Esther 2:21

Esther 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
• New International Version (NIV)During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

Context of Esther 2:21

19Some time later, the young women all came together again in the harem. At this time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, as one of his officers. 20Esther still had not told anyone that she was a Jew. Mordecai had told her that she should not tell anyone. She continued to obey Mordecai, as she had done when she lived with him as his daughter. One day, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. While he was there, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh, became angry with King Xerxes. They decided that they would kill the king. 22Mordecai heard about this. So he told Queen Esther about it. Queen Esther told the king what Mordecai had said. 23The king sent his men to see if it was true. When he discovered that Mordecai had told the truth, he said that the two eunuchs must die. So his officers hanged them from a wooden tower until they were dead. They wrote about this event in the history book, while the king watched.

Esther 2:21 word by word

בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In those daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• while Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• chamberlainsסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
• Bigthanבִּגְתָןbigthân bigthânâ' · BigthanH904
• and Tereshתֶּ֫רֶשׁteresh · TereshH8657
• of those which keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• the doorסַףsaph · thresholdH5592
• were wrothקָצַףqâtsaph · be angryH7107
• and soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• to layשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• handיָדyâd · handH3027
• Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325

Cross-references for Esther 2:21

• Esther 6:2The history book included a report of how two of the king's eunuchs wanted to kill King Xerxes. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. The report said that Mordecai had told the king about this.
• 2 Samuel 4:5Rimmon's sons, Recab and Baanah, left their home and they went to Ish-Bosheth's house. They arrived in the middle of the day when it was very hot. Ish-Bosheth was resting on his bed.
• 2 Samuel 16:11Then David said to Abishai and to all his officers, ‘My own son is trying to kill me. Now this man from Benjamin's tribe wants to do the same thing. The Lord has told him to do this, so do not stop him cursing me.
• 1 Kings 15:25When Asa had been king of Judah for two years, Jeroboam's son became king of Israel. Nadab ruled Israel as king for two years.
• 1 Kings 16:9Zimri was one of Elah's officers. He had authority over half of Elah's chariots. Zimri decided to kill King Elah. One day, Elah was in the home of a man called Arza, an officer who had authority over the king's palace in Tirzah. Elah was drinking too much wine and he became drunk.
• 2 Kings 9:22When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, ‘Have you come as a friend, Jehu?’ Jehu replied, ‘We cannot be friends. Your mother Jezebel still causes people to worship idols and to use magic.’
• 2 Kings 12:20Joash's officers decided to kill him. Two of them murdered him at Beth Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla.
• 2 Kings 21:23Amon's officers decided to kill him. They killed him in his palace.
• Psalms 144:10You help kings to win against their enemies. You also save me, your servant David, from my enemies, when they try to kill me with their dangerous swords.

Commentaries on Esther 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Mordecai sat in the kings gate - Mordecai might have been one of the officers of the king, as the gate was the place where such usually attended to await the king's call. It is not likely that he was the porter; had he been only such, Haman could have removed him at once. Two of the king's chamberlains - Eunuchs. Why they conspired against the life of the king, we are not informed. The Targum says that they found out that Esther had intended to use her…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Conspiracies inside the palace were ordinary occurrences in Persia. Xerxes was ultimately murdered by Artabanus, the captain of the guard, and Aspamitras, a chamberlain and eunuch.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-23Verses 21-23 Good subjects must not conceal any bad design they know of against the prince, or the public peace. Mordecai was not rewarded at the time, but a remembrance was written. Thus, with respect to those who serve Christ, though their recompence is not till the resurrection of the just, yet an account is kept of their work of faith and labour of love, which God is not unrighteous to forget. The servant of God must be faithful to every trust, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Bigthana might be the same person as Bigtha from Esther 1:10, one of the king’s seven eunuchs. He and Teresh guarded the king’s bedroom. They could have easily carried out their plan if they had not been discovered.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2321. In those days ... two of the king's chamberlains ... were wroth and sought to lay hand on the king, &c.--This secret conspiracy against the king's life probably arose out of revenge for the divorce of Vashti, in whose interest, and at whose instigation, these eunuchs may have acted. Through the vigilance of Mordecai, whose fidelity, however, passed unnoticed, the design was frustrated, while the conspirators were condemned to be executed and as the…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 2:21

• Bigthan
• Chamberlain
• Citizens
• Conspiracy
• Loyalty
• Mordecai
• Teresh

In the dictionaries

• Ahasuerus
• Mordecai
• Ahasuerus; Asseurus
• Abagtha
• Bigthan
• Chamberlain
• Teresh
• Bigthan; Bigthana
• Doorkeeper
• Esther, Book of

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