American Standard Version

Esther 2

1Afterthesethingsהַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.RimH1697,whenH834thewrathH2534ofkingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325waspacified,herememberedזָכַ֤רza.KharH2142Vashtiוַשְׁתִּי֙vash.TiH2060,andwhatshehaddone,andwhatwasdecreedagainsther.

2ThensaidH559theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428servantsH5288thatministereduntohim, Let therebefairyoungנַעֲרֵֽי־na.'a.rei-H5288virginsבְּתוּל֖וֹתbe.tu.LotH1330soughtיְבַקְשׁ֥וּye.vak.ShuH1245forthekingלַמֶּ֛לֶךְla.Me.lekhH4428:

3andletthekingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428appointוְיַפְקֵ֨דve.yaf.KedH6485officersH6485inalltheprovincesH4082ofhiskingdomמַלְכוּתוֹ֒mal.khu.ToH4438,thattheymaygatherוְיִקְבְּצ֣וּve.yik.be.TzuH6908togetherH6908allthefairyoungH5291virginsבְ֠תוּלָהVe.tu.lahH1330unto Shushanthepalace,tothehouseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004ofthewomenH802, untothecustodyofHegaiהֵגֶ֛אhe.Ge'H1896theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlain,keeperשֹׁמֵ֣רsho.MerH8104ofthewomenH802;andlettheirthingsforpurificationbegivenוְנָת֖וֹןve.na.TonH5414them;

4andletthemaidenthatpleaseththekingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428bequeeninsteadofVashtiוַשְׁתִּ֑יvash.TiH2060.AndthethingH1697pleasedthekingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428;andhedidsoH3651.

5TherewasacertainJewH3064inShushanthepalace,whosenameוּשְׁמ֣וֹu.she.MoH8034wasMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֗יma.re.do.KhaiH4782,thesonבֶּ֣ןbenH1121ofJairיָאִ֧ירya.'IrH2971,thesonבֶּן־ben-H1121ofShimeiשִׁמְעִ֛יshim.'IH8096,thesonבֶּן־ben-H1121ofKishקִ֖ישׁkishH7027,aBenjamite,

6whohadbeencarriedawayfromJerusalemמִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔יִםmi.Ru.sha.La.yimH3389withthecaptivesthathadbeencarriedawaywithJeconiahיְכָנְיָ֣הye.kha.ne.YahH3204kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428ofJudahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063,whomNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֖רne.vu.khad.ne.TzarH5019thekingמֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekhH4428ofBabylonבָּבֶֽל׃ba.VelH894hadcarriedaway.

7AndhebroughtupHadassah,thatis,Estherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635,hisuncle’sדֹּד֔וֹdo.DoH1730daughterבַּת־bat-H1323:forshehadneitherfatherאָ֣ב'avH1normotherוָאֵ֑םva.'EmH517,andthemaidenwasfairandbeautifulיְפַת־ye.fat-H3303;andwhenherfatherאָבִ֙יהָ֙'a.Vi.haH1andmotherוְאִמָּ֔הּve.'i.MahH517wereH1961dead,Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֛יma.re.do.KhaiH4782tookH3947herforhisowndaughterלְבַֽת׃le.VatH1323.

8Soitcametopass,whentheking’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428commandmentandhisdecreewasH1961heardH8085,andwhenmanyרַבּ֛וֹתra.BotH7227maidenswereH1961gatheredוּֽבְהִקָּבֵ֞ץu.ve.hi.ka.VetzH6908togetherH6908unto Shushanthepalace,tothecustodyofHegaiהֵגָ֑יhe.GaiH1896,thatEstherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635wasH1961takenH3947intotheking’sהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004,tothecustodyofHegaiהֵגַ֖יhe.GaiH1896,keeperשֹׁמֵ֥רsho.MerH8104ofthewomenH802.

9Andthemaidenpleasedhim,andsheobtainedkindnessofhim;andhespeedilygaveלָתֵ֣תla.TetH5414herherthingsforpurification,withherportionsמָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙ma.no.Te.haH4490,andthesevenשֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'H7651maidenswhoweremeettobegivenלָֽתֶת־la.tet-H5414heroutoftheking’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseמִבֵּ֣יתmi.BeitH1004:andheremovedherandhermaidenstothebestלְט֖וֹבle.TovH2896placeofthehouseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004ofthewomenH802.

10Estherאֶסְתֵּ֔ר'es.TerH635hadnotmadeknownherpeopleעַמָּ֖הּ'a.MahH5971norherkindredמֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּmo.lad.TahH4138;forMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֛יma.re.do.KhaiH4782hadchargedherthatsheshouldnotmakeitknown.

11AndMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַי֙ma.re.do.KhaiH4782walkedמִתְהַלֵּ֔ךְmit.ha.LekhH1980everydayH3117beforethecourtחֲצַ֣רcha.TzarH2691ofthewomen’shouseבֵּית־beit-H1004,toknowלָדַ֙עַת֙la.Da.'atH3045howH4100Estherאֶסְתֵּ֔ר'es.TerH635did,andwhatwouldbecomeofher.

12Nowwhentheturnofeverymaidenwasהֱי֨וֹתhe.YotH1961comeH935togoלָב֣וֹא׀la.Vo'H935intokingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵר֗וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325,afterthatithadbeenH1961donetoheraccordingtothelawH1881forthewomenH802twelvemonthsחֹ֔דֶשׁCho.deshH2320(forsoH3651wereH1961thedaysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117oftheirpurificationsaccomplished,towit,sixשִׁשָּׁ֤הshi.ShahH8337monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho.da.ShimH2320withoilבְּשֶׁ֣מֶןbe.She.menH8081ofmyrrhהַמֹּ֔רha.MorH4753,andsixוְשִׁשָּׁ֤הve.shi.ShahH8337monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho.da.ShimH2320withsweetodorsandwiththethingsforthepurifyingofthewomenH802),

13theninthiswisecameH935themaiden untothekingהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428:WhatsoevershedesiredwasgivenH5414hertogoH935withheroutofthehouseמִבֵּ֥יתmi.BeitH1004ofthewomenH802untotheking’sהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004.

14Intheeveningבָּעֶ֣רֶב׀ba.'E.revH6153shewentH935,andonthemorrowshereturnedH7725intothesecondשֵׁנִ֔יshe.NiH8145houseבֵּ֤יתbeitH1004ofthewomenH802,tothecustodyofShaashgaz,theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlain,whokeptH8104theconcubinesH6370:shecameH935inuntothekingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428nomore,exceptthekingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428delightedinher,andshewerecalledH7121bynameבְשֵֽׁם׃ve.ShemH8034.

15NowwhentheturnofEstherאֶסְתֵּ֣ר'es.TerH635,thedaughterבַּת־bat-H1323ofAbihailאֲבִיחַ֣יִל'a.vi.Cha.yilH32theuncleדֹּ֣דdodH1730ofMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֡יma.re.do.KhaiH4782,whohadtakenH3947herforhisdaughterלְבַ֜תle.VatH1323,wasH1961comeH935togoלָב֣וֹאla.Vo'H935inuntothekingהַמֶּ֗לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428,sherequirednothingbutwhatHegaiהֵגַ֥יhe.GaiH1896theking’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlain,thekeeperשֹׁמֵ֣רsho.MerH8104ofthewomenH802, appointed.AndEstherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635obtainedfavorחֵ֔ןChenH2580inthesightofallthemthatlookedH7200uponher.

16SoEstherאֶסְתֵּ֜ר'es.TerH635wastakenH3947untokingהַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ֙'a.chash.ve.ro.VoshH325intohishouseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004royalinthetenthהָעֲשִׂירִ֖יha.'a.si.RiH6224monthבַּחֹ֥דֶשׁba.Cho.deshH2320,whichisthemonthחֹ֣דֶשׁCho.deshH2320Tebeth,intheseventhyearבִּשְׁנַת־bish.nat-H8141ofhisreignH4438.

17Andthekingהַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428lovedH157Estherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635aboveallthewomenH802,andsheobtainedfavorחֵ֥ןchenH2580andkindnessinhissightmorethanallthevirginsהַבְּתוּלֹ֑תha.be.tu.LotH1330;sothathesetH7760theroyalcrownכֶּֽתֶר־ke.ter-H3804uponherheadבְּרֹאשָׁ֔הּbe.ro.ShahH7218,andmadeH7760herqueeninsteadofVashtiוַשְׁתִּֽי׃vash.TiH2060.

18Thenthekingהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428madeH6213agreatגָד֗וֹלga.DolH1419feastמִשְׁתֶּ֣הmish.TehH4960untoallhisprincesH8269andhisservantsוַעֲבָדָ֔יוva.'a.va.DavH5650,evenEsther’sfeastמִשְׁתֵּ֣הmish.TehH4960;andhemadeH6213areleasetotheprovincesH4082,andgaveH5414gifts,accordingtothebountyofthekingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428.

19Andwhenthevirginsבְּתוּל֖וֹתbe.tu.LotH1330weregatheredוּבְהִקָּבֵ֥ץu.ve.hi.ka.VetzH6908togetherH6908thesecondשֵׁנִ֑יתshe.NitH8145timeH8145,thenMordecaiוּמָרְדֳּכַ֖יu.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782wassittingH3427intheking’sהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428gateבְּשַֽׁעַר־be.sha.'ar-H8179.

20Estherאֶסְתֵּ֗ר'es.TerH635hadnotyetmadeH6213knownherkindredמֽוֹלַדְתָּהּ֙mo.lad.TahH4138norherpeopleעַמָּ֔הּ'a.MahH5971;asMordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782hadchargedher:forEstherאֶסְתֵּ֣ר'es.TerH635didthecommandmentofMordecaiמָרְדֳּכַי֙ma.re.do.KhaiH4782,likeaswhenshewasbroughtupwithhim.

21Inthosedaysבַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.MimH3117,whileMordecaiוּמָרְדֳּכַ֖יu.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782wassittingH3427intheking’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateבְּשַֽׁעַר־be.sha.'ar-H8179,twoשְׁנֵֽי־she.nei-H8147oftheking’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlains,BigthanandTereshוָתֶ֜רֶשׁva.Te.reshH8657,ofthosethatkeptH8104thethreshold,werewroth,andsoughtH1245tolayhandsיָ֔דYadH3027onthekingבַּמֶּ֖לֶךְba.Me.lekhH4428Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃'a.chash.Ve.roshH325.

22AndthethingH1697becameknownH3045toMordecaiH4782,whoshowedituntoEstherלְאֶסְתֵּ֣רle.'es.TerH635thequeenהַמַּלְכָּ֑הha.mal.KahH4436;andEstherאֶסְתֵּ֛ר'es.TerH635toldH5046thekingלַמֶּ֖לֶךְla.Me.lekhH4428thereofinMordecai’snameבְּשֵׁ֥םbe.ShemH8034.

23AndwheninquisitionwasmadeofthematterH1697,anditwasfoundH4672tobeso,theywerebothhangedוַיִּתָּל֥וּvai.yi.ta.LuH8518onatreeH6086:anditwaswrittenH3789inthebookבְּסֵ֛פֶרbe.Se.ferH5612ofthechroniclesbeforethekingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פha.Me.lekhH4428.

Commentaries on Esther 2

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain