Esther 2:3

Esther 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.

Context of Esther 2:3

1Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. 4Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly. 5Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.

Esther 2:3 word by word

וְיַפְקֵ֨ד הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ פְּקִידִים֮ בְּכָל־מְדִינ֣וֹת מַלְכוּתוֹ֒ וְיִקְבְּצ֣וּ אֶת־כָּל־נַעֲרָֽה־בְ֠תוּלָה טוֹבַ֨ת מַרְאֶ֜ה אֶל־שׁוּשַׁ֤ן הַבִּירָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַנָּשִׁ֔ים אֶל־יַ֥ד הֵגֶ֛א סְרִ֥יס הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ שֹׁמֵ֣ר הַנָּשִׁ֑ים וְנָת֖וֹן תַּמְרוּקֵיהֶֽן׃Read the interlinear

• and let the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• appointפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
• commissionersפָּקִידpâqîyd · overseerH6496
• in eachכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• of his kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
• to assembleקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the beautifulטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• the beautifulמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
• youngנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
• womenבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
• intoאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• the haremבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: palaceH1004
• the haremאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• the citadelבִּירָהbîyrâh · palaceH1002
• of Susaשׁוּשַׁןshûshan · SusaH7800
• under the careיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Hegaiהֵגֵאhêgê' hêgay · HegaiH1896
• eunuchסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
• in charge ofשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• and let them be givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• beauty treatmentsתַּמְרוּקtamrûq tamrûq tamrîyq · cosmeticH8562

Cross-references for Esther 2:3

• Esther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
• Esther 2:8When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
• Esther 2:12In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
• Isaiah 3:18In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents;

Commentaries on Esther 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Hege the king's chamberlain - המלך סריס הגא Hege seris hammelech, "Hege, the king's eunuch;" so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac. In the Eastern countries the women are intrusted to the care of the eunuchs only. Let their things for purification be given them - תמרקיהן tamrukeyhen, their cosmetics. What these were we are told in Esther 2:12; oil of myrrh, and sweet odours. The myrrh was employed for six months, and the odours for six months…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The house of the women - i. e. the “gynaeceon,” or “haram” - always an essential part of an Oriental palace (Compare 1 Kings 7:8). In the Persian palaces it was very extensive, since the monarchs maintained, besides their legitimate wives, as many as 300 or 400 concubines (compare Esther 2:14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201-3. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased--On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored. His counsellors, for their own sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 2:3

• Chamberlain
• Harem
• Hegai
• Lasciviousness
• Marriage

In the dictionaries

• Chamberlain
• Eunuch
• Appoint
• Custody
• Esther, Book of
• Hegai; Hege
• Shushan
• Abimelech
• Hege
• Province

Commentaries on Esther 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings