman was taken to a different harem and lived there unless the king thought enough about her to ask for her return.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Esther simply took the advice of the eunuch in charge about what she should wear. She didn’t demand all sorts of extras and frilly-fru-frus. A woman of true beauty doesn’t need them.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
What year this actually was depends on if the author is counting Ahasuerus’ reign to have started when he began to rule as a junior king under Cyrus the Great or when he murder Cyrus and took the senior king position. There were a couple of years between the two.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Esther won the beauty contest. She got to be queen.
Persian History tells us that Ahasuerus had a very powerful wife named Amestris. It is possible this wife was Vashti before her dethronement, but it is also possible it is Esther.
The Greek historians who wrote about her tell us she was the daughter of Otanes, (one of the seven nobleman who killed an impersonator of the king) and that she buried fourteen children of her enemies in giving thanks to her god for giving her the position of queen.
Since the Greeks (the only source we have for Persian history outside the tiny bit in the Bible until just very recently) hated the Persians, it is quite possible this is actually a corruption of the rest of the story of Esther, with the “fourteen children of noblemen” actually being Haman and his ten sons, and her “father” Otanes who saved the king by killing his enemies actually being Mordecai who tattled on conspirators who were planning an assassination.
If Amestris was Esther, then she was also the mother-in-law of the next legitimate king of Persia, Darius the Persian.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
It appears that Ahasuerus enjoyed having his harem of virgins so much he created a new one. This is actually not all that unusual in countries where the king has absolute power.
At about this time, Mordecai got a job in the palace. “The King’s Gate” would be where business of the king was conducted, so he was working for the king in some capacity.
20 Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
Esther obeyed Mordecai like a daughter, though as a married woman she would normally switch that allegiance to her husband. In this case, with Hubby Dear having such a harem (or two), and her only being able to go to him when specifically called, it would be normal for her to continue in Mordecai’s counsel. The king simply wouldn’t have been available to be a true husband to her.
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
We don’t know exactly why these two guards were mad. Speculation throughout history has ranged from them being angry at Vashti’s dismissal, Esther’s appointment, Mordecai’s appointment, simple henchmen of Haman, or servants of the king of Greece (who Persia was at war with at this time) or something else entirely.
We do know that Darius, Cyrus, and Ahsuerus all moved the kingdom from a polytheistic religion towards a more monotheistic belief (possibly a corruption of Judaism). Maybe these men were mad at the spiritual changes.
What we do know is that Mordecai heard them plotting and sent word to Esther who warned the appropriate people in Mordecai’s name.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
“Hanged on a tree” could mean hanged by the neck, crucified, or impaled. Anyway about it, they died. Mordecai was given credit in the record books.