2:1 he remembered Vashti It is unclear how much time passed between the decree in 1:22 and this moment. It may be that the king remembers the events of his drunken party as early as the next day and now has to decide what further action to take. It also could be that the narrative has already significantly moved forward in time, with the king later recalling the events of his party when finding himself in need of a queen. The text could also imply that the king is recollecting events with Vashti, perhaps positive ones.

2:2 the king’s servants These may be the same servants as those mentioned in 1:10. Unlike 1:13–15, the king does not seek advice here, but is offered it anyways; he then proceeds to make a decision without the further council of those mentioned in 1:13–15.

attractive young virgins These are the only three requirements of the types of women the king seeks: beautiful, young, and someone who has not had intercourse. It is not described how young the women being sought are, but according to ancient Near Eastern culture, they could have been as young as a woman in the first stages of puberty—around age 12. Marriage commonly occurred between ages 12 and 14.

2:3 Let the king appoint chief officers These officers could have been appointed solely for this project; alternatively, existing government officials could have been given this responsibility in addition to their regular tasks.

let them gather every attractive young virgin The Hebrew here does not indicate whether the women have a choice in this matter. It is also ambiguous about whether all young, attractive virgins are required to participate. This could imply an action of human trafficking, a voluntary contest, or a hand-selection of the attractive women from each region by the regional officials.

the harem In Esther, this term refers generally to the house where the women lived. The women being gathered were not yet regarded as concubines, since the concubines were specifically in the care of Shaashgaz, a different eunuch (v. 14).

beauty treatment The Hebrew noun here is derived from a verb best understood to mean “to scrape or rub”—the word seems to imply some sort of exfoliation treatment, which would agree with the six-month process mentioned in v. 12.

2:5 a Jew The common term for the Hebrew people after the exiles to Assyria and Babylon (compare Ezra 4:12; Neh 1:2). The narrative emphasizes Mordecai’s ethnicity to focus on the racial tension of the story and prejudices at work.

Mordecai A Babylonian name; Mordecai’s Hebrew name is never given.

a Benjaminite The narrative may emphasize Mordecai being a member of the Israelite tribe of Benjamin because his later foe, Haman, could represent an ancient foe of the Benjaminites, dating to the time of Saul (see note on Esther 3:1).

2:6 Jeconiah Jeconiah (also rendered as Jehoiachin) reigned for only three months in 596 bc, and it was following his reign that the first Babylonian deportation occurred.

Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605–562 bc. See note on Dan 1:1.

Babylon See note on Mic 4:10.

2:7 that is Esther Jews of the exile commonly received and used foreign names; these names were often in addition to their Hebrew names (compare Dan 1:7).

his uncle’s daughter Esther and Mordecai are technically first cousins, but Mordecai functions as Esther’s adopted father. Mordecai’s uncle Abihail, who is of unknown origins (but presumably also from the tribe of Benjamin) is Esther’s father (Esther 2:15).

a beautiful figure and was very attractive Esther is described similarly to Rachel in Gen 29:17. The Hebrew expression here indicates that she is physically attractive—in terms of her body, including her face, and her overall appearance.

the king’s palace The women do not actually enter the king’s presence at this point, but instead merely begin living in his complex (compare v. 13).

2:9 seven chosen maids Hegai quickly appoints seven women to specifically assist Esther.

2:10 did not disclose her people To keep her national identity secret, Esther would have eaten unclean food, as Esther 2:9 may be implying (Lev 11:46–47) and broken a number of other ceremonial regulations (compare Dan 1:8 and Deut 7:1–6).

2:12 the oil of myrrh A fragrant oil harvested from the resin of trees; regularly referenced in the ot in sexual contexts (e.g., Prov 7:17; Song 1:13; 5:5). Since oil is specifically mentioned, the myrrh seems to have been used to enhance the skin’s appearance, likely following some sort of exfoliation (compare note on Esth 2:3).

2:13 all that she asks Whatever the woman deemed necessary to prepare herself for the king was granted to her, implying that she could wear whatever clothing or jewelry she desired.

2:14 concubines Once the king had intercourse with a woman, she was separated from the virgins, placed under the leadership of a different eunuch (Shaashgaz), and would only see the king again if he specifically asked for her. Presumably, women who were not chosen would spend the rest of their days in the king’s harem.

carried favor The depiction of Esther as winning everyone’s favor seems to imply a further level of compromise as a Jewish person. To win everyone’s favor, Esther must have acted, dressed, and eaten like a Persian.

2:16 Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign December 479 bc or January 478 bc, about four years after Vashti had been deposed. Esther enters the king’s quarters either at the end of Persia’s war with Greece or while it is taking place.

2:17 loved The Hebrew word here indicates preference, not romantic love. Malachi uses the same word to describe Yahweh’s choice of Jacob over Esau (Mal 1:2–3).

a royal crown The remaining narrative depends on this plot point. Esther, over all other women presented to the king, is chosen to replace Vashti as queen and is given her crown (likely an adorned turban) to symbolize the action (compare Esther 1:11).

2:18 a great banquet Those with access to the royal court are invited to a feast celebrating the new queen Esther. The same group of people invited to the king’s first festival are invited again to this festival (1:3).

2:21 gate of the king The gate may have been a common place of meeting or business (e.g., Ruth 4:1–12). Mordecai may have stood at the gate for a variety of reasons, such as business, to exchange or overhear information (if his official role required it), or to be close to Esther without raising suspicion.

Bigthana and Teresh Bigthan (or “Bigthana”) may be the same as the Bigtha of Esther 1:10. Although the Hebrew text does not indicate why these men plot to assassinate the king, outside of their anger, such a plot would not have been uncommon. Ahasuerus (Xerxes) eventually fell victim to such a plot.

2:22 he told it to Queen Esther It seems that Mordecai intentionally transmits this information via Esther, so that she is rewarded with him. He could have passed the information along to another official or requested access to the king’s presence. Neither Mordecai nor Esther are rewarded at this point in the story. This foreshadows forthcoming events.

2:23 the two of them were hanged on the gallows The Hebrew here indicates that these men were impaled, not crucified or hung with rope. Impalement was a common practice in the ancient Near East and was not necessarily how perpetrators were killed—often they would be killed beforehand. Impalement involved driving a long stake through a body, so that the body could be hung in the air for display (compare Deut 21:22–23).

scroll of the events of the days The official records of the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes).