Esther 2:14

Esther 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

Context of Esther 2:14

12During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace. She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz, keeper of the concubines. She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name. 15Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, suggested. Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. 16She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther 2:14 word by word

בָּעֶ֣רֶב׀ הִ֣יא בָאָ֗ה וּ֠בַבֹּקֶר הִ֣יא שָׁבָ֞ה אֶל־בֵּ֤ית הַנָּשִׁים֙ שֵׁנִ֔י אֶל־יַ֧ד שַֽׁעֲשְׁגַ֛ז סְרִ֥יס הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ שֹׁמֵ֣ר הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁ֑ים לֹא־תָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֣י אִם־חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֛הּ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְנִקְרְאָ֥ה בְשֵֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• she wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and on the morrowבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• she returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• into the secondשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: palaceH1004
• of the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• to the custodyיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Shaashgazשַׁעַשְׁגַּזsha‛ashgaz · ShaashgazH8190
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• chamberlainסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
• which keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• the concubinesפִּלֶ֫גֶשׁpîylegesh pilegesh · concubineH6370
• delightedחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• in her, and that she were calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• by nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for Esther 2:14

• Esther 4:11“All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned — the death penalty — unless the king extends the gold scepter, allowing that person to live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last thirty days.”
• Genesis 34:19The young man did not delay doing this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most important in all his father’s family.
• Deuteronomy 21:14Then if you are not satisfied with her, you are to let her go where she wants, but you must not sell her or treat her as merchandise, because you have humiliated her.
• Isaiah 62:4You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will not be called Desolate; instead, you will be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.
• Isaiah 43:1Now this is what the Lord says — the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.
• Isaiah 45:4I call you by your name, for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen one. I give a name to you, though you do not know me.

Commentaries on Esther 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14She returned into the second house - This was the place where the king's concubines were kept. They went out no more, and were never given in marriage to any man, and saw the king's face no more unless specially called. Custody of Shaashgaz - This is probably another Persian name; sheshkhunj, beardless, a proper epithet of a eunuch; or sestgunj, weak loins, for the same reason. Names of this kind at once show the reason of their imposition, by describing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The second house of the women - i. e. Esther returned to the “house of the women,” but not to the same part of it. She became an inmate of the “second house,” or “house of the concubines,” under the superintendence of a distinct officer, Shaashgaz.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14a second harem: Each woman spent one night with the king in his bedroom. After that, she lived like a widow unless the king remembered her name and called for her. The women in the second harem lived comfortably in a luxurious setting under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch.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 2:14

• Chamberlain
• Lasciviousness
• Marriage
• Shaashgaz

In the dictionaries

• Chamberlain
• Shaashgaz
• Delight
• Esther, Book of
• Shaasgaz

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