God’s Word Translation
Esther 2:3
3And appoint scouts in all the provinces of your kingdom to gather all the attractive young virgins and bring them to the fortress of Susa, to the women’s quarters. There, in the care of the king’s eunuch Hegai, the guardian of the women, they will have their beauty treatment.
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
1Later, when King Xerxes got over his raging anger, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decided against her. 2So the king’s personal staff said to him, “Search for attractive young virgins for the king. And appoint scouts in all the provinces of your kingdom to gather all the attractive young virgins and bring them to the fortress of Susa, to the women’s quarters. There, in the care of the king’s eunuch Hegai, the guardian of the women, they will have their beauty treatment. 4Then the young woman who pleases you, Your Majesty, will become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked the suggestion, and so he did just that. 5In the fortress of Susa there was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the grandson of Shimei, and the great-grandson of Kish.
Read all of Esther 2Esther 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And let the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- appointפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
- officersפָּקִידpâqîyd · overseerH6496
- in all the provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
- of his kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
- that they may gather togetherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- all the fairמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
- all the fairטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- youngנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
- virginsבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
- unto Shushanשׁוּשַׁןshûshan · SusaH7800
- the palaceבִּירָהbîyrâh · palaceH1002
- to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: palaceH1004
- of the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- unto the custodyיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of Hegeהֵגֵאhêgê' hêgay · HegaiH1896
- chamberlainסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
- keeperשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- of the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- and let their things for purificationתַּמְרוּקtamrûq tamrûq tamrîyq · cosmeticH8562
- be givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
Cross-references for Esther 2:3
- Esther 1:1In the days of Xerxes the following events took place. This was the same Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Sudan.
- Esther 2:8When the king’s announcement and decree were heard, many young women were gathered together and brought to the fortress of Susa. They were placed in the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and placed in the care of Hegai, the guardian of the women.
- Esther 2:12Each young woman had her turn to go to King Xerxes after she had completed the required 12-month treatment for women. The time of beauty treatment was spent as follows: six months using oil of myrrh and six months using perfumes and other treatments for women.
- Isaiah 3:18On that day the Lord will take away their fine things: jingling anklets, headbands, crescent-shaped necklaces,
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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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