Esther 2

Esther · Chapter 2

Esther 2:12

1After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.2Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:3And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:4And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.5Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;6Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.7And 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.8So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.9And 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.10Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.11And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.12Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)13Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.14In 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.15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.16So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.17And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.18Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.19And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.20Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.21In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.22And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.23And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women),

In context

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and when arrivedוּבְהַגִּ֡יעַu-ve-ha-GI-a'H5060
to touch

נָגַע (na.ga) 1) to touch, reach, strike 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to touch 1a2) to strike 1a3) to reach, extend to 1a4) to be stricken 1a4a) stricken (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated 1c) (Piel) to strike 1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease) 1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive 1e1) to cause to touch, apply 1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come 1e3) to approach (of time) 1e4) to befall (of fate)

[the] turn ofתֹּר֩torH8447
plait

תּוֹר (tor) 1) circlet, plait, turn (of hair or gold) 2) (CLBL) succession, order

a young womanנַעֲרָ֨הna-'a-RAHH5291
maiden

נַעֲרָה (na.a.rah) 1) girl, damsel, female servant 1a) girl, damsel, little girl 1a1) of young woman, marriageable young woman, concubine, prostitute 1b) maid, female attendant, female servant

and a young womanוְנַעֲרָ֜הve-na-'a-RAHH5291
maiden

נַעֲרָה (na.a.rah) 1) girl, damsel, female servant 1a) girl, damsel, little girl 1a1) of young woman, marriageable young woman, concubine, prostitute 1b) maid, female attendant, female servant

to goלָב֣וֹא׀la-VO'H0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

the kingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵר֗וֹשׁ'a-chash-ve-RO-oshH0325
Ahasuerus

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (a.chash.ve.rosh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.6; married to Vashti (H2060); father of: Darius (H1868H) § Ahasuerus = "I will be silent and poor" title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes

from [the] endמִקֵּץ֩mi-KETZH7093
end

קֵץ (qets) 1) end 1a) end, at the end of (of time) 1b) end (of space)

to beהֱי֨וֹתhe-YOTH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

according to [the] regulation ofכְּדָ֤תke-DATH1881
law

דָּת (dat) 1) decree, law, edict, regulation, usage 1a) decree, edict, commission 1b) law, rule Aramaic equivalent: dat (דָּת "law" H1882)

the womenהַנָּשִׁים֙ha-na-SHIMH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

two [plus]שְׁנֵ֣יםshe-NEIMH8147
two

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) 1) two 1a) two (the cardinal number) 1a1) two, both, double, twice 1b) second (the ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers 1d) both (a dual number)

tenעָשָׂ֣ר'a-SARH6240
ten

עָשָׂר (a.sar) 1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers) 1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19

month[s]חֹ֔דֶשׁCHO-deshH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

forכִּ֛יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

thusכֵּ֥ןkenH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

they were completedיִמְלְא֖וּyim-le-'UH4390
to fill

מָלֵא (ma.le) 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)

[the] days ofיְמֵ֣יye-MEIH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

rubbings theirמְרוּקֵיהֶ֑ןme-ru-kei-HENH4795
rubbing

מָרוּק (ma.ruq) 1) scraping, rubbing 1a) of year of preparation of girls for the harem; bodily rubbings

sixשִׁשָּׁ֤הshi-SHAHH8337
six

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) 1) six 1a) six (cardinal number) 1b) sixth (ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho-da-SHIMH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

with [the] oil ofבְּשֶׁ֣מֶןbe-SHE-menH8081
oil

שֶׁ֫מֶן (she.men) 1) fat, oil 1a) fat, fatness 1b) oil, olive oil 1b1) as staple, medicament or unguent 1b2) for anointing 1c) fat (of fruitful land, valleys) (metaph)

the myrrhהַמֹּ֔רha-MORH4753
myrrh

מֹר (mor) 1) myrrh 1a) an Arabian gum from the bark of a tree, used in sacred oil and in perfume

and sixוְשִׁשָּׁ֤הve-shi-SHAHH8337
six

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) 1) six 1a) six (cardinal number) 1b) sixth (ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho-da-SHIMH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

with the balsam oilבַּבְּשָׂמִ֔יםba-be-sa-MIMH1314
spice

בֶּ֫שֶׂם (be.sem) 1) spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume 2) (TWOT) sweet, sweet smell, sweet odour

and with [the] rubbings ofוּבְתַמְרוּקֵ֖יu-ve-tam-ru-KEIH8562
cosmetic

תַּמְרוּק (tam.ruq) 1) a scraping, rubbing 2) (CLBL) remedy (for an injury)

the womenהַנָּשִֽׁים׃ha-na-SHIMH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.