Christian Standard Bible
Esther 2:9
9The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.
Esther 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
- New International Version (NIV)She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.
Context of Esther 2:9
7Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. 8When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge and when many young women were gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s supervision, Esther was taken to the palace, into the supervision of Hegai, keeper of the women. The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters. 10Esther did not reveal her ethnicity or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to make them known. 11Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.
Read all of Esther 2Esther 2:9 word by word
וַתִּיטַ֨ב הַנַּעֲרָ֣ה בְעֵינָיו֮ וַתִּשָּׂ֣א חֶ֣סֶד לְפָנָיו֒ וַ֠יְבַהֵל אֶת־תַּמְרוּקֶ֤יהָ וְאֶת־מָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙ לָתֵ֣ת לָ֔הּ וְאֵת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע הַנְּעָר֔וֹת הָרְאֻי֥וֹת לָֽתֶת־לָ֖הּ מִבֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיְשַׁנֶּ֧הָ וְאֶת־נַעֲרוֹתֶ֛יהָ לְט֖וֹב בֵּ֥ית הַנָּשִֽׁים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the maidenנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
- pleasedעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- pleasedיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- him, and she obtainedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
- kindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- of himפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
- and he speedilyבָּהַלbâhal · to dismayH926
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- her her things for purificationתַּמְרוּקtamrûq tamrûq tamrîyq · cosmeticH8562
- with such things as belongedמָנָהmânâh · portionH4490
- to her, and sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- meetרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: selectH7200
- her, out of the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- and he preferredשָׁנָהshânâh · to changeH8138
- unto the bestטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- of the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
Cross-references for Esther 2:9
- Genesis 39:21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden.
- 1 Kings 8:50May you forgive your people who sinned against you and all their rebellions against you, and may you grant them compassion before their captors, so that they may treat them compassionately.
- Ezra 7:6— came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Nehemiah 2:8And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
- Psalms 106:46He caused them to be pitied before all their captors.
- Proverbs 16:7When a person’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
- Daniel 1:9God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch,
- Acts 7:10and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.
- Esther 2:3Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa. Put them under the supervision of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, and give them the required beauty treatments.
Commentaries on Esther 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The maiden pleased him - He conceived a partiality for her above the rest, probably because of the propriety of her deportment, and her engaging though unassuming manners. Seven maidens - These were to attend her to the bath, to anoint and adorn her, and be her servants in general.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet: Hegai knew the king’s preferences and chose the best candidates for special attention. Hegai assigned seven of the best assistants to Esther, showing he believed she was a top candidate for becoming queen.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 2:9
In the dictionaries
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
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