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

12All the young women stayed in the harem for 12 months. For six months they received myrrh oil for their bodies. Then they received perfume and different kinds of oil for another six months. After that time they could each go to the king's bedroom. 13When the time came for a young woman to go to the king, she could take whatever she wanted with her. She would take those things with her from the harem to the king's room. She would go to be with the king in the evening. She would stay with him during that night. In the morning, she went to a different part of the harem. That was where the king's slave wives lived. One of the king's eunuchs, Shaashgaz, took care of them there. After that, the young woman would only see the king again if he was pleased with her. Then he would ask for her by name. 15One evening, it was the time for Abihail's daughter, Esther, to go to the king. Abihail was Mordecai's uncle. After Abihail had died, Mordecai took care of Esther as if she was his own daughter. Everyone who saw Esther liked her. When she went to the king, she took with her only the things that Hegai had suggested. 16Esther went to King Xerxes in his royal rooms in the palace. That happened in the tenth month of the year, called Tebeth. King Xerxes had ruled for seven years.

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‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’
• Genesis 34:19Shechem's family respected him as an important person. So Shechem and his father quickly did what Jacob's sons told them. Shechem agreed to do it because he wanted very much to marry Dinah.
• Deuteronomy 21:14Later, you may not be pleased with her. If so, you must let her go wherever she wants. You must never sell her or make her become a slave. You must not do that, because you have made her have sex with you, as your wife.
• Isaiah 62:4They will no longer call you by the name ‘Alone’. They will not call your land ‘Empty place’. Instead, they will call you ‘The one that makes God happy’. The name of your land will be ‘Married’. Yes, the Lord will be very happy with you. Your land will be his bride.
• Isaiah 43:1Israelites, descendants of Jacob, the Lord created you, and he made you who you are. Now he says this to you: ‘Do not be afraid, I have rescued you to belong to me. I have called you by your name, so now you are mine.
• Isaiah 45:4I have called you on behalf of my people, to help my servant, Jacob's descendants. They are Israel's people, that I have chosen for myself. You do not know me as your God, but I have given to you an important name.

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