New International Version
Esther 2:9
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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.
Context of Esther 2:9
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. 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. 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. 10Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem 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; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
- 1 Kings 8:50And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;
- Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Nehemiah 2:8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.
- Psalms 106:46He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy.
- Proverbs 16:7When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.
- Daniel 1:9Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel,
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
- Esther 2:3Let 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.
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
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