ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:1 The YOUNG MEN were probably the king’s personal household servants (see Esther 6:3). EUNUCH. See note on 1:10. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:5 Mordecai was descended from King Saul. His great-grandfather, KISH, has the same name as Saul’s father (1 Samuel 9:1). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:6 JECONIAH, also known as Jehoiachin (1 Chronicles 3:16), was the second-to-last king of Judah. He was deported to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10), which would have been 114 years before the present events. Therefore WHO HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY FROM JERUSALEM must refer to... [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:7 HADASSAH (“myrtle”) is the Hebrew name of Mordecai’s cousin. ESTHER 1:1 (“star”) is her Persian name. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:8 It is unclear from the word TAKEN whether Esther went willingly. Given THE KING’S ORDER, she probably had no choice. The SEVEN CHOSEN YOUNG WOMEN were her personal maids. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:10 Mordecai’s instruction to Esther not to reveal HER PEOPLE OR KINDRED is the first hint of the prejudice against the Jewish people that will be seen in ch. Esther 3:1. See note on 3:15. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.lengt... [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:12 MYRRH. An expensive perfume obtained from trees native to Africa and southern Asia. CONCUBINES, the king’s mistresses, were housed separately (in the SECOND HAREM). They had a lower status than his wife or wives. ABIHAIL is the UNCLE referred to in v. Esther 2:7. ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:16 TEBETH, in midwinter, was the TENTH MONTH of the Jewish calendar. The SEVENTH YEAR would have been four years after the events of ch. Esther 1:1 (see Esther 1:3; and chart). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ va [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:18 ESTHER’S FEAST honored her as the new queen (see Esther 1:3, Esther 1:5, Esther 1:9). REMISSION OF TAXES. A customary form of celebration. GIFTS WITH ROYAL GENEROSITY. Probably food given to the poor, so that all could celebrate (see Esther 9:22; Jeremiah 40 [ Continue Reading ]
ESTHER—NOTE ON ESTHER 2:19__ Mordecai happens to be in the right place at the right time to serve King Ahasuerus. This is one of many examples of God’s hidden direction of events, though God is never actually mentioned in Esther 1:1 (see Introduction: Key Themes). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getEle... [ Continue Reading ]