Esther 2:10

"The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house."

Key Reflection

Esther 2:10 highlights Mordecai's attentiveness and care for his niece, Esther, as she is chosen to join the harem of King Xerxes. This passage reveals not only Mordecai’s commitment to ensuring Esther’s well-being during this crucial period but also underscores the complex dynamics within the royal palace. In first-century Persian culture, such close attention from a male relative was significant, indicating both Mordecai's protective nature and his influence over Esther’s early experiences in the harem.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The Persians had no special contempt for the Jews; but, of course, they despised more or less all the subject races. Esther, with her Aryan name, may have passed for a native Persian.

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