Esther 2:3

Est 2:3 And 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]:

Ver. 3. And let the king appoint officers] Praeficiat praefectos. Costly counsel. This could not be done without much trouble and charge to the king. Two or three years are spent in gathering, purifying, and preparing these choice virgins for the impure bed of this heathen prince, while he is following the chase of his ambition, in the wars of Greece.

In all the provinces of his kingdom] A large commission they must have, the whole kingdom is their circuit; and note that they went not to foreigners; which those princes that do, while thereby they seek for greatness, they many times miss goodness; while they labour to be strong abroad (and so to have a stake in store, as they say, however the dice chance to turn), they weaken themselves at home, and while by foreign matches they intend unity, it proves an occasion both of civil and foreign dissensions. We of this nation have had sad experience of these mischiefs.

That they may gather together] This could not be done without the great grief and general discontent of the king’s best subjects ( nimium serviliter huic hirco subiectorum, as one hath it), thus bereft and despoiled of their dearest daughters, the staves of their age.

All the fair young virgins] Beauty (the best pearl in a carnal eye) is all that is here looked after, quae plerumque virtute et pudicitia caret, which is oft without virtue and common honesty, as, where they meet, it is a rare mixture. The heathen man saith, Non est formosa mulier cuius crus laudatur aut brachium, sed illa cuius universa facies admirationem singulis partibus abstulit. Now if this be true, long enough might these commissionated officers look for fair young virgins, truly so called, there being very few that are not peccant in some minnum, some tittle of beauty, or other. It is a praise peculiar to the virgin daughter of Zion to be all fair, Son 4:7, to be αμωμος, Eph 5:26, such as in whom even Momus himself could find no error.

Unto Shushan the palace] In which one place there might have been found choice enough, without speaking further; but that lust is unsatisfiable. The eye is not satisfied with seeing; and in such a multitude how could it be but that the king’s mind must needs be distracted, which one to make choice of?

To the house of the women] Such as is now the Turk’s Seraglio. See the description of the Grand Signior’s Seraglio, by Master John Greanes, chap. iv.

Unto the custody of Hege] Who was their keeper, or rather their jailer. For what was this house of women but a perpetual prison to them, clapped under hatches, as it were, and, haply, held in as great servitude as those in Barbary are at this day; where it is death for any man to see one of the Xeriff’s concubines; and for them too, it, when they see a man, though but through a casement, they do not suddenly screek out.

And let their things for purification] σμηγματα, their cleansing, to dry up the filth of the flesh, and to cleanse nature’s infirmities, that they might be six months purified with oil of myrrh, and six other months perfumed with sweet odours, as Est 2:12. Here the maids were first purified before the king chose one. But Christ first chooseth his spouse, and then purifieth her, Eph 5:26.

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.

Read what this purification was, verse 12.

The abuse of these countries was so great, that they invented many means to serve the lusts of Princes, and therefore as they ordained wicked laws, that the king might have whose daughters he would, so they had divers houses appointed, as one for them while they were virgins, another when they were concubines and for the Queens another.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. Hege the king's chamberlain] הגא סריס המלך Hege seris hammelech, "Hege, the king's eunuch;" so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac. In the Eastern countries the women are intrusted to the care of the eunuchs only.

Let their things for purification be given them] תמרקיהן tamrukeyhen, their cosmetics. What these were we are told in Es 2:12; oil of myrrh, and sweet odours. The myrrh was employed for six months, and the odours for six months more, after which the person was brought to the king. This space was sufficient to show whether the young woman had been chaste; whether she were with child or not, that the king might not be imposed on, and be obliged to father a spurious offspring, which might have been the case had not this precaution been used.

Instead of the oil or myrrh, the Targum says it was the oil of unripe olives which caused the hair to fall off, and rendered the skin delicate.

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

(3) The house of the women.—The harem, then as now, a prominent feature in the establishment of an Eastern king.

Hege.—Called Hegai in Est_2:8; a eunuch whose special charge seems to have been the virgins, while another, named Shaashgaz (Est_2:14), had the custody of the concubines. The whole verse shows, as conclusively as anything could do, in how degrading an aspect Eastern women were, as a whole, viewed. It was reserved for Christianity to indicate the true position of woman, not man’s plaything, but the help meet for him, able to aid him in his spiritual and intellectual progress, yielding him intelligent obedience, not slavery.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. to the house of the women] the harem, which must have been of large dimensions, and was made up, as we see from Est_2:14, of more than one building. It most likely consisted of three portions, viz. the house of the queen, such as Solomon built for Pharaoh’s daughter (1Ki_7:8), the house of the virgins (Est_2:9), and that of the concubines (Est_2:14).

Hegai] It is best, for the sake of uniformity, to spell thus throughout (cp. Est_2:8; Est_2:15). The A.V. follows the Heb., which is inconsistent, giving in this verse Hege, and elsewhere Hegai.

their things for purification] See Est_2:12. The Heb. word for ‘purification’ means properly scraping or rubbing, for the purpose of cleansing or polishing.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom,.... Who best knew where beautiful virgins might be found in their respective provinces, in which they dwelt:

that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace; the metropolis of the kingdom, where was the royal palace:

to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women; in which house it seems were two apartments, one for the virgins before they were introduced to the king, the other for them when they were become his concubines, which had a keeper also; but this Hege seems to have been over the whole house, Est 2:14. It was not only usual with the eastern people, as with the Turks now, for great personages to have keepers of their wives and concubines, but with the Romans also (d):

and let their things for purification be given them; such as oil of myrrh, spices, &c. to remove all impurity and ill scent from them, and make them look smooth and beautiful.

(d) "Pone seram, cohibe", &c. Juvenal. Satyr. 6. ver. 346, 347.

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

The house of the women - i. e. the “gynaeceon,” or “haram” - always an essential part of an Oriental palace (Compare 1Ki 7:8). In the Persian palaces it was very extensive, since the monarchs maintained, besides their legitimate wives, as many as 300 or 400 concubines (compare Est 2:14).

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

House. Distinct from the palace, ver. 14. --- Women’s. Hebrew, "things for rubbing, (Calmet) or purification;" (Haydock) such as perfumes, but not clothes.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Keeper of the women; either,

1. Of the virgins, who are oft called women, as here, Est 2:11,12, and elsewhere. So it is a synecdoche. Or,

2. 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 he committed to Shaashgaz, Est 2:14, his deputy.

For purification, i.e. to cleanse them from all impurities and indecencies, to anoint, and perfume, and adorn, and every way prepare them for the king’s presence and service; for the legal purifications of the Jews he never regarded.

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

3. In all the provinces… that they may gather — Had the king been wanting a legitimate wife, no Persian officer would have proposed a measure like this. The laws of Persia and Media required the king to select his wives from the seven noble families. (Herod., 3:84.) Hence this gathering of virgins from all the provinces, irrespective of country or race, shows that the search was for a favourite concubine, not a legitimate queen.

The house of the women — The harem, or apartment of the royal palace in which were kept the king’s wives and concubines, numbering often several hundred. See note on 1Ki_11:3. The necessary degradation of woman under such usages is a matter of note, and the parents of beautiful maidens evidently had no power to withhold their daughters if demanded for the royal harem.

Hege… keeper of the women — He seems to have been chief eunuch, and principal overseer of the harem. Rawlinson thinks he may have been the keeper of the virgins only, since Shaashgaz was keeper of the concubines. Est_2:14.

Things for purification — Such as are mentioned in Est_2:12.

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

The house of the women. In an Oriental palace the women"s apartments are always distinct from those of the men, and are usually placed in a separate building, which the Greeks called the gynaeceum, and the Jews "the house of the women." At Susa this was a large edifice, and comprised several subdivisions (see ver. 14). Hege, the king"s chamberlain. Literally, "the king"s eunuch, i.e. one of the royal eunuchs. (Est_1:10) Keeper of the women. Strictly speaking, Hege seems to have been keeper of the virgins only (see ver. 14); but he may have exercised a certain superintendence over the entire gynaeceum. Their things for purification. See ver. 12. Such a divinity lodged in the Persian king that even pure maidens had to be purified before approaching him! It would have been well if the divinity had been himself less impure.

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

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.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Hege

Or, Hegai, Est 2:8

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

The young servants continue to speak to the king.

Let the king ... the king's official ... pleases the king

The servants spoke to the king in third person as a sign of respect. AT: "You should ... your official ... pleases you" (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

provinces

A province is a large area into which some countries are divided for the purposes of government. See how you translated this in Esther 1:1.

harem

where the wives of a man with many wives live

the fortress

This refers to a castle, stronghold or fortified city. See how you translated this in Esther 1:2.

Susa

See how you translated the name of this place in Esther 1:2. (See: How to Translate Names)

Let them be put under the care of Hegai, the king's official, who is in charge of the women

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Let Hegai, the king's official, who is in charge of the women, take care of them" (See: Active or Passive)

Hegai

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

their cosmetics

A "cosmetic" is a substance such as a cream, lotion, or powder that women usually put on their face or body to improve their appearance.

translationWords

king

kingdom

virgin

queen

Vashti

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

And let the king appoint commissioners since each commissioner is familiar with the beautiful women in his province.

their ointments These are things that cleanse, like (Lev. 6:21): “it shall be scoured (וּמֹרַק) and rinsed.” [This includes] perfumed oil, various ingredients and spices that cleanse and smoothen the skin.

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.