Esther 2:14

Esther 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
• New International Version (NIV)In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

Context of Esther 2:14

12Before each young woman was taken to the king’s bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. 13When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem. That evening she was taken to the king’s private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king’s wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would never go to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name. 15Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her. 16Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign.

Esther 2:14 word by word

בָּעֶ֣רֶב׀ הִ֣יא בָאָ֗ה וּ֠בַבֹּקֶר הִ֣יא שָׁבָ֞ה אֶל־בֵּ֤ית הַנָּשִׁים֙ שֵׁנִ֔י אֶל־יַ֧ד שַֽׁעֲשְׁגַ֛ז סְרִ֥יס הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ שֹׁמֵ֣ר הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁ֑ים לֹא־תָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֣י אִם־חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֛הּ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְנִקְרְאָ֥ה בְשֵֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• she wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and on the morrowבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• she returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• into the secondשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: palaceH1004
• of the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• to the custodyיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Shaashgazשַׁעַשְׁגַּזsha‛ashgaz · ShaashgazH8190
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• chamberlainסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
• which keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• the concubinesפִּלֶ֫גֶשׁpîylegesh pilegesh · concubineH6370
• delightedחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• in her, and that she were calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• by nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for Esther 2:14

• Esther 4:11“All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.”
• Genesis 34:19Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,
• Deuteronomy 21:14But if you marry her and she does not please you, you must let her go free. You may not sell her or treat her as a slave, for you have humiliated her.
• Isaiah 62:4Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
• Isaiah 43:1But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
• Isaiah 45:4“And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.

Commentaries on Esther 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14She returned into the second house - This was the place where the king's concubines were kept. They went out no more, and were never given in marriage to any man, and saw the king's face no more unless specially called. Custody of Shaashgaz - This is probably another Persian name; sheshkhunj, beardless, a proper epithet of a eunuch; or sestgunj, weak loins, for the same reason. Names of this kind at once show the reason of their imposition, by describing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The second house of the women - i. e. Esther returned to the “house of the women,” but not to the same part of it. She became an inmate of the “second house,” or “house of the concubines,” under the superintendence of a distinct officer, Shaashgaz.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14a second harem: Each woman spent one night with the king in his bedroom. After that, she lived like a widow unless the king remembered her name and called for her. The women in the second harem lived comfortably in a luxurious setting under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch.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 2:14

• Chamberlain
• Lasciviousness
• Marriage
• Shaashgaz

In the dictionaries

• Chamberlain
• Shaashgaz
• Delight
• Esther, Book of
• Shaasgaz

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