Esther 2:14

Est 2:14 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.

Ver. 14. In the evening she went] As the fittest time for a work of darkness.

And on the morrow she returned] So short is the pleasure of sin. Laura venire Venus, tristis abire solet.

Into the second house of the women] That having made sale of her honesty, she might converse with such as had likewise left their honesties behind them; companions in evil, and miserable comforters, with whom they might make up their measure, and God’s power on his.

She came in unto the king no more] But must burn in lust, without means of allayment; being scalded, as it were, in her own grease, frying within and freezing without. Sed βορβορουμεθα ταντα λεγοντες, as Cyril saith in a like case, We do but rake a dunghill in a discourse of this nature. Let us therefore stay here no longer (as Merlin hath it) in setting forth the filthiness of this heathen prince, who yet hath too many among us that imitate his uncleanness and intemperance.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:14 the second harem: Each woman would spend one night with the king in his bedroom and then live essentially as a widow the rest of her life unless the king remembered her name and called for her. The women in the second harem lived an easy life in a luxurious setting under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 14. She 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; [Persian] sheshkhunj, beardless, a proper epithet of a eunuch; or [Persian] sestgunj, weak loins, for the same reason. Names of this kind at once show the reason of their imposition, by describing the state of the person.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women,.... Or the other apartment of the house of the women, where were kept those the king had made his concubines or secondary wives. Aben Ezra interprets it the second time, and so the Targum by "again":

to the custody of Shaashgaz the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines; of which the kings of Persia had a great number; Darius, whom Alexander conquered, had three hundred and sixty (q):

she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she was called by name; but remained shut up in the house, and might not lie with, nor be married to, another man.

(q) Curt. Hist. l. 3. c. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Darius Nothus is reckoned to have had three hundred and sixty concubines.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. The second house of the women — An apartment or division of the harem of secondary importance or rank — the place of the concubines. But the word second may be taken in the sense of again, and the passage rendered, she returned to the house of the women again, or, a second time. So Bertheau and Keil. When, however, these women returned again to the harem, they were assigned to a different department from that of the virgins. This is evident from their being placed in custody of Shaashgaz, the keeper of the concubines, not of Hegai, who had charge of the virgins.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

On the morrow. Literally, "in the morning." The second house of the women. The gynaeceum comprised at least three distinct houses:

1. A residence for the queen, corresponding to that which Solomon builtfor the daughter of Pharaoh; (1Ki_7:8)

2. A house for the secondary wives, or concubines; and,

3. A house for the virgins. On returning from her first visit to the king"schamber, a woman ordinarily became an inmate of the "second house." This "second house" was under the care of a eunuch called Sha"ashgaz.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

This continues the background information that began in Esther 2:12 about the customs for the women who became the king's wives. (See: Background Information)

in the morning

It is implied that this is the following morning. This information can be made clear. AT: "the next morning" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

second house

"a different house" (See: Numbers)

to the custody of Shaashgaz, ... concubines

"to where Shaashgaz, ... concubines would take care of her"

custody

"supervision" or "protection"

Shaashgaz

This is a man's name. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

king

concubine

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

to the second house of the women Heb. שֵּׁנִי [Like the usual form] הַשֵּׁנִי.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.