God’s Word Translation
Esther 2:9
9The young woman pleased him and won his affection. So he immediately provided her with the beauty treatment, a daily supply of food, and seven suitable female servants from the king’s palace. Then he moved her and her servants to the best place in the women’s 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 had raised Hadassah, also known as Esther, his uncle’s daughter, because she was an orphan. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. 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. The young woman pleased him and won his affection. So he immediately provided her with the beauty treatment, a daily supply of food, and seven suitable female servants from the king’s palace. Then he moved her and her servants to the best place in the women’s quarters. 10Esther did not reveal her nationality or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to. 11Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the courtyard of the women’s quarters to find out how Esther was and 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 39:21the Lord was with him. The Lord reached out to him with his unchanging love and gave him protection. The Lord also put Joseph on good terms with the warden.
- 1 Kings 8:50Forgive your people, who have sinned against you. ⌞Forgive⌟ all their wrongs when they rebelled against you, and cause those who captured them to have mercy on them
- Ezra 7:6As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because the Lord his God was guiding him.
- Nehemiah 2:8Also, let me have a letter addressed to Asaph, the supervisor of Your Majesty’s forest. In the letter order him to give me wood for the gates of the fortress near the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I’ll move into.” (The king let me have the letters, because God was guiding me.)
- Psalms 106:46He let them find compassion from all those who held them captive.
- Proverbs 16:7When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
- Daniel 1:9God made the chief-of-staff kind and compassionate toward Daniel.
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his suffering. When Joseph stood in the presence of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt), God gave Joseph divine favor and wisdom so that he became ruler of Egypt and of Pharaoh’s whole palace.
- Esther 2:3And 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.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries