Esther 2:23

Elevation of Esther to the Throne - Esther 2 Service Rendered by Mordochai to the King When the wrath of King Ahashverosh was appeased, and he remembered his harsh treatment of Vashti, his courtiers proposed that he should send to fetch fair young virgins from all parts of his realm to the house of the women in Susa, that he might choose a new queen from among them. This proposal pleasing the king, was acted upon (Est 2:1-4). In the fortress of Susa, however, there dwelt one of the Jews who had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem, and whose name was Mordochai. This man had brought up Esther, his uncle's daughter, as his own child (Est 2:5-7). When, then, in pursuance with the king's commands, many maidens were gathered together in Susa, Esther also was brought into the king's house, and found favour with the keeper of the women while, according to order, she was going through a course of purification and anointing (Est 2:8-14). Then her turn came to be brought before the king, she found favour in his sight above all the other maidens, and was chosen by him to be queen in the place of Vashti. By Mordochai's command, however, she disclosed her race and lineage to no one (Est 2:15-20). At the same time two courtiers conspired against the life of the sovereign. Their conspiracy being discovered by Mordochai, was by him revealed to Esther, who gave information of it to the king, whereupon the matter was investigated, and found to have been correctly stated. The offenders were punished, and the event duly registered in the chronicles of the kingdom.

Two things are recorded in this chapter, which were working towards the deliverance of the Jews from Haman's conspiracy: - 1I. The advancement of Esther to be queen instead of Vashti. Many others were candidates for the honour (Est 2:1-4); but Esther, an orphan, a captive-Jewess (Est 2:5-7), recommended herself to the king's chamberlain first (Est 2:8-11) and then to the king (Est 2:12-17), who made her queen (Est 2:18-20). II. The good service that Mordecai did to the king in discovering a plot against his life (Est 2:21-23).

2:23 impaled on a sharpened pole (literally hanged on a tree, or hanged on wood): This phrase has traditionally been translated hanged on a gallows, but inscriptions from ancient Persia show that impalement was a standard form of execution. Xerxes’ father, Darius I, claimed to have impaled 3,000 Babylonians when he conquered Babylon. Sometimes criminals were executed first and then displayed on a stake, as with the execution of Haman’s sons (9:5-14). • This was all recorded: Mordecai was not rewarded until much later (6:1-14). • While various records of Xerxes’ reign have been found, the particular book mentioned here no longer exists.