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The virgins of the kingdom are gathered together, ver. 1 - 4.
And Esther with the rest, ver. 5 - 8.
She finds favour with the king's chamberlain, ver. 9 - 11.
The manner of preparing the virgins, and bringing them to the king,
ver. 12 - 14.
Esther pleases him, who makes her queen, ver. 15 - 20.
Mordecai discovers a conspiracy against the king, ver. 21 - 23.
3: Keeper - Of all the women, both virgins and concubines: only the
virgins he himself took care of, as requiring more care and caution,
and the concubines be committed to Shaashgaz, ver.(14), his deputy.
Purification - That is, to cleanse them from all impurities, to perfume,
and adorn, and every way prepare them for the king: for the legal
purification of the Jews he never regarded.
7: Esther - Hadassah was her Hebrew name before her marriage;
and she was called Esther by the king after it.
9: Pleased - Because she was very beautiful, therefore he supposed
she would be acceptable to the king; and by the Divine power, which moveth
the hearts of men which way he pleaseth.
10: Shew it - Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her
contemptible, or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation; but
there was also an hand of God in causing this to be concealed, for
the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai
was ignorant of it.
13: Desired - For ornament, or by way of attendance. And it should
be observed, that every one whom the king took to his bed, was his wife
of a lower rank, as Hagar was Abraham's, so that it would have been
no sin or dishonour to Esther, though she had not been made queen.
19: Sat - By office, as one of the king's guards or ministers; being
advanced to this place by Esther's favour.
