New International Version
Esther 2:7
7Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
Esther 2:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
- New Living Translation (NLT)This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.
Context of Esther 2:7
5Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. 8When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9She 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.
Read all of Esther 2Esther 2:7 word by word
וַיְהִ֨י אֹמֵ֜ן אֶת־הֲדַסָּ֗ה הִ֤יא אֶסְתֵּר֙ בַּת־דֹּד֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ אָ֣ב וָאֵ֑ם וְהַנַּעֲרָ֤ה יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה וּבְמ֤וֹת אָבִ֙יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ לְקָחָ֧הּ מָרְדֳּכַ֛י ל֖וֹ לְבַֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he brought upאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
- Hadassahהֲדַסָּהhădassâh · HadassahH1919
- Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
- his uncle’sדּוֹדdôd dôd · beloved: male relativeH1730
- daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- for she had neither fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- nor motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- and the maidנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
- fairתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
- fairיָפֶהyâpheh · beautifulH3303
- and beautifulמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
- and beautifulטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- whom Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
- were deadמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
Cross-references for Esther 2:7
- Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
- Daniel 1:6Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
- Esther 2:15When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
- Jeremiah 32:7Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’
- Esther 1:11to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.
- Genesis 48:5“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
- 1 John 3:1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Commentaries on Esther 2:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7He brought up Hadassah - הדשה hadassah signifies a myrtle in Chaldee: this was probably her first or Babylonish name. When she came to the Persian court, she was called Esther, aster, or sitara, which signifies a star in Persian: the name is undoubtedly Persian. Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, and therefore must have been Mordecai's cousin, though the Vulgate and Josephus make her Mordecai's niece: but it is safest here to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Hadassah, הדסה hădassâh from הדס hădas (“myrtle”) would seem to have been the Hebrew, and Esther the Persian, name of the damsel. Esther is thought to be connected through the Zend with ἀστήρ astēr “star.” But there is not at present any positive evidence of the existence in Old Persian of a kindred word.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Hadassah is a Hebrew name meaning myrtle. Esther is a Persian name meaning star.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 2:7
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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