Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Esther Chapter 2
Overview
Est 2:1, Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen; Est 2:5, Mordecai the nursing father of Esther; Est 2:8, Esther preferred before the rest; Est 2:12, The manner of purification, and going in to the king; Est 2:15, Esther best pleasing the king, is made queen; Est 2:21, Mordecai discovering a treason, is recorded in the chronicles.
am 3543, bc 461
he remembered: Dan 6:14-18
what was decreed: Est 1:12-21
king's servants: Est 1:10, Est 1:14, Est 6:14
Let there be: Gen 12:14; Kg1 1:2
in all the provinces: Est 1:1, Est 1:2
that they may gather: This was the usual way in which the harem, or seraglio, was furnished; the finest women in the land, whether of high or low birth, were sought out and brought to the harem. They all became the king's concubines; but one was raised as chief wife, or sultana, to the throne; and her issue was especially entitled to inherit.
the custody: Heb. the hand
Hege: Est 2:8, Hegai
the king's chamberlain: Saris hammelech, "the king's eunuch:" so the LXX, Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac.
their things: Est 2:12-14; Isa 3:18-23
let the maiden: Mat 20:16, Mat 22:14
the thing: Est 1:21, Est 3:9, Est 3:10; Sa2 13:4-6, Sa2 16:21-23, Sa2 17:4; Mat 14:6
Shushan: Est 2:3, Est 1:2, Est 5:1
a certain Jew: Est 3:2-6, Est 10:3
the son of Shimei: Sa1 9:1; Sa2 16:5
Jeconiah: Kg2 24:6, Kg2 24:14, Kg2 24:15; Ch2 36:9, Ch2 36:10, Ch2 36:20, Jeboiachin, Jer 22:24, Jer 22:28, Coniah, Jer 24:1
brought up: Heb. nourished, Eph 6:4
his uncle's: Est 2:15; Jer 32:7-12
fair and beautiful: Heb. fair of form and good of countenance, Est 1:11
took: Gen 48:5; Co2 6:18; Jo1 3:1
Hegai: One of Dr. Kennicott's manuscripts, instead of Hegai has Hege, as in Est 2:3.
she obtained: Gen 39:21; Kg1 8:50; Ezr 7:6; Neh 2:8; Psa 106:46; Pro 16:7; Dan 1:9; Act 7:10
her her things: Est 2:3, Est 2:12
such things: Heb. her portions
preferred her: Heb. changed her.
had not showed: Est 3:8, Est 4:13, Est 4:14, Est 7:4; Mat 10:16
for Mordecai: Est 2:7, Est 2:20; Eph 6:1
Mordecai: The apartments of the women are accounted so inviolable, that it is even a crime to enquire what passes within their walls. A man, says Chardin, may walk a hundred days, one after the other, by the house where the women are, and yet know no more what is done there than at the farther end of Tartary. This sufficiently explains the conduct of Mordecai.
how Esther did: Heb. the peace of Esther, Gen 37:14; Sa1 17:18; Act 15:36
am 3546, bc 458
six months: Pro 7:17; Sol 3:6; Isa 57:9; Luk 7:37, Luk 7:38
delighted: Est 4:11; Gen 34:19; Deu 21:14; Isa 62:4, Isa 62:5
she were called: Isa 43:1, Isa 45:4
who had taken: Est 2:7
Esther: Sol 6:9, Sol 8:10; Act 7:10
the tenth month: Est 8:9
the seventh: Est 2:1, Est 2:3; Ezr 7:8
favour: or, kindness
in his sight: Heb. before him
so that he set: Est 4:14; Sa1 2:8; Psa 75:6, Psa 75:7, Psa 113:7, Psa 113:8; Eze 17:24; Luk 1:48-52; Bishop Patrick observes, that those who suggest that Esther committed a great sin to come at the dignity of queen of Persia, do not consider the custom of those times and countries. Every one that the king took to his bed was married to him, and was his wife of a lower rank, as Hagar was to Abraham.
am 3547, bc 457
made a great: Est 1:3-5; Gen 29:22; Jdg 14:10-17; Sol 3:11, Sol 5:1; Mat 22:2; Luk 14:8; Rev 19:9
he made: We learn from Herodotus and Atheneus, that the Persian monarchs were accustomed to give their wives distinct cities and provinces for the purpose of supplying them with different articles of dress. one was assigned for ornamenting the head and neck; another provided robes, zones, etc.; and the city of Anthilla was given to a Persian queen, we read, to supply her with shoes and sandals. It is probable, therefore, that, at the desire of Esther, Ahasuerus relieved those cities and provinces that had before paid it, from this expense.
release: Heb. rest
gave gifts: Est 9:22; Sa1 25:8; Neh 8:11; Rev 11:10
sat in the king's gate: Est 2:21, Est 3:2, Est 3:3, Est 5:13
had not yet showed: Est 2:10
for Esther: Eph 6:1-3
Bigthan: Est 6:2, Bigthana
door: Heb. threshold
and sought: Sa2 4:5, Sa2 4:6, Sa2 16:11; Kg1 15:25-27, Kg1 16:9; Kg2 9:22-24, Kg2 12:20, Kg2 21:23; Psa 144:10
the thing: Ecc 10:20; Act 23:12-22
and Esther certified: Est 6:1, Est 6:2; Rom 11:33
Mordecai's name: Phi 2:4
hanged: Est 5:14, Est 7:10; Gen 40:19, Gen 40:22; Deu 21:22, Deu 21:23; Jos 8:29