Esther 2

Esther · Chapter 2

Esther 2:5

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
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;Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

In context

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
a manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

Jewishיְהוּדִ֔יye-hu-DIH3064
Jew

יְהוּדִי (ye.hu.di) Someone descended from Judah (H3063) and possibly other tribes, first mentioned at 2Ki.25.25 § Jew

he wasהָיָ֖הha-YAHH1961
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) …

in Susaבְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ןbe-shu-SHANH7800
Susa

שׁוּשַׁן (shu.shan) Shushan or Susa = "lily" the winter residence of the Persian kings; located on the river Ulai or Choaspes Also named: shu.shan.khi (שׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵא "Susa" H7801)

the citadelהַבִּירָ֑הha-bi-RAHH1002
citadel

בִּירְתָא (bi.ra) castle, citadel, palace Aramaic of bi.rah (בִּירָה "palace" H1002)

and name hisוּשְׁמ֣וֹu-she-MOH8034
name

שֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

[was] Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֗יma-re-do-KHAIH4782H
Mordecai

מׇרְדֳּכַי (mor.de.khay) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.5; son of: Jair (H2971J) § Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars" 1) cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim 2) a Jew who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

[the] son ofבֶּ֣ןbenH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Jairיָאִ֧ירya-'IRH2971J
Jair

יָאִיר (ya.ir) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.2.5; son of: Shimei (H8096U); father of: Mordecai (H4782H) § Jair = "he enlightens" 1) a descendant of Manasseh who conquered many towns during the time of the conquest 2) the Gileadite, a judge of Israel for 22 years during the time of the judges; father of 30 sons 3) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and father of Mordecai 4) father of Elhanan, one of David's mighty warriors

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Shimeiשִׁמְעִ֛יshim-'IH8096U
Shimei

שִׁמְעִי (shim.i) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.2.5; son of: Kish (H7027J); father of: Jair (H2971J) § Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = "renowned" 1) a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David 2) a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon 3) the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David 4) son of Gershon and grandson of Levi 5) a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David …

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Kishקִ֖ישׁkishH7027J
Kish

קִישׁ (qish) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.2.5; father of: Shimei (H8096U) § Kish = "bent" 1) a Benjamite of the family of Matri, father of king Saul 2) an ancestor of Mordecai 3) son of Gibeon and brother of Abdon, Zur, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth; uncle of Kish the father of king Saul 4) a Merarite Levite, son of Mahli and grandson of Merari the progenitor of the family 5) a Merarite Levite, son of Abdi in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah

a manאִ֥ישׁ'ishH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

a Jaminiteיְמִינִֽי׃ye-mi-NIH1145
Benjaminite

בֶּן־יְמִינִי (ben-y.mi.ni) Someone from the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18; son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354); brother of: Joseph (H3130); half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); …

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